TV writer and novelist Lee Goldberg (Diagnosis Murder series) has a fascinating blog entry -- How I Write -- linking to his article at The Mystery Morgue.

I enjoyed reading about his methods, in part because some are similar to the ones Mary and I employ -- an outline with clues noted for each scene, for instance. (Hey, we're doing something right!) He includes a lot of astute and useful observations about clues.

He's not presenting a recipe that anyone else could simply follow, however. In that regard, I liked Ed Gorman's comment.

"...those who believe that commercial fiction is "formulaic"--if we knew the so-called "formula" we'd all be phoning you from our limos. It just don't work that way for most of us."

That's for sure. As Lee points out, there's thinking to be done before any typing can take place.

"This is the hardest part of writing... the sitting around, staring into space, and thinking. This is writing, even if you aren't physically writing. A lot of non-writers have a hard time understanding this. Yes, just sitting in a chair doing nothing is writing."

I think I should print that out and stick it on the wall next to my desk to make me feel better. Maybe because I filled in time cards for years when I was regularly employed, I often have to remind myself that just because I haven't produced X number of words today doesn't mean I haven't been doing any writing "work." Just because the company I used to work for didn't have a time code for "daydreaming" or "noodling around with ideas" doesn't mean I'm goofing off.

Even writing a blog entry contributes, in some way, to the creative process. Well, maybe....