Intrusive ideas

You know you're a writer when your mind keeps waking you up with a story idea. I both love and hate the experience. I love it because it reminds me that I'm on the right track of my life. I hate it because it's like a nagging mommy interrupting your dreams to make you get up and work.

Since the idea has nothing to do with Smoked or the North Coast of California, I have put it aside in a document file named Rawbits after a faux cereal once hawked by Garrison Keillor. If I did not, it would haunt me, interfering with Smoked, so I would not get anything accomplished on either.

I wonder how other writers handle this kind of intrusion on their work. Do you set aside time to work on the new idea while you work on the original opus the other part of the day? Let me know. I'm always curious to see if there are better ways to handle intrusive ideas and characters.

That reminds me. I have neglected the historical aspects I wrote about to get my blog started so many months ago. I left our loving couple, Stanislaus and Ellen, with the birth of their first child. The happy event was marred by the death of Kwan's wife, Huey. Ellen gave birth to many more children, and each time, Stanislaus planted a red maple tree in the front yard. Eventually, 13 trees graced the property.

Another child was born that year: Maggie, the widow of Randy Galvan, had a son. Her parents wanted to give the boy their last name, since Randy's ignoble death marred their happiness over a grandson. But Maggie felt it was fate. No respectable man would have anything to do with Maggie or her son. In her bitterness, she raised another ignoble soul who became the great-grandfather of Keith Galvan, a questionable figure in Smoked.

In the next week or so, I'll review another mystery novel. It is a historical mystery set in Medieval London. She calls it Medieval Noir. Look for the review soon.

In the meantime, let's figure out what to do about those intrusive ideas.