—be sure to water them. I declared my intention to grow flowers in memory of my husband. He was a much better gardener than I. Of course, I had to weed first. Winter brought us a lot of rain, which resulted in an extra large crop of weeds (still undefeated). Many I can’t name, butContinue reading “If you plant seeds—”
Tag Archives: writing
Looking back on the Old Year
Generally, the only yearly resolutions I make relate to writing. The second item on my 2023 list states: “Complete Quantum Quest draft.” I certainly drew near to its climax but must confess, the draft remains incomplete. It has now moved to my 2024 list. Neither did I complete the first item on the list: “HiddenContinue reading “Looking back on the Old Year”
Taking Stock
December is almost half gone. The question of whether I’ll succeed in my deadline to complete a rough—very, very rough—draft of a novel this year remains in limbo. Will I or won’t I? I’ve done a lot of soul searching. How have I written novels in the past? How can I change my methods? MyContinue reading “Taking Stock”
Little by little, or Drip drip drip
On a common theme—seeming boring to recount—I continue writing in 12-minute spurts of ink on paper. The words add up slowly. A plus is that with the limited time, my mind is less likely to wander into other topics; if there’s more to say, I can continue for a second 12-minute interval later. Writing hasn’tContinue reading “Little by little, or Drip drip drip”
Making connections
I’m still slowly reading Cloud Cuckoo Land. Some books are made to be gulped down, but Doerr’s multiple characters span centuries and the globe, and they require slow savoring. I’m nearly to the end, where everything is cohering beautifully. This has been a week of meetings and emergencies. (Only one emergency but its ramifications madeContinue reading “Making connections”
Weeding
Weeding—to a librarian—means clearing the shelves of battered, or sometimes unread, books to make space for new materials. Weeding—to a gardener—means clearing out unwanted plants to make space for wanted ones. I kept eyeing a plot in our front yard, wanting to go out, clear out the “weeds”, amend the soil, and plant something thatContinue reading “Weeding”
Switching Gears to Poetry
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 ofContinue reading “Switching Gears to Poetry”
Progressing
Writing, for me, is trying new things, and learning what works‚ again and again. I’m on my umpteenth iteration of figuring out how to produce new words for this latest effort. For the last few weeks, I’ve been claiming a quiet hour midday. That worked fine for revising, but when I put on my writingContinue reading “Progressing”
Boredom
I want to talk about the virtues of boredom—or what to do while waiting at the dentist’s office for my husband’s teeth cleaning. I do keep mentioning that I want to complete the Pawn Quest trilogy—and I’ve set a deadline to finish the first draft by the end of the year. I brought some notesContinue reading “Boredom”
On taking a break
I’ve been on break for the last two weeks. A staycation. Actually, I broke from one thing only: my struggle with a plot that wouldn’t cooperate. Since I stopped fighting it, I had nothing to run from. That freed my mind and my eyes. I could see what was around me. Piles of paper toContinue reading “On taking a break”
Kate Harrington 