Well, if you guys know anything about me, it’s that I’m always, always coming up with new ideas and writing too many books at once. (Right 
now, it’s four. I think. Are we counting thought processes?) Anyways, after a fifty billionth breakdown over “WHY I HAVE NO PLOT?” and “WHY THESE CHARACTERS NO WORK?” and “WHY IS THIS THE SUCK?” I finally called it quits. Not on writing, mind you. THINKING.
Yes, I’ve talked about this before, especially during NaNoWriMo. But this is a level even I’ve never reached before. As it turns out, this is the first book I’ve ever written where there is a certain time when I can write it: when I’m flat-out, drooling, giggly tired. Sound whacked out? Possibly. But I bet you’re jealous of all the fun I’m having.
If I were to read this WIP while sane awake, I would know–as I know now in the back of my head–that this book is rather plotless. In fact, the entire beginning of the book doesn’t make any a lot of sense. Best part? At the moment, I don’t care. I introduce two new characters in situations where I can’t name drop without making it sound force, and in all seriousness they go through the chapter being called “Scaly-face” and “Gandalf Guy.” My MC is actually crazy enough to make that work for me, which is awesome. I’m not even 3 chapters or 10,000 words in yet, and she’s already referenced Disney, Pocahontas, the Wizard of Oz and the Lord of the Rings. She says things that I doubt are going to be funny to anyone but me. But I DON’T CARE.
Maybe this book will never be anything. That isn’t the point here. The point is that I’m fed up with taking writing so freaking seriously. This 
started as fun, didn’t it? So I want to keep it that way. Sometimes you just need to break away from your real, serious WIP and write something that makes you laugh at yourself. I think of it like a writing exercise–and also somewhere to store all those jokes that I think are hilarious but no one else seems to. The greatest thing is? My short attention span is actually remaining excited about this project. So at least if I’m not writing anything that will ever get me anywhere, I’m WRITING. And that’s the important thing.
And who knows? Maybe this’ll turn into something that is better than any WIP I’ve ever tried to think about!
My Life is a Notebook 
I am glad you are having fun with your writing. There is something great about creating something out of a blank page.
Letting the imagination run wild is…wild. 😀
Nice. I need to be reminded about this. IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE FUN! I forget that. I think far too much and then I get stuck (like I am right now and it frustrates me to no end). I have to keep telling myself to keep going because, and I’m being honest here, this is a lot of work for no reward (so far). But why do I write? Why? THAT is the thing I need to remember. AND a year or so ago it used to be a blast. I need to remember that and make it fun once again.
Keep having fun with your wacky characters!
Exactly! Same thing I was going through. I stopped writing because it got hard and stopped being fun – but we’re the only ones making it hard on ourselves! We have to allow ourselves to have fun, and it’s totally possible. We just have to REMEMBER that. 😀
I just wanted to thank you for this post. I thought I was the only one that works on multiple WIPs at a time. I’m not ADD, but I can’t work on one WIP for too long. Perhaps if I could, I would be able to write something that wasn’t crap 🙂
You most certainly are not! I’m actually writing 2 and editing 2 at the same time. There are also plenty of people in my writing group that do the same. You are not alone! 😀