Pretty-Shiny

So, I'm in the post-beta, pre-final draft phase. For the next two weeks I have absolutely no writing obligations. I feel light as a feather and blown by the winds of whimsey. I really shouldn't start any major new projects, since the book isn't out the door to my editor, but... With no deadline hanging over my head and no have-tos I'm having a hard time not playing pretty-shiny and leaping into a spec project.

The first choice for pretty-shiny is The Eye of Horus, which is the second book of the alternate WWII YA fantasy trilogy that I'm currently in love with. The first chapter is fully outlined and it's got some scenes I'm dying to write.

Second goes to getting all my ideas for the Halifax novel laid down for later use. I'm both tempted and torn. If I do it now, the experience is still fresh. On the other hand, when I plan too far ahead on a novel I have no chance of writing for a couple of years I often lose interest. I've got dozens of old novel outlines in my ideas file that testify to that.

Third, a short story, maybe in my Urbana world. That would be fun, finite, and possibly even lucrative (inasmuch as shorts are ever lucrative), but I'm less enthused about that than some other things on the list, in part because my short story experiences over the last couple of years have involved an awful lot of dunning people to pay me, and effort and time spent to generate rejection letters instead of novel stuff.

Finally, and what I "should" be doing, I could start work on WebMage IV, MythOS. However, since the deadline is currently 14 months away, I'm not feeling as compelled on that front. Perhaps ACE will move it up.

It's a bit like being a cat in a field full of catnip and butterflies. Ooh, look at that! Ooh, what about that! Ooh, ooh ooh! Maybe I'll just flop on my back and soak up sun for a couple of days.