Lambs Vs. Sheep

Currently reading - Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

I've been going to a local cafe' to write in the mornings. At least on mornings that don't involve doctors' appointments, grocery shopping, haircuts, etc.

When I got home for lunch, per usual, DH asked me how I did.

Me: I only got a couple of pages done.

DH: Oh, you're blocked then.

Me: No! The idea isn't fully matured yet.

DH: So you're blocked.

Me: *huff* No, it's like expecting a lamb to produce wool. It ain't gonna happen.

Of course, any time I use a farming metaphor it royally confuses city-bred DH.

Here's the deal. I've had a character fragment runing through my head for a while, a definite picture of a heroine of a western/steampunk story. And for the record, this idea's been floating in my head for a very long time. I love shows like The Wild, Wild West; The Adventures of Briscoe County, Jr.; and Legend.

So when Rick Daley threw out his writing challenge on The Public Query Slushpile, I figured now's the time to flesh out the idea.

But an idea is just a lamb, and a lamb can't produce wool (i.e. actually story) until it grows up to be a sheep (the outline).

Luckily, ideas don't have the biological growth rate of a real lamb. The full outline is almost to my satisfaction. And all I need for Rick's challenge is the query and first five pages.

I've already got a partial I want to finish this summer, but I've got a feeling this may end up being my 2010 NaNo project.