It was warm enough to take off my shoes
It was an interesting two weeks away from home. First, a long weekend with the San Francisco Writers Conference, this year being held at the Hyatt Regency near the Embarcadero and Ferry Building. I wasn’t sure at first if I was going to like the new digs, as it’s splashy! So very Vegas! Right in the middle of the action! but…I got used to the immense size. The accommodations were top notch, the banquet food yummy, the workshop space HUGE. There was no reason to go outside (plus it was raining the proverbial cats and dogs and colder than usual for February so why venture? except for the brief and nippy Eyespiration walk), so I stayed in and took advantage of all the workshops I could. Of course, I left there feeling totally bereft, like I have done everything wrong since last year, but that’s what the conference is for – to rein me in and keep me on a path. Mission accomplished.
I then spent the next few days at the beach. Thankfully, the skies parted on those days, the sun came out, and I was able to enjoy myself. I spent an entire day with my web designer (for the jewelry site – stay tuned) and felt like I accomplished much there too. I visited with the son which is always nice, even though he is now busy with two jobs. The last two days in California were spent in Fort Bragg, which is known for Glass Beach. (Score! A lot of sea glass! Also blessed with nice days.) I made my escape through the Sierra just before more torrential rain and snowfall. (Can you believe they’ve gotten over 400″ of snow? So far?) The drive home was marked by the appearance of the crud (you KNOW I have to get it sometime during the trip) and of course, treacherous driving in western Wyoming, where the speed limit says 80 mph but with patches of black ice and jack-knifed semis every few miles, driving was belabored and careful. I’m too old to be a statistic. I’ve also too many things left to do.
So now I have returned, to my own comfy bed and my wonderful shower and the husband and dog and cat. I hadn’t written much since leaving the conference, but I made up for it beforehand by writing like a fool on fire. This week’s assignment in my writing class has sparked my interest once again, and I’ve already made quite a dent in my word count.
My assignment… to write the climax of my novel!
I like the idea of writing not in a linear fashion. I took a similar class with Michelle Richmond a couple of years ago and she had us write the last chapter as an exercise. My head rarely works on the linear; in fact, today I printed a calendar for the year in question just so I can see the time line in the way my story will occur. Otherwise I’ll jump back and forth like a crazy person. (This is why it takes me so long to complete a second edit. Sometimes my writing truly makes my head hurt.)
Honestly, this may sound like me patting myself on the back, but things are truly coming together this time! For one thing, I picked a good year (1898) to write about, although I didn’t know it at first, because I picked it out of the ether. My research has revealed so many interesting occurrences that year. My climax is scheduled for October 1, 1898, which also happens to be the day the first Antlers Hotel burned to the ground in Colorado Springs. My main character and her mother are having tea there when the explosion occurs. This corresponds with my character taking a stand and finally asking for (and getting) what she wants.
Now I just have to fill in the holes for the six weeks before the fire.
There are no easy fixes or sure-fire “hacks” (God, I hate that word) for writing. The very first basic thing a writer must do is sit down and begin to write. Nothing happens without the sitting down part (unless you have one of those ergonomic standing desks – then STAND and start writing). It doesn’t matter what you write, it doesn’t matter if they are perfect, wonderful sentences, just start. Write a blog post, or a poem, or a Facebook rant. Prompts help, both word prompts and visual prompts. Taking a class and being confronted with homework also works. If you’re stuck in a scene, move on to another scene – you’ll probably use it. Take a walk without devices and let your mind wander. Read, either craft books or novels.
Most of all, if you find something that works for you, if you’re blessed with divine intervention and the words flow freely, go with it. Don’t let a moment of creativity slip through your fingers, because take it from me, it can pass just as quickly as it came.
And now, I must finish my chapter.
Write on.
