One day this past week, I was feeling particularly tired. Instead of pushing against that fatigue, I allowed myself to do whatever appealed.
One thing I did was pick up my battered copy of T. S. Eliot’s Four Quartets. I’ve read it more than once, usually at bedtime, always silently. I love his flow of words, though when I come to the end, I’m never sure what I’ve read.
In the empty house, I read aloud the first section. Hearing the words made me more aware of sounds and rhythms. Like watching ocean waves, one following the next, you only know their beauty. You don’t worry about the wave’s meaning.
Another day I read through the second quarter. With T. S. Eliot ringing in my ears, I was drawn to look over one of my verse novels. Ouch! What a comparison.
Freeing up (Poirot)’s little grey cells
So that was a day or three ago. On Sunday driving home from church, I was thinking about (not quitting, because I am determined to have a complete sci fi draft this year), but more along the lines of why push for a speedy publication? Why not turn more focus to those two verse-novels-in-waiting, and bring them closer to completion?
With that thought, what came to mind was a partial—every solution comes in fits and starts and parts—a partial solution to the dilemma at hand—the causation of how to bring all to a satisfying conclusion in Quantum Quest.
One of my many papers posted over my desk tells me to NOT try to control the process of creativity. In this case, I’m taking that to mean EACH barrier my protagonists face is surmountable. They (or I) simply haven’t gone deep enough.
Little grey cells are tricky. Sometimes you have to let them figure things out. They’ll announce when they’ve done their job and let you get on with yours.
Be regular in your habits. Little grey cells don’t work alone. You have to show up. That’s advice I’ve read and heard many, many times.
So I think my grey cells are telling me to keep all these projects alive, to allow the solutions to mature in their own time.
Good news—Planet Quest was just announced as a Finalist in the NM/AZ Book Awards.
Kate Harrington 