just write

A little bit of something for today. It's a Saturday morning and I'm about to start some writing... thought I would warm up with a blogpost. Or does this count as procrastination?

I'm going to sit down with my gargantuan cup of coffee and work on my current WIP, Molly - we know how brilliant I am at coming up with titles. A few weeks ago, it was just a wee scrap titled Chick lit with promise. When on holiday in NZ, I found it in my folder of writing, and really enjoyed re-reading it. So I've picked it back up and am now running around all over the show with it. The main character, Molly, is kind of irrestible and I'm having all sorts of fun with dialogue.

It's become a paranormal romance, because it is impossible for me not to inject some kind of speculative element into my stories. The 'element' is Tom, who is challenging to think about, because I've upturned the tragic box on his life. In 1940, as a 23 year old, he was called up for WW2. He had a spell cast on him to protect him, so that he would survive the war and come home to marry his sweetheart. Only he came home to find his sweetheart had killed herself... and that the spell was twisted and meant he would never grow old or die. Be careful what you wish for.

So at the point in the story when Molly and Tom meet, she is heartbroken after her boyfriend has broken up with her, and Tom is the kind of lonely I find it hard to describe. The word 'lonely' doesn't even touch the sides. Imagine a lifetime where everyone you ever loved or loved you in return is dead. You look 23 years old but you were born in 1917. You are nearing the end of a normal human lifespan without having lived or enjoyed everything we take for granted – growing older, finding a partner, getting married, having children, having grandchildren.

I'm not sure where the story is going, but I'm really loving thinking about it and writing it, and that's essentially my goal this year – just enjoy the writing. Don't worry about audience or sellability or wordcount or publishing. Just write.

So I better.