Back To Work

Following my forced hiatus to take care of the family emergency, things are getting back on track. And that means back to work for me. Whoever said retirement meant slowing down obviously has never been there. I'm working harder than ever, but for the most part, it's enjoyable work rather than the teeth-gnashing kind.

After all, one of my favorite places to plot my next scene or work through a knotty situation with my characters is while I'm floating in the salt water pool at my fitness center. It's a great stress reliever and helps me clear my mind of my daily problems and focus on my writing. If I go more than a few days without getting my swimsuit wet, I miss it.

It seems I'm not the only one getting my life back to normal. The golf course behind my house is back up and running after spending the summer recuperating from a bad fertilizer job. The temperature is coming down into the comfortable category and I'm looking forward to fall. As for my WIP, I'll figure out what Hawk's big conflict is (as if fighting the Revolutionary War isn't enough) and decide when to do the big reveal for Anjanette/Liberty (since admitting she made her money as a courtesan is not something you can just drop into a casual conversation). It may mean more visits to the pool, but I'm up for that.

Does this mean I can write off my fitness center membership as a business expense? Hmmm...

The Sound Of Silence

If you've been following this blog for a while, you already know that my sister, Pat, moved in with me last year. She set up the finished half of the basement as her domain, but after the first few months, decided she preferred to be upstairs. She was quiet when I worked in the mornings, and we enjoyed each other's company, so it worked well, despite the reservations we originally had on both sides.

She has the flexibility to travel, and from the beginning, told me she'd be elsewhere during Ohio's harsh winters. So, last week, she took off, driving cross-country away from the snow and ice, to spend the winter in Phoenix and Shreveport, with a side trip to San Diego thrown in for good measure. My dog, Mary, and I waved goodbye, a tad jealous, but also looking forward to getting back to my old routine.

So what happened? A wild streak of creativity? A feverish bout of writing getting me way ahead of schedule? Ideas for story lines for as yet unplanned novels coming at me fast and furious?

No. Crickets are what happened. Silence.

I've been polishing up a manuscript I'd been working on since before she left, and my next Cotillion Ball story is coming together as outlined. But nothing new. I've been moping, as has Mary.

It's strange, since I've lived alone for years. I should be used to this.

How about you? Does anyone have a trick they use to jumpstart those creative juices? If so, please share. April's a long way off.

The Creative Process--Rules Or No Rules?

 

One of my Crimson Romance sisters just turned me on to a quote from W. Somerset Maugham. He said “There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.” Truer words were never spoken.

At the latest national conference for Romance Writers, I wandered through workshop after workshop. It struck me that everyone had a slightly different way of getting to the end goal—a published novel. And each of these intelligent speakers was convinced their way was the right one. In one workshop I was told to make sure each of the five senses were contained in every scene. In the very next one, I was told not to put all five senses into one scene because it would cause sensory overload. Who can tell what’s right and what’s not? Why is the rulebook so confusing?

I read an interview where a man gave ten tips to improve your writing. One tip he mentioned was to play music while working, since the rhythms of the music would translate to rhythm on the page, smoothing out your writing. It sounds logical, but it doesn’t apply to everyone.

I like to have complete silence while I’m working, in order to better hear that voice in my head. I find music to be a distraction, preventing me from going deep into my characters. I get swept away by the beat of the song and find myself tapping my feet rather than tapping the keys on my laptop. Silence works best for me. The big take-away from all these mixed messages is that there is no right or wrong way to write. You have to find the path that works best for you. Morning writer, late-into-the-night writer, music, silence. Whatever gets you to the end of your novel is your right way.