It’s been a while since I’ve blogged here. I started a new
blog about our new addition to the family, Napo, on the adventures of raising a
puppy. We haven’t had a puppy for thirteen or more years and this is a new
experience for me/us because the advice on doing everything with him, training,
housebreaking, crate-ing, has changed so much.
I have been
writing, just not here. My consultant on my current work-in-progress is VERY
busy at the moment in London, so I’ve set about working on another WIP. This project
has stewed in my mind for about three years and now seems ready to show itself.
As I write and questions come along with the story, I fret a bit, searching for
the answers. Then, as I keep my fingers working, I find the words just walk off
the keyboard. This is the exciting part about writing a first draft.
I was going to say that I don’t like writing first drafts
for the most part. That I really like the editing part that comes in all the
proceeding drafts, but I realize when the story comes in a flow, that isn’t
really true. I like both for different reasons. First drafts are dizzyingly
hard but necessary and exhilarating when they come in waves of fantastic
production. I know I’m not alone in thinking of writing as hard. Even when you
love something, it doesn’t mean it’s easy. Like Napo. I adore him, love him,
can’t get enough of him, but housebreaking him, teaching him what is acceptable
and what isn’t, is hard. Discipline is hard, for me to keep with myself in my
writing, for me to teach him, but in both cases it must be done for the outcome
to be satisfactory. I learned this with raising my two children. I learn this
with each novel I write, again and again. It is an ongoing process, the “Neverending
Story”, ha ha.
With Napo to keep me company during the long days alone at
my desk, I find I am re-energized. The words come; the story makes its way out
of my mind/heart and onto my screen/paper. I really do LOVE this part of a
first draft. Filling up a blank sheet, and knowing there are more words coming,
is literally thrilling and addictive.
This is what writing fulfills in me. Accomplishment. When the
words flow, I feel alive and worthy. I won’t celebrate yet, not until this
first difficult part of the job is done. Then the champagne will flow and I’ll give
little Napo a treat. Because by the end of this first draft, he better be housebroken
too!
Images from:
tessfragoulis.wordpress.com
unm.edu
