Artax, no!! Or, in the swampy middle

Jim Butcher, a guy who knows how to write a book or two, named for us that place we all get stuck: The Great Swampy Middle.

That's where I am right now, in the middle. Of many things, one of which involves waiting, which is no fun, and one of which involves working--finishing the sequel to Lost In Thought. Coming back to it after so long, and being in approximately the dastardly middle, makes it so hard not to get Lost in the Swamp, to let myself get sucked into distractions, and side projects, and anything but writing the words. Throw in the holidays and the OTHER stuff (read: that other book I've been talking about) and I'm looking for my Atreyu to pull me out of the mud.

Anyone have any tips for keeping on task? Especially when you're in the middle space where it's so easy to lose your way?

Right now I'm thinking I need to re-immerse myself in the story, and going back to the beginning of what I've already written for some (much needed) editing might do it.

*Artax is the horse. The Neverending Story is where he succumbs to the Swamps of Sadness.

Shiny!

Blog! Did you see how pretty you look? Just a little scrub here and outfit change there and you're all shined up for fall. Finally updated my What I'm Reading page with the last few months' worth as well.

So what else is new?

Yesterday, I turned old. I know age is just a number and all that, but I don't like the new number. It's one year closer to the year when really, finally I'm supposed to be/feel like a grownup. :/

A few days before that I FINISHED MY LATEST DRAFT. And I don't totally hate it. Kind of like it, really. First reader didn't hate it either! Nervously biting finger nails until Agent A and other readers weigh in.

The day after that I started obsessively writing a totally different book I totally didn't plan for. So, I'm obsessively working on that now. Oops.

Annnnd it's SEPTEMBER! That means: PUMPKIN EVERYTHING!!!! In honor of that, I opened today with pumpkin coffee and am closing it out with pumpkin beer. Win!

I hope all of you closed out your summer with all the sun and fun you deserved. Vive l'automne!