On my last 10-hour road trip, I left Ladybug with her dad, and so I had some extra time to think (other than “Oh please go to sleep…” “Oh please don’t wake up yet!” With something in my brain unplugged, I had a moment of clarity on my Steel-Toed Blues project–the sort of moment that will help me get over the current block and get to writing the rest of what has become a monstrous undertaking.
When I started writing in November 2013, I was so absolutely sure that I would be able to sail through as a panther, that I didn’t even sketch out a story arc. What with my return from Kuwait and the transition to what would be my last unit on active duty, I sputtered out at barely 30 thousand words. Possibly less.
In the year and a half since, I’ve put down another 10K or so words. Enough so that my goal of 65K is in sight. But it’s amazing how little time since then I’ve had to just sit and let my mind wander. Which is when, apparently, the ideas come.
This afternoon, we were burning some scrap wood in the fire pit. I stayed to keep the fire going, and found myself on the upper porch without my phone, a book, or anything to keep my attention, just the flames to watch. I didn’t have any of the gap-crossing epiphanies like on the road trip. But I came back inside with my mind refreshed, empty, ready to start back up on my projects.
For the next couple of weeks, I’ve signed Ladybug up for some day care, with the intention of dropping her off, and stopping by the library for a few hours to get some writing done, whether on a paying project or STB. Let’s see how the old creative brain reacts to some quiet, blank time and opportunity.
Happy writing!
And in the meantime, I make stuff for the Ladybug. 😀
