A Writing Day

I am sitting at my PC, writing and revising several chapters in the middle-grade historical fiction that I’ve been working on for a while. I get distracted now and then. For instance, through the window in my office, I just saw a squirrel scampering across my neighbor’s rooftop next door. Hope it doesn’t get into their attic. They had quite a problem a while back with squirrels who became squatters. No respect, I tell you. Then there was the woodpecker who poked holes in my other neighbor’s wooden chimney. And the raccoon who chewed up my chimney. I kid you not. Left a big hole. Don’t get me started…

Back to writing. I’m trying to allow my imagination to soar with my characters. Talk to me, I keep repeating. What would you do in this case? How would you react? A scene is like a mini-story, I remind myself. Beginning, middle, end. Those three words just triggered my memory. I have a book by that title.

I'm hoping my words will flow and I will have an “aha” moment. Sometimes it happens; sometimes not. Regardless, I will stay glued to my chair. Self-discipline. Perseverance. Writers learn that quickly. Inspiration doesn’t come just because you’re sitting in front of your PC. You have to work at it. And I am trying. Now if that squirrel would only go away … so easy to get distracted.

But just in case, I am going to refresh my memory a bit by referring to one of my books on writing, the one I mentioned above, Beginnings, Middles & Ends by Nancy Kress. I recommend this book highly. I’ve highlighted some excellent writing tips and will go over them to get unstuck and continue with my novel. Keeping a small library of these types of books comes in handy.

"The feeling for words, the driving need to tell a story, the love of characters who constantly inhabit your mind waiting to be born, these are the inherent things that make us writers." -- Eve Bunting