Today I started writing Badlands Born #3, and by that I mean I am doing pre-writing and research. It’s a heady time; I’ve let the leash off my imagination and letting it run everywhere. I have the kernel of an idea and I think I know what story I want to tell but it’s still too early to tell. You know what it’s like? It’s the writing equivalent of a brake stand. For those of you who haven’t been a 16-year-old delinquent, a brake stand is where you take a rear-wheel drive car and apply the brakes and gas simultaneously. The front tires remain locked in place, while the rear wheels spin. The power builds, generating noxious fumes and ear-splitting squeals overlaying the throaty roar of the engine. When you ease off on the brakes the car lurches forward, leaving jet-black marks behind. It’s been amusing teenage boys for decades.
Of course, it’s hell on the car. The tire wear is horrible, it’s not good for the engine or the brakes, and those nearby may not be as impressed with the fumes and the noise. Do it too long and the tires pop and then you’re good and screwed because instead of racing away in your sports car, you’re sitting in dead weight and someone has called the cops. It’s the same with research. It’s a lot of fun but you can get yourself in trouble, endlessly researching when you should be writing.
But for now, YEEEEEEHAAAAAW!
