This place is inspirational. It’s the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. Out there under those mists is a deep valley of trees with Pine Creek running through the middle. Nature at its heavenly best. I love to breathe deep the fresh, piney air, the wet musky scents of the woods, hear the twitter of birds, the rustling in the underbrush of unseen creatures, glimpses of a deer here and there. I feel like nature is my muse.
And I suppose the latest, blizzard-like snowy weather around here was an awe inspiring sight. Much as the digging out has been a pain. But, it actually helps me write. I’m buried in, what better use of my time.
On that note, I’m up to 15,000 words! I’ve broken into the next chapter, a real hurdle for me. And I am writing steadily, every day–not going back over and over everything I’ve already written, but plowing forward into the thick of it all. Some of the best advice I’ve gotten so far from mentor, Demi at http://yotbpress.com . Just write!
So we did have to read aloud at last weeks’ meeting, and I was nervous, but when it was done, I felt a huge sigh bubble up, and slip out, and then I was fine. But there were positive and helpful comments, and encouragement to continue.
My working title, I’ve decided, is “In the Shadow of Porter’s Hollow”. Not sure if that’s what it will remain, but it works to help me focus for now. There are a couple of other little things I’ve done that are helping to move the work forward. I stopped worrying about page and chapter numbers. I am just writing a title to a chapter if it comes to me, again to help me focus on that chapters’ theme. I have quotes at the beginning of each chapter too that helps with that, but if I can’t think of one, I don’t agonize over it, I just move on.
I’m not worrying about where a chapter will fit in the final product now, which is making writing easier. Go with the scene/idea that inspired the chapter and work the details out later. I’ve been able to make larger plot, and theme decisions as a result of just moving ahead, not letting single thoughts hang me up. Just write, keep writing, and it will come together eventually. And as I’m writing those ideas seem to suddenly come to me as “woah, wait a minute, that’s what I can do there,” moments. Whereas if I’m not just writing, the well is empty, nothing flows.
We also talked about structure in the last meeting, and I realized mine is developing as I released myself to write first and resist the urge to rewrite constantly. Of course there will come a time to manipulate it more I suppose anyway. But I am seeing the structure idea and how to apply it to each chapter, and then how it will apply to the whole book/story.
Okay, enough said for now. I must get to writing. My goal, encouraged by Demi, is to be at 20,000 words by next meeting–that’s one week away now. Need to get back to the novel–now!
