THE STORY SO FAR: PART 324: TUESDAY

SORELY MISSED—THE WRITING HIGH!

My work pattern seems to consist of sustained periods of intense focus on a book, or screenplay, or similar writing-related project—followed by a period of recovery and preparation for the next major task. I won’t pretend to argue that such is the best way of working, because I tend to ignore virtually everything else when I’m “in the zone”—but it’s the one that seems to work best for me.

Ideally, I would work in a more balanced way—and many writers do—but I seem to thrive on the intensity of absolute focus much as some military characters I know seem to crave the adrenalin rush that comes from combat. Indeed, I have a sneaking suspicion they are not entirely dissimilar.

After a manuscript is completed (not that such a work is every truly finished to one’s satisfaction) there is a definite sense of loss combined with a desire to move on to the next work. However, sheer exhaustion tends to temper the creative imperative—and then there are certain practicalities of life that have to be attended to.

Right now, I’m in recovery mode and trying to figure out various ways to work more effectively—an obsession that makes me laugh at myself more often than not as I change the layout of my desk or devise yet another system that I will forget to implement—but actually I seem to be getting somewhere this time around.

Nonetheless, between you, me, and my local squirrel—I’m dying to get back to a major writing project again. 

I miss the action.

PHOTO: This is an FN F2000 bullpup rifle. The great advantage of a bullpup is that, because the magazine and firing mechanism are set way back behind the trigger, you can have a reasonably long barrel yet a short weapon overall. Short weapons are easier to handle in vehicles and in other confined spaces. However, because the ejection port is set way back as well, it can be uncomfortably close to the firer’s face—not so good when hot brass is spewing out. The FN F2000 gets around that by featuring an unusual mechanism that ejects forward.

Interesting weapon.