A formal apology

It's not done yet.

Hello, dear readers.

I was hoping I’d have something for you to read today - actually, Wednesday, but clearly that didn’t happen - and this chapter is teaching me a lesson in humility. I was sure I’d be able to churn out between 1,500 and 2,000 words for The Lost Circus, but it turns out I was wrong.

I’m sorry.

As a writer, there are few things more frustrating to me than middle pieces. Story-wise, they’re so important. Character development happens there. Story development happens there. All the background-stuff-readers-need-before-we-escalate-into-the-climax happens there.

Except I suck at writing them, so this is taking quite a bit longer than anticipated.

Part of writing means practicing often. Doing everything in your power to get better, even if it’s just 100 words at a time. I’m one of those shiny-story writers, which means that I often get distracted by a new idea before I’ve finished my current project. I’ve started so many stories that the blank page doesn’t really rattle me any more, and though it may take a couple tries before I get something good, I can start.

I always get stuck in the middle. I can’t figure out what to write. I can follow my characters to a point, but the twisty-turny road through the middle ground is my Kryptonite. I want to move the story forward, but I struggle with getting the right journey from Point A to Point B. In this case, I had a plan. Upon review, it just didn’t do what I needed it to do.

So I’m trying it again. In the long run, it’ll be fine. Practice makes perfect, and there’s no better teacher than doing the same thing twice.

But I did tell you it would be done by now, and I’m sorry for getting your hopes up.

To be fair, I suck at the middle of books as a reader, too. I always want things to move faster, to get where they’re going, and the piddling middle ground always makes me mad. That’s a personal problem, and I’m working on it. Unfortunately, it also comes through in my writing.

I’ve abandoned so many projects because I hate writing the middle. That’s one of the reasons I enjoy writing The Lost Circus so much - something happens in every chapter. That’s how I planned the failed edition of Part 7, as well, but for some reason, it just didn’t stick. The story needs something else. It needs character development. Story development. All the background stuff I’m so bad at right now.

So, it’s not done yet. It’s so close. But it’s not quite there yet.

I don’t like making empty promises, even over the internet. I said it would be ready this week, and it’s not. I’m sorry, dear readers. I’ll stop telling you when I hope it’ll be done, and share it when it actually is.

I hope your weekend is marvelous, dear readers. See you next Wednesday.

<3 Olivia

(Photo by S. Migaj, Pexels)