Spring Cleaning

Dust motes drifting in a shaft of sunlight made me sneeze,  and I swiped a grimy wrist over my forehead and scowled.  Spring cleaning always makes me wonder how I ever let things go so far awry - an uncomfortable parallel for my life in general. It was then I spotted it, on a high shelf at the back, under a silk paisley scarf: a battered wooden jewelry box.  I lifted it down reverently, remembering with a rush of longing and affection what I'd put inside.  It was so long ago.  I lifted the lid carefully, slowly, and there it was, just as I'd left it.  My blog.

:o) 
Sorry. 

So, how have you been???  We're pretty soggy; it's been raining about a month now and there's more coming, from what I hear.  But someone told me we're expecting a warm, dry summer, so I should be able to get the mildew out from between my toes by the first of July.  I would so love a warm sunny day.

Writing-wise, A HAND TO HOLD is in the final stages of the first draft.  It's about 57K right now, with big sections still to be imagined.  I haven't quite connected with my antagonist yet.  She won't look me in the eye.  She's elusive.  Demanding.  Unreasonable.  Dangerous.  So you can see why I've been leaving her alone.  She'll come to me when it's time, I think.  And if she doesn't, there's always the delete key.  There are lots of bad little ghosts out there who would love to be in my story, after all. 

In the meantime, I decided to play with an idea that I've had for a while now, up on that same shelf I told you about.  It's different for me.  It's YA.  It's fantasy.  That makes me a little nervous, since I don't read fantasy. It might never be anything - no, that's not quite true.  It is, even now, good exercise.  This story lets my imagination out to play, like a puppy in the backyard of my brain.  And I really need that right now.

I wonder if that is why so many people write fantasy.  (Is that even true, stats-wise?  I am scientifically uncertain of my remark. Forgive me, I'm an artsy type.)  Anyway, there are really very few restrictions for settings, characters, or crazy shiz that can happen.  It's very fun.

Speaking of fun, I must go and reconcile my bank statement.  Ha.  Good times.

Oh, the humanity!

Lunch today was supposed to be tossed garden salad with pecans, white cheddar and raspberry viniagrette dressing, but I'm just not feeling all that. Instead, I am eating a freezer-burned pizza pocket, soggy on one side, and warm Crystal Lite. It's a little bit gross. I am happy. No, I have no idea what is the matter with me. I am not a person who always makes sense.

And this has me thinking about characters, and motivation. And the Laura Secord Toffee Crunch chocolate bar in my purse.

One of the things that distinguishes decent writing from really good writing, for me, is this simple thing. The ways that humanity is revealed in a character, by the simple admission that people don't always make sense. The book that most comes to mind here is the Poisonwood Bible. It's full of people I adored, and I just wanted to shake some of them. I felt so much, because I could see what they could not: their mistakes, misconceptions, flaws, blind spots.

This is a skill I would very much like to master.

But first, chocolate!

Slogging through the middle, knee deep in doubt

I've been doing a fairly good job avoiding the sexy other projects, new and old, that have been trying to tempt me away from A HAND TO HOLD. I know exactly what's happening - I'm staring at the Dreaded Middle, and thinking there just might be a way around, some way I might not have to face myself just now. But I do. And I must. The only way is to keep writing.

Yesterday I scribbled out a scene that happens outside my MC's point of view, and will likely not be included anywhere as I'm using first person. In this scene, Carrie's best friend Erin spills some private information to Luke - the new lover. This leads up to the fight that ends the middle and starts us on the chain of events leading to the climax.

I've been wondering how to stage the actual confrontation between Luke and Carrie. there are events in his past that make it hard for him to trust, consequently he is very big on honesty. Carrie hasn't lied, she just hasn't told him (about the night she overdosed on sleeping pills.) This feels like a big betrayal to him, so how does he act? How does he tell her he knows? How does Luke fight?

How does Carrie react? She's never seen him angry like this, she's shocked. She's finally allowed herself to love and be intimate, and suddenly he's shoving her away with both hands. I suppose she's angry. She knows how he feels about honesty, but she doesn't feel she owed him that information. That's private, and she's stubborn. Hmmm.

So I wrote out the conversation between Erin and Luke, just thinking that if I knew myself exactly what was said, I might have some insight into how Luke would react. I also figured out a bit more about where Erin's coming from. I'm pleased with it.

So today, odds are work will be busy. In between, I'll see if I can't get into Carrie's head a little.

But first, coffee!