Everyone says: ‘Write one book at a time.’ ‘One step at a time,’ ‘One foot in front of the other.’

Heck, even I’ve said it!

However, I’ve never been good at stepping. Or dancing, to extend the metaphor from my previous post (here). I’m a jump-into-the-deep-end-of-the-pool kind of person. Not this ‘little toe, then ankle, then legs’ approach. For me, that just doesn’t work and it’s not very satisfying.

So, when I started writing my novel, I found it extremely difficult to stick to one narrative. I kept adding more, imagining further, exploring in greater depth or in alternate directions. I don’t know if this is normal, or just my strange little brain at work, but there you go. So now I’m writing, I’m querying, I’m constantly editing and refining, I’m creating a kick-ass Instagram puzzle feed- I’m all kinds of creative.

I recently got this coffee mug and thought ‘yep, that’s me!’ I’m not sure if my level of multitasking is normal, or madness. My brain is more than a laptop with too many tabs open, it’s a tree with a million leaves all interconnected in this strange, beautiful, wonderful web.

Some people have a body that is a temple, but me? I’m a tree.

I like to describe my brain, in particular, as a tree. Probably of the deciduous variety (bear with me).

Here’s why:

There’s the main idea (the trunk), and a million little ideas extending from it (the branches). Then, my mind decides to add more details (the twigs), and top it off with something pretty, witty, or colourful- a bit of flair (leaves and flowers). These come and go, depending on the breeze, or the time of year, but they always grow back and fill in the blank spaces once left by their fallen comrades.

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL. There is also an intricate series of sub-thoughts, plans, characters, plots, random words and dialogue which form a root system beneath it all. And it breathes! It lives! Dr Frankenstein, look out, IT LIVES!!

But seriously, enough of the theatrics.

My point, dear reader, is that is might be madness to multitask, to layer those leaves into this fantastic, intricate tree… Or it might just be ok.

As long as I can swim when I jump into the deep end, it’ll all be ok….. Right?

• Featured image credit: lifecoachcode.com