Theme And The Me.

I suffer from a bad case of second guessing. A large part of my writing life is always questioning my ability, my product, my work ethic. Am I wrong in doubting myself? Probably. but having completed a first draft and working now on a second - or first rewrite if you prefer - I keep coming back to the theme. I'll not give the game away just yet, as I've noticed no-one has advertised the theme of the anthology yet, but ...

When I was first informed of the theme for the book I had just finished watching a recently released movie with my older son and thought WOW! This guys psychic. That's just the same as the movie I just watched. Since then, I've sent my first draft to my favourite editor and her first comment referred me to another movie - totally different - that worked along the lines of my story. There's a love story that's mixed in that, and it's a seriously hard movie to watch, but thematically it's the same. Then (there's always a then) I'm asked by one of my readers if I was comfortable ripping off one of my favourite writers, Philip K Dick.

So now, out come all those petty insecurities that just wait to explode out of my mind. Have a committed the crime of ripping off a great writer with my own poor efforts? Will people think back to a hard to watch movie and go gee, he certainly liked THAT idea. Is my writing fresh enough, individual enough, GOOD enough?

On second read-thru, following exhaustive soul-searching (didn't find one) and fighting the misgivings of taking food from the mouths of writers I admire (yes' he's gone on to that next great adventure, but you know what I mean) I have decided that yes, I write very goodly, I am fresh and innovative and I will give the theme a new voice through my work.

I think.

More as it comes to hand. Blog.

Whatever.

Intercontinental Ink. The only ink I use now.