The blank page. How to start? I think it’s always wise to give yourself a lot of freedom with the first draft. Even if you’re one of these people whose first draft is pretty much the last draft, there’s nothing wrong with letting go and seeing where the story takes you. Nothing says you have to keep it. I’m diving into some drafting tonight. The goal tonight is to start turning some of these characters into people. It’s a slow start. With the way I write these days, there are many, many drafts. The last rarely looks like the first. I’ve also stopped putting arbitrary deadlines on things. It’s funny, but I find that I can get more written if I just write. I’m more likely to meet a deadline if I don’t intentionally try to hit the deadline.

I visited our newer and bigger Barnes & Noble tonight. I picked up a copy of the Year’s Best SF 13. Haven’t cracked it yet. I’m sure it’s great. I also finished reading Chabon’s collection of short stories. Some of them I liked. Others… I don’t know, some of the plotless, revelation type Literary fiction just doesn’t work for me. There’s normally something there, I can feel it, but it just doesn’t resonate with me. His newer stuff however, much better. Bleeding genre and literary together makes a really pretty baby. I haven’t read The Yiddish Policeman’s Union yet, but I really loved Kavalier and Klay. Excellent book.

I looked through my stuff today. My Stuff is all of the old stories I have sitting around in various stages of completion. I know I should probably do something with them, but they don’t resonate with me anymore. It’s like a lot of them were written by and angry, bitter person who I don’t think I would like very much. I read them, and they aren’t me, they aren’t something I want my name associated with. Luckily, there is one piece out there published that I’m quite proud of and feel represents the type of fiction I want to write. Clockwork birds and romance just seem to fit well together.

I like romance. I like it when I can write something that has a strong romantic element. Romantic attachments can bring a whole new dimension to fiction. Relationships can keep the hero from getting on the bus and leaving town. Sometimes.