I’m taking a short break from the final chapter of the second instalment of the Teddie McKay detective series. Now the end is so close, I am at that mix of excitement  combined with the sadness that it is over. There will no doubt be many changes between this version and the one which finally gets published, but there is only ever one true moment of ‘The End’ when writing a book.

Of course, I won’t be able to relish it for long. As soon as I’ve allowed myself a brief moment to celebrate (maybe with a glass of wine), my mind will begin to think other projects. The pull of the bright and shiny new has been strong for a couple of weeks, but I have managed to resist it. You know when the end is near. You start to get a new plot idea roughly every thirty seconds and you are convinced it is the best story since Eve tempted Adam with the apple. When you go back later to those hastily scribbled notes, most of them are rubbish, or absurd, or just plain weird. They were just there to distract you in that moment of weakness to stop you from finishing. Anyone who has read The War of Art knows that feeling of distraction.

(Doing this blogpost is probably exactly the same thing, but at least I know it won’t take up more than thirty minutes of my time. You’re getting the rough and ready content here people. Otherwise the Wordpress time suck will be the death of me.)

Tomorrow morning I will be writing something new. In a completely different genre. My mind may struggle to adjust for a while, but I’m going back to work with some characters I already know well. I’m looking forward to playing with them again. Teddie can go back in her box for a few weeks until I have to do structural edits on her. Which just sounds plain creepy. I assure you it’s not.

Probably.