For the green challenge. I've been meaning to get this on paper since my drive home on Friday. The weather inspired me. This is pretty dark, so read at your own risk.

Green-eyed Monster

I'd learned to be as patient as any cat by a mouse hole. I'd had cats, but had to kill them when the canned goods ran out. They could find their own food, which was the problem. The vermin that sought out high ground as the flooding spread were easy pickings for my cats, but they weren't good at sharing. I'd had dinner that lasted more than a week for me. Now, it was my turn to crouch next to the hole in the green, mold-covered wall. Until it quit raining or the water finally breached the condo, I'd eat.

Yup. Dark. Remind me not to room with Sail next time there's a get-together, hmmm?

It's been raining waaay too long in Wisconsin.

My drive home on Friday just left me too much time to think. I should start writing post-Apocalyptic fiction. Brrrr.

Beverly, you'd probably be safe rooming with Sail (but bring lots of snacks, just in case).

I should start writing post-Apocalyptic fiction.

Yes you should. And eeep!

Creepy, Sail. I like.

Also liked Sox's stuff from way back. Please keep with the writing good.

So...I know every writer has a different process, what works for one would make another's muse desert her, etc.

But after my first manuscript, I vowed that I would never, ever write out of order again, since I think writing whatever scene came to mind and stitching them together into a whole later slowed me down and generally made the book sloppier.

So I've been writing linearly ever since. Only now I've reached a point in the WIP where the End itself is in sight, but the path from here to there isn't. And I'm wondering if this is the right time to break my own rule and skip ahead to my Big Epic Battle Scene that closes the story, in hopes that fleshing it out and getting all the drama and angst and death and courage and manly warrior bonding onto the page will show me what I need to do to get my characters to that point. Because right now I'm flailing my way through the ms and writing tons of boring filler.

So, yeah, I'm mostly talking myself into doing something I've already made up my mind about, but does that sound sensible?

Uh yeah, it makes sense. Susan, generally your self-imposed rules shouldn't be that absolute. Except when they should.

And skipping the part you are stuck on and moving on and getting the part you have already figured out is a basic part of the writing process for most people. Maybe you need to do less of it than average, but it would surprise me if you could avoid entirely.