Don't think, dammit, just write!

Well, I'm always learning, but this week has been especially enlightening.

I mentioned that I started something new, and I'm now over 5000 words in and still loving it. Starting is always so easy, there's that uncomplicated lightness, the freedom of being able to go anywhere. I admit, there's a part of me that thinks all writing ought to feel like that, and maybe it would, if I was doing it right.

But it started slowing down today. I've arrived at a place where I need to start looking things up, and that's time consuming. But there was drag that I felt sure wasn't related to the tiny bit of research I needed to do. Something was getting heavy, slowing me down. What was it? And then, eureka.

When I'm not thinking too hard, I can write. When the thinking starts, the writing slows waaaay down. To test my hypothesis, I sent my thinker into the back room. Hush, I told her, you'll wake the dreamer. She can't dream with you thinking so loud. And it worked!!!

Wow. All my life I've been taught to listen to that thinker, and I never thought she could steer me wrong. But it's too early in the WIP to do that. The problem is that my thinker has some confidence issues. She's neurotic. She paces, she checks my spelling, she's always asking me if I'm sure. Of course I'm not sure.

She's on stress leave right now. I have writing to do.