Stuck

 
Ok, I’ll admit it.  I’m stuck.  I just can’t sit down and devote a block of time to drafting my fourth novel.  Through March I cranked out about 16,000 words of a work I expect to be about 70,000 words – almost a quarter of my goal.  Mind you I don’t have writers block.  I have the entire story arc worked out in my mind and the list of characters developed.

I intentionally took a break from writing in April when we sold our country home, signed a contract to build a new home and moved to an apartment while our home was being built.

I had the joy of moving into our new home on Sept. 3rd.  We moved in two stages first from the apartment to home and then two weeks later stuff in storage to home.  I’ve learned stuff in storage is an albatross that hangs around your neck.  The stuff is now in the basement.  It took me two weeks to organize the stuff and donate a portion of it to St. Vincent’s.

I told myself I had all this work to complete before I could write again.  I was scheduled to have a “weekender” intense writing class with my former teacher and mentor, Laurel Yourke with five other writers.  That didn’t go well.  I was the only person in the room who was published.  This group has met for years and no one is even close to publishing.  I felt out of place.

When it came time to critique my four pages one person said:  “I hated the whole second paragraph on page two.”  That was a major critique group violation and I shut down.  I didn’t return for the second day of the weekend session.

I decided I needed a plan with a goal – that’s how I work best.  My plan is to spend the month of November editing and continue with the story in December.  I have edited four chapters and it is grueling the draft is horrific.
Trying to kick start writing by editing has been a huge mistake.  In late November we will be leaving for a trip to Spain so I’ve decided to begin again in December, refreshed from basking near the Mediterranean.  My plan is to read the 16,000 words I have without editing then use that to catapult me back into the story.
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Does anyone have  another suggestion?