A Time to Read

I meant to post earlier this week, but it's been busy. This was the week of the Kentucky presidential primary and I spent the first two days canvassing for the candidate of my choice.

I've spent the last two days reading about politics. Today the blogs and websites were full of controversy. I actually became tense at times. Then I went to my candidate's blog to read more hopeful posts. That helped.

There is a time for everything, they say. For the last few weeks it has been my time to write. Now it's time for me to read. Articles, essays, blog comments, and the occasional novel. As long as words are involved, it's bound to be stimulating.

Fighting the Addiction

Today was my third full day without writing. Oh, I penned some emails and, of course, I'm posting here. But that's been it. No characters. No plots. No thinking about clever ways to turn a phrase.

I miss it.

After putting my family (and my body) through marathon writing sessions during the last month (on one day I wrote 30 pages) I certainly need the break. But I don't think I can go cold turkey.

I've had a plot in mind for some time now. I even wrote a couple of pages. Tonight I opened the file. Now I've begun thinking about where I can go with this.

I won't do any marathon sessions--at least not until I'm further along in the book. But I can't just stop writing. It's not natural.

Out of Focus

As I mentioned yesterday, I have spent quite a bit of time working on my next book. For weeks I did little else. My to-do list lengthened (mental list, that is--I was too busy to actually write anything down) and my house got messier. On some nights I didn't go to sleep until 3 a.m., especially toward the end when I was sure "today would be the day" and I would finish. My characters generally had other ideas, dragging me deeper into a never-ending story (which did finally end) that began to resemble the Democratic party's primary race.

Yesterday I took a well-deserved rest. Today, I thought, I would wake up and tackle life. That is, until I opened my eyes. I was more tired than I had expected and the sky was a dismal gray. So I slumped through the day, catching up on emails and reading nearly every post in the CNN blogs.

I thought I would get back to life tomorrow, running long-postponed errands and jumping into spring cleaning, but they're predicting rain all day. Not only rain, but thunderstorms. We know that April showers bring May flowers and Mayflowers bring Pilgrims. The question in Kentucky these days is, What do May showers bring?

I crave sunshine. Really, I can't go long without it. That's a major reason why we moved to Kentucky. They say this weather is unusual--just like the countless snow days this winter. That doesn't encourage me.

This is the grayest May I've ever seen. While I was obsessed with writing my book, I could try to ignore the gloomy weather. But now what do I do?

Tomorrow I'll keep reading emails (I fell very far behind) and watch my soap. I'll try to do something productive. But I'm tempted to reopen the file of my book and start reading from the beginning again. I lived with these characters so long. I miss them. And even when something sad happens, it's better than looking out at the gloomy gray sky.

I'm Back!

First, I need to apologize for being gone so long. Back in March, when I last posted, I said I would be back much sooner. But for the last five weeks I've been snowed under.

What was I doing? Frolicking in Florida? Watching the soaps? Eating bon bons?

Of course not. (Though frolicking in Florida does sound nice.) I was writing.

And, as of last night, I have completed a new book. Silence, the final book in the Echoes Series, is done. And I'm relieved.

Today I didn't frolic but I did take time to do not much of anything. In the morning I napped and read. In the afternoon I caught the latest installment of my favorite soap (I've watched it off and on since college) and then put in a Fred Astaire/Audrey Hepburn movie. It's been nice.

Tomorrow I'll have to get back to work--starting with my desk. I haven't flipped the page on my planner since April 23. And my planner is under a pile of mail and snack wrappers. I'll unpack my suitcase--from my trip in March--and do some laundry. I'll rejoin the human race.

My manuscript weighed in, finally, at 450 pages. You know how a 30 minute sitcom becomes a two-hour series finale. It's kind of like that. Later I'll drop a few clues (maybe).

I am back. I plan to post here regularly now, insha Allah. If I slip up, feel free to call me on it.

See you tomorrow!