Are They Duldrums . . .

Or are they something else?

I can come up with conspiracy theories for most anything.

Recently, lots of writers I know have been expressing that they feel lethargic in their writing. I'm definitely there. I still want to start about six other WIP's instead of finishing the ones I've already begun. I don't have the drive to finish Shifting for the contest deadline. I haven't specifically found it in writing, but in the rules and explanations of the contest, it's strongly implied that the manuscript should be finished. I have about three or four more chapters of middle to insert, edit and polish, plus go through the ending and tweak what will then be out of alignment and have it ready by the second week of February.

Ain't gonna happen, I can tell you that much.

So why are suddenly many authors I know (including myself) not excited or impassioned about their writing right now? My first thought was aliens. Have you ever seen They Live? It was a cheap sci fi flick from the eighties starring Rowdy Roddy Piper, a professional wrestler of the day. What do you mean you must have missed that one? It is classic cinema at its best! The premise of the movie is that aliens are among us, hidden within our ranks. They are using TV and advertising to unwittingly drug us into submission while they take all the high power, high paying jobs. "Go to sleep." "Watch TV." "Relax." The subliminal propaganda works over time, until the hero uncovers some sunglasses that allow him to see the messages and the real disgusting faces of the alien interlopers. The best line is when Piper yells, "I'm here to kick ass and chew bubble gum! And I just ran out of bubble gum!" Classic writing if ever I heard any.

So I believe this is happening now. This is the real reason I'd rather surf the net than sit and apply myself. Definitely not my own fault. It's aliens come to Earth bent on world domination through couch potato-ism. And I'm more than happy to oblige them at this point.

On a totally separate note, why do some men look really good in a kilt? (mmmm men in kilts) Now there's a new idea to explore. Here comes my thirty seventh WIP that I'm going to pursue. Wish me luck!