Zoning Out and In the Zone
I have found myself largely distracted all week. By what? It doesn’t matter. You name it. The pattern of rain drops on my windows, YouTube videos, Facebook, watching Skye kitty sleep…
Finally, I came to the conclusion that, while my body is stuck here at home, my mind went on to Bouchercon without me.
I was supposed to go. Had the reservations. Was saving my pennies. But my travel companion and B-con roommate Joyce had to back out. Economy. Finances. Pay cuts. All the usual crap effecting us all.
Joyce, if you’re reading this, I really AM over it. Honest. Do NOT feel bad.
Heck, it took all of ten minutes to spend all that money I’d saved up and then some on the Nikon.
But I’m reading blogs and Facebook accounts from those who are there and, well, I guess I’m a bit wistful. Hey, it’s a heck of a party. Authors. Books. Readers. Agents. Bars.
So, yes, I’ve been something of a body without a brain all week.
Until yesterday.
Disgusted by my lack of production, especially considering I am so very close to the end of my current wip, I decided to spend the entire day writing. It was gray and cold and raining. I started right after breakfast and jumped in. It was the big climax scene. The face-off. Who lives and who dies? There was a ticking clock.
And I seriously did not know how it was all going to work out. Sometimes you write for the same reason you read: To find out how what happens next.
At one point, I glanced at the little clock in the lower right corner of my computer screen to see how much time I had before my noon lunch break. It was 12:45!
After a bowl of soup and a quick walk down the road to check in on my mom, I returned to my office and my story.
By dinnertime, I had written 22 pages! I’m usually thrilled with four. Eight is an extreme day. How the heck did I manage twenty-two??? A lot of it was dialogue, but still.
The big climax scene is done. I found out what happened. My protagonist got herself out of the predicament. All that’s left now is the scene at the end that some call the epilogue. I call it the “after-the-dust-settles scene.” But I need a day or two off to think about it.
And after a 22-page day, I think I deserve a short break.
Finally, I came to the conclusion that, while my body is stuck here at home, my mind went on to Bouchercon without me.
I was supposed to go. Had the reservations. Was saving my pennies. But my travel companion and B-con roommate Joyce had to back out. Economy. Finances. Pay cuts. All the usual crap effecting us all.
Joyce, if you’re reading this, I really AM over it. Honest. Do NOT feel bad.
Heck, it took all of ten minutes to spend all that money I’d saved up and then some on the Nikon.
But I’m reading blogs and Facebook accounts from those who are there and, well, I guess I’m a bit wistful. Hey, it’s a heck of a party. Authors. Books. Readers. Agents. Bars.
So, yes, I’ve been something of a body without a brain all week.
Until yesterday.
Disgusted by my lack of production, especially considering I am so very close to the end of my current wip, I decided to spend the entire day writing. It was gray and cold and raining. I started right after breakfast and jumped in. It was the big climax scene. The face-off. Who lives and who dies? There was a ticking clock.
And I seriously did not know how it was all going to work out. Sometimes you write for the same reason you read: To find out how what happens next.
At one point, I glanced at the little clock in the lower right corner of my computer screen to see how much time I had before my noon lunch break. It was 12:45!
After a bowl of soup and a quick walk down the road to check in on my mom, I returned to my office and my story.
By dinnertime, I had written 22 pages! I’m usually thrilled with four. Eight is an extreme day. How the heck did I manage twenty-two??? A lot of it was dialogue, but still.
The big climax scene is done. I found out what happened. My protagonist got herself out of the predicament. All that’s left now is the scene at the end that some call the epilogue. I call it the “after-the-dust-settles scene.” But I need a day or two off to think about it.
And after a 22-page day, I think I deserve a short break.
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Comments
Hurrah on your 22 pages!