The Creative Process - Really?!

As a reaction to my dismay about the amount of learning and work ahead of me in writing this Mystery, I tried to wriggle out of it -- partially -- and with some semi-credible honour.

What I chose to regard as a message from the universe came by way of an interview in the Book Review section of the New York Times. The person interviewed cited When You Reach Me as an example of one of her favourite and most highly-regarded books even though it is a Young Adult mystery. Aha, I said. Then I read somewhere that the one category of novel where sales are increasing is Young Adult. Double aha. 

So, I have now partially read the book and have determined I have no business whatsoever in this space. (If a science fiction mystery can be called a 'space." At least not now. I don't understand the references, the tone, or much else. No doubt this is, as they say, me not Rebecca Stead's. She won the 2009 Newbery Medal for it.

So, OK, back to Plan A.

And thanks to Don for this:

I have to say, though, that, for me and this project, the first two positions on the diagram are closer to:

1. I have an idea that is probably over-reaching and I know is going to involve some pain. But I'm also hopeful that I will have learned a enough along the way about narrative drives and plotting and so forth to make it all worthwhile. And in the end,  make me glad, and proud,  I did it.
2. Then -- my goodness, this is turning out even worse than what I was capable of imagining. And, I just know it's going to get worse before it gets better. Oh, goody goody.