If you read my blog regularly, you'll know I've been trying to sell my home here in Ohio for quite some time. It all began one snowy night a year ago when a young couple came to my door asking if I was interested in selling. Being young and this being their first attempt to buy, they had not a clue what came next. I got them going in the right direction, but the care and maintenance of a house this size overwhelmed them and they moved on.The house sat on the market for months and occasionally I got a nibble. Then, a few months ago I had an agent come through who was previewing several homes for her out-of-state clients. I never heard back from her, so I had my agent take it off the market and out of MLS. A few days later, the agent knocked on my door, telling me her clients were flying in that weekend specifically to see my house. So I let them come through, and I'm happy to say they bought the home.
So, two times I've had total strangers come to my door to inquire about the house. The beginning and the end. Kismet, I'd say.
Where to go from here is a giant puzzle I'm trying to come to grips with now. I was headed down what I thought was a solid path, but it blew up on me a few days ago. So now I've decided to take my time, rent an apartment for a couple months, get to know my new town and then decide which direction I should head.
Why am I telling you all this? I'm glad you asked.
This whole process of selling and buying is exactly how I write my novels. I always have the beginning and the end figured out before I start putting words on the page. The rest of it is where problems begin to develop. I have a modest outline that I follow with my stories, but sometimes I head off in a different direction and have to rein my story in. When I find myself going in a direction and it's not working, I stop, reassess, think things over and come up with a new plan.
Which is where I'm at now with my life. I am stopping, reassessing, thinking things over and will come up with a new plan.
Each time I begin a new story, I'm filled with excitement and hope. As I move through the first draft, I find myself really beginning to care for my characters and the setting into which I've placed them. Now, with my life, I'm also filled with excitement and hope. A new chapter is unfolding before my very eyes, and I'm eager to see which direction I'm eventually going to head.
I'll be sure to let you all know, once the pieces fall into place.
What a lovely way to circumnavigate setbacks. I'd love to have your resilience and calm assessment, Becky.
ReplyDeleteThanks, J. Arlene. As a friend of mine is quick to point out, in both my life and my writing, my first instinct is to panic. Then, I settle down and figure things out. I'd like to say I'm past the panic stage in life now, but there's still an ounce of panic in me.
DeleteI think renting is a very practical solution, we did that coming to the Northwest. And you don't have to unpack everything, which is nice. Lol - fun to see the process relating to your writing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kathleen. I don't know where I'm going to put everything since the apartment is only a 1-bedroom, but I can handle anything for a couple months. This will give me a chance to get to know the lay of the land.
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