Before Christmas I was working flat out to get several pieces finished for their deadlines and then I relaxed over the holidays, just writing when I felt like it. It seems no time at all since I was finishing off those assignments. So it came as a shock on Friday when I noticed the date – it’s already the end of the first month of 2010. I’ve sailed through this month with no pressing deadlines and still don’t have any looming in the near future.

One night earlier this week I was driving home in heavy fog. When I turned onto a side road near my house the fog was swirling around the car and I could barely see past the bonnet. I inched along until I reached higher ground and the fog started to lift. I’m not a speedy driver but that first half mile seemed torturously slow even though I knew it was impossible to go any faster. As I inched along I felt as if I had been fettered; I was itching to break free and sail along the familiar road as I usually do.

During the past month, despite my lack of pressing deadlines, I’ve felt a vague disquiet as I consider what I will write next. It’s like the feeling I had as I looked for a break in the fog the other night. I want to start my next writing project but I don’t know what it should be. It’s like I’ve been caught in a fog of possibilities and can’t see which way to go. There’s lots of choices rambling around in my mind – I just have to pull them past the hazy idea stage, put them into the order I want to tackle them and then put pen to paper.

A fellow member of our local writing group asked me last week if I’ve given up writing since I haven’t brought any new material to the group since the holidays. I assured him I haven’t given up writing. I’ve just been letting ideas swirl around in my mind. Now it’s time to get organised and concentrate on planning my next projects – I know the fog will then lift and my direction will be clear. January may be gone but there’s still eleven months left in this year – lots of time to write.