Here’s the issue I’m having. I’m writing the outline to Tyro’s series, and I am judging myself harshly on what I am puuting down for the outline. I’m bored with it. To quote Happy Hogan: “There’s no new ground being broken here.”

I know why that is: This story has been in my head since 1997 in one form or another. It’s boring because I have been tweaking the story since I was a young man. I’m writing down the outline and thinking that this is the most boring step. I want to go ahead and start writing it.

So – you mad genius and literary light of Gen X – why not write it now? You’ve been blathering about it all this time. Isn’t it time to nut up or shut up? I can hear you say to your computer screen. There are a couple of good reasons:

1. I am still working on Tribal and trying to get that finished before year’s end. While I am working on Tyro’s novel, I am going to publish Tribal and a couple of other books over the following year so I can try to gauge interest in my horror offerings versus my urban fantasy. If I drop Tribal, I might not be able to pick it up. I’ve got two other novels planned after this one (The Crab Bucket, Serve Me Now) not to mention planning another horror novel and possibly a couple of cheeky romances.
2. I want Tyro’s series to be really good. I mean not self-published to die a lingering death like a Victorian Era orphan. I am going to put this out for mass market. So, I’ve got to make sure that everything is on point and that means outlining this thing to death.

I have to remind myself that I am not being judged on the outline. I am going to be judged on the final product. That final product relies on me having a good outline with a clear set of directions. I’m writing the second draft of Tribal because I got to the point with the first draft where I didn’t know where to go, and I still had story to tell. I’m not going to fall prey to that with Unbound. Same thing with Serve Me Now – I got to a point where I just summed things up and that didn’t satisfy me. I do have to get to the outline on that one, however. I just need to carve out some time and all that.

Well – I do need to get to work, so I will let you go. Wish me luck and don’t forget to feed your authors.