Yesterday I had a "plot meeting" with a writer friend. Took my draft so far (35000 words) but didn't really look at it, except to check a couple of things. I also had a diagram of major scenes, and a map with dates for where my pirates went and on what date - approximately. We talked about character and plot arcs and lots of other writing stuff. I came home and have been thinking about where the story is going. Not where I planned. I seem to have changed two major character relationships in a way that is affecting the whole story.
Should I go with where the current flow is leading me? Or do I rein it back and return to the original story line? I just don't know, but my gut is telling me to go with the new flow. I think I need to read through all I've written so far and have a good, long think about it all.
I have received the go-ahead for the fantasy novel I was asked to write. It's part of a series that is selling quite well in Australia. An exciting opportunity and I am happy with the outline I prepared for them. I intend to work further, outline in more detail, so that the writing will come easier. I have a bible to work with, but as most of my story is in a new invented world, I am not that restricted.
And yesterday I spent a large amount of my time working on bum poems - or should I say, lovely poems - odes - to the bum. For an ad agency. It sure is interesting to have a website and see who contacts you through it, and why. Who knows if any of my poetic efforts will meet with approval? If they do, I'll have to suffer hearing them over and over in the media for the next however long. Penance?
Today must be a writing day. Can I juggle two novels at once? It helps that I can use similar material (pirates) but each story must be its own. I think that's where the outline will pay off.

I shouldn't be surprised at how going back to work has wrecked my writing schedule, but I am! Now it's back to squeezing writing into a few precious hours every few days. And I am mostly succeeding. Turned down a big job (freelance) in favour of writing so I am feeling virtuous.
Up to 33,000 words and still aiming to keep this under 70,000 - it's still a middle grade novel, although I could have more scope for blood and guts with a YA. My agent commented that middle graders wouldn't be interested in pirates. And I said I can only write what I feel passionate about. I've tried writing with *sales* in mind and it does not work. Trust me on that. Others can do it. Not me.
I am starting to feel that I'm getting a handle on plotting and scene construction - at last! Thank you EG.
And I'm also getting a handle on outlining. Put in an outline for a book in a fantasy series (by request) and managed to write it without too much anguish. A first for me. Usually outlines make me feel sick for days, and my brain just hits a brick wall.
And I remembered that it was one of the goals I set last year - to improve my plotting.
Goals for 2005? Writing first, routine building, no procrastination.
I read a line in an article that really hit home. "A real writer writes even when they don't want to."
Absolutely.