Problems with skipping around, and thoughts on business

I’m up to 21,000 words on Masters now.  The site where I work was shut down today because of snow, so I had more time than normal to work on my writing.  All the same, I didn’t get as much done as I could have, only about 2,000 words.  I spent a bit of time outlining the next half dozen chapters or so, something I hadn’t done at first.  When I started writing Masters, I had a concept in mind, I knew what made the main character tick and what the back story was, and I had a general notion of where I wanted it to go.  But aside from that, I basically discovery wrote the first few chapters.  As I’ve gotten further along, I’m finding I need to look ahead and decide what I really want to have happen so I don’t just wander off aimlessly.

The problem is now that I’ve done that, I find myself really wanting to skip ahead to some of the more meaty action-filled scenes, or just scenes with really cool interactions.  For instance, the other day I started the scene where we meet the big bad guy for the first time, and I finished it today.  Problem is, that scene takes place 3 chapters beyond where I had written to so far.  There are other scenes even further ahead that I am looking forward to also, because they’ve got action, and it’s always fun to write a fight.  Now, I know there’s nothing wrong with not writing in order, but for some of these intervening scenes, even though I know exactly what I want to have happen, I’m just not interested in making it happen.  Maybe that will change as I make more progress, otherwise I guess I’ll just have to slog on through.

On a better note, I was reading some blogs this evening while taking a break from writing and got a bit more inspired about the business end of this.  I have just over 6 years until I can retire from the Navy.  Assuming I meet my goals for the year, and do the same amount each year between now and then, I wondered how much I could potentially be making by then.  So I ran a spreadsheet, and with the accumulated product between now and then (we’re talking 18 novels and 150 short stories, which can be sold separately and in collections) I wouldn’t need ridiculous sales from any one product to make some pretty decent cash.  Of course, it all depends on how much I can really put out (and how good it is, of course, but I’m certain I’ll improve over time and if I do say so myself I think I’m doing alright now).  At the end of this year I’ll know better what I can expect.  But if I can meet my goals, or even better surpass them, that’ll be a good start.

Ok, back to trying to power through one of those unappealing scenes before hitting the sack.