overcast, cold, rain temps 5
Dear God - is it ever cold! And damp - and rainy. Torrential downpours yesterday - we now have three 'lakes' around our home - thank heaven Trudy's a water dog. So are we, now.
Still, it's not bad at all. I love this stage of writing (except for the cold terror). Sat by the fire today, sipping cafe au laits, eating cereal, and writing. Actually, for the past 2 days I've been editing. Have been away for 10 days and that's really hard at this stage in a manuscript. Took 2 days to get caught up on paperwork - then started in on the book yesterday.
I was frightened. Wanted to do anything but work on it. Afraid I'd lost the thread. Afraid I'd lost the desire. Afraid I'd get back to it and discover it really was crap.
So I decided to be kind to myself...to creep up on it. So I put up the previous 4 chapters and started by reading/editing them. To get back into the world I'd created. The characters. Remind myself where I was with the plot and sub-plots. It worked and I think I'm back to spped. What I think I'll do now is speed ahead with the main story line, and finish that. Drive it home. Then in the first revision pick up the threads of the sub-plots.
That's the plan.
Books, of course, never go to plan. Remember that wonderful Somerset Maughm quote - There are five rules for writing great novel. Unfortunately no one knows what they are.
Set up the screen porch Friday night - put out the table and chairs, rocking chairs and uncovered the sofa. Had a wonderful breakfast out there yesterday - then the rains came. Our porch roof has leaked for a year now...almost ruining last summer which was warm but rainy so we couldn't eat out there.
Fingers crossed it gets fixed soon...Gary's coming Thursday so we hope this is it. Frustrating for him and for us.
God - it's raining again.
Exercised today - always feels good and now Michael and I are curled up in the TV room watching the Players...they're all bunched up together, within a couple shots of each other. Very exciting!
Will try to blog tomorrow...I feel like I'm finally getting back into my routine. Terror level down to amber.
7 comments:
It's nice to be home, isn't it? For me, routine always lessens the terror. You are also coming off these great successes. There is always the feeling of am I really that good, can I do it again? I don't know if it's like that for you, but your books only seem to be getting better, so take heart. Sorry about your porch, but it is said that into every life...oh dear, I need to stop that. Good luck with the Macavity.
Lil
Hi Louise,
I just wanted to let you know that I saw the pictures of you taken at Malice and posted by G M Mailliet on the Inkspot blog. You looked very glamerous. Nice haircut! ;-)
I also saw that you were quoted on the Publisher's Weekly website in the article about cozies. How thrilling.
So glad you are back home and getting into the comfortable routine. When you are writing one of your books, I feel all's right with the world.
You recovered faster than I did, Louise! The convention, followed by the road trip to/from PA, was wonderful, and completely exhausting. I also have learned to build in 2-3 days recovery time after conventions, just to catch up on email.
But it is all good. I am so glad you keep up this blog. It is always a treat to return and catch up.
DEar Lil,
You're right - that's exactly it. Sure, I managed, by some fluke, to write 5 other books, but clearly I don't really know what I'm doing.
And I listen to that crap. Oh well. Thanks for the calm words.
DEar Jeanine,
Yes, isn't GM wonderful? I lodst the Agatha for Best Haircut to Anne Perry, but have hopes for next year.
Dear GM,
It's not recovery - I'm just more afraid than you are! Afraid creativity is like blood, and time off is a cut...and the longer I'm away the more drains out.
Nice analogy, no? However, perhaps creativity is like hair...it's always growing and needs time away from attention to recover.
Or, maybe it's like grass. Wet and smelly at times, but quite soft underfoot.
Yes, that's it.
LOL!
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