I am also a neurotic planner. I storyboard, I write out character sheets for my main characters, I have world notes, etc. This is good UNTIL I need to look up something and I can’t remember which file its in or on which computer. Then I can quickly drive myself to insanity. Okay – MORE insanity. This is even more true right now when my primary writing laptop is awaiting a hardware repair and files are backed up but not in their usual places.

My friend showed me the story binder she keeps for her complex paranormal world and a light went on for me. This is what I need to do.

The binder is divided into a few primary sections:

• Primary Characters
• Secondary Characters
• Villains
• Locations
• World Notes
• Reference and Research Material

She updates the binder when she writes each book. She happens to be a pantser (shhh—she hates that term) so she does it after each book is out of edits.

To me, at least, it makes perfect sense. Here is a home for all the various info I create or collect before I start to write the story. I bet I can even get in the storyboard (or a photo or transcription thereof).

So, since I have three worlds created that need to be tracked, I stopped at the office supply store on the way home and bought a couple of binders and dividers and one of my goals for the times when it’s too busy/noisy for me to concentrate on writing is to set up the binders for my worlds. It’s a great way to keep track of the information and world rules and have it handy to leaf through without hunting through the electronic files for them.

Right now my day job is still in chaos. I’m trying to learn a new job discipline in a very busy team where I’m supposed to solve all the problems of multiple years overnight. Plus I have to take several days away from the office to work at home because my youngest son’s daycare is closed. Not the best combination in the world.

I’m really late on one story and actively hiding from my editor. I have a 20k non-fiction chapter to turn in asap. I have several other stories waiting in line for attention. I have the Friday Flash. I have a special edition of shorts for the Fiction with Friction blog for Labor Day.

I have my own edits of Giving Thanks to do, which causes me to hide from another editor (I’m not really here, Nik).

I have editing, though my gracious EIC’s have let me cut back on it considerably.

I now have a cat in the vet hospital to worry about. He’s got a pancreatic infection and we’re praying he responds really well to the antibiotics he’s been on since last Thursday. If he does, he might be able to come home to a long regime of antibotics and a hope of recovery. It’s FAR better than the fears of cancer, lymphoma or such that had been near the top of the list.

Oh and I’m already fretting over Soldier Son who hasn’t even left the country yet. I’ll probably be completely freaked out when he actually gets deployed. Friends are going to have to take turns talking me down from emotional cliff.

I’ve started a weight loss and exercise effort.

And now what happens? The muse starts to dump story ideas on me. World building ideas. Character concepts. I seem to be walking around in a be-mused daze part of the time.

I was sitting today, impatient with the ideas I kept having to jot down, and realized that this is actually TYPICAL for me. My imagination seems to do its best work when I’m overwhelmed or way too busy. I’m starting to wonder if it’s a conspiracy or something. Maybe I’m exceptionally masochistic?

When do you get the most ideas? Is your muse as mean to you as mine is to me?