By mid-week last week I had written 1798 words on the novel (total: 72341) and was making decent progress, when I made a strategic error. One morning I took a notion to work on an old story that needs a bit of editing and revision before I can publish it. It is a story I wrote some years ago, and it’s set in a different world than either “Last Night” or the novel I’m writing now.

And that was a mistake because I couldn’t get my mind back into the novel after working in this other world. So that’s my personal lesson from last week: don’t try to switch fictions, because you are not capable of that.

I’ve taken a few days away from both and intend to stick with the novel until this draft is done. I have to get through it, and I’m already behind on my goal. Not hugely behind, but a few thousand words. And the book is turning out to be longer than I’d expected, in addition. That’s something I have to work with, since it can’t be stopped while drafting. But no more getting my mind off-balance! Okay then.