THE STORY SO FAR: PART 282: MONDAY

JUST BECAUSE I’M FOCUSED ON ONE PROJECT DOESN’T STOP MY SUBCONSCIOUS FROM LOBBING OTHER IDEAS AT ME

I’m very proud of learning to focus—God knows it took me long enough—but though I write about ‘total focus’ and ‘being in the zone,’ and I am describing the situation accurately, I will admit that when I am not actually writing—say doing something in the kitchen—my mind may well drift to other projects, or even away from writing

(I can’t believe I revealed that—I rather like the image of being an obsessive writer).

Actually, I think about lots of different things if only because I have a wide variety of interests, and, of course, I think about people—probably a great deal more than they realize—but my fundamental point is that even when I’m totally focused on one writing project, my subconscious (which, as you know, I don’t control) seems to enjoy working on another. That would be bad enough, but sometimes it likes working several books ahead.

Currently, it seems interested in my long planned military novel which isn’t scheduled for quite some time. To that end, I’m exploring—when I’m away from writing—concepts like Maneuver Warfare, and the total integration of ground and air. Given how high-tech war has become, some of the details are rather hard to master.

Now I see why people write historical novels.