Sweating out a Sequel: Sometimes your MC gives you the Bird

Howdy, y'all. 


Remember, tomorrow is the deadline for those of you who joined in the Chimichanga Challenge. 


I am currently at just over 22,000 words for my sequel. I don't think I'm going to make it to 40,000 by tomorrow, but that's okay. It's a heckuva lot more than I would have written otherwise!


The truth is, I'm feeling a little bit of deadline pressure. The end of school for my kids -- and therefore, the end of free writing days -- is looming like a dark bulbous cloud over the horizon. 


I think my stress is manifesting itself in my writing. Currently, in my sequel, I'm stuck in this one scene where the three main characters are sitting around, staring blankly, with nothing to say to each other.


I've been on this scene for a few days now. Once, a famous writer said, if you're stuck, put your main character up in a tree, and have the others throw rocks at her. I tried that. But the others couldn't be bothered to go searching for rocks, and my Main Character just built herself a hammock in that tree, and is now taking a leisurely snooze. 


I'm at that 22,000 word mark, which is the notorious Point-o-Desperation for the writer. I have thoughts like:


-I'm never going to finish. Books are really really long! Maybe the sequel could be told better in picture-book form. 


-My characters are protesting the lack of progression at this point. They are building hammocks in trees and refusing to cooperate.


-How did I ever finish a book in the first place?


-I'll never be able to finish a book again. That first one was a fluke. It basically wrote itself. (I liken this notion to having a baby, and when looking back on it, forgetting how much it really hurts.)


-I think my MC just gave me the bird.


I'm too easily distracted...


-That wall looks smudgy. Maybe I should clean all the walls.


-It's raining. I long to feel the rain on my face! Time to go outside... Oh wait. It's sunny. I long to feel the sun on my face! Time to go outside.... Lightning? It's been a while since I've been struck by it. Maybe I'll venture outside.


-Oh yay! The Mailman's here! So long, suckahs!


-Meet you for lunch? Sure! I'd never turn down lunch. Even writers have to eat, right? 


-Two lunches? In one day? I'm in!


-Watching Dr. Who isn't procrastinating. It's research. 


-I have to blog first. I can't let my blog readers down. They depend on me!


-It's been years since I've picked my nose. I wonder what's been going on in there? I better find out...


Yeah, any distraction will do. So I'm making a promise, here and now. I will not be distracted any more. I will not let these things get in the way of writing. I will throw my own rocks at my MC, no matter how many times she flips me off. I will not go to lunch more than four times a week. 


Most of all, I will finish this book before June 4. If I don't, you can stick me in a tree and take turns throwing rocks at me. 


Thanks for listening.