or Out of the doldrums and into the current of life.
I haven’t arrived yet. I’m still chasing after that completed first draft of Quantum Quest. But I did find a way to make some headway in my upstream struggle.
Over the years, I’ve tried many methods when stalled on writing a book. They all worked — for a while.
One time I was stuck in the dreaded middle of a fairy tale retelling. That time, the action I took was to fill a small notebook with calligraphy. The fancy writing didn’t directly address the tale so much as worked out the background mythology. I eventually got my boat back into the current.
Sometimes I put too much pressure on myself, and can’t write at all. I have this fear of marring an unused notebook with sloppy writing. The remedy is to write on scrap paper. I collect one-sided newspaper inserts. On the blank sides, I can freely scribble or create spiraling diagrams or whatever is needed. No pressure.
My latest attempt to get moving again lasted for three and a half weeks—until the Fourth of July. My daily to-do sheet listed it as QQ Ponder. And I swore to do it every day.
The rules went like this: Find pen and notebook. Set my phone timer for 30 minutes. Sit and think about the story. For 30 minutes. I never failed to also get some words on paper, but that was secondary to giving myself permission to meditate on characters and story.
For those readers who are following this trilogy, I am currently cleaning up the middle chapters while sorting out notes of future events. And thanks to the weeks of pondering, I have a renewed enthusiasm for the story. Just watch how grumpy I get when prevented from working due to appointments and commitments!
One discovery I made—and thanks to one of Susan Dennard’s posts I learned I’m not the only one—is that my plot is totally character driven. I had failed to take into account all of my characters, including the AIs (the artificial intelligences). Pondering reminded me of their importance. Until I know what my people and AIs are up to, I can’t know how we’ll arrive where we need to be
Sophie minds her responsibilities well. She keeps a close eye on me. When I change rooms, so does she. And when I settle in the living room, she sits and stares until I lift her onto the couch where she can nap, secure in the knowledge that I’m there beside her.
I’m back to paddling along and enjoying the novel scenery, with Sophie at my side. Whatever your craft, happy sailing everyone!
Kate Harrington 