Maureen Bush

The Last Three Chapters

I had hoped to finish the first draft of my current story by Christmas. I’m within spitting distance – three chapters to go – but I’m not going to make it. I’d intended to finish the draft, and then dig into a second round of deepening and pulling threads through the story (the emotional layer, themes). But I got hung up on needing to bring all those elements together in the final chapters, and so couldn’t write the chapters until I figure out all the threads. I’m getting there – at least, almost enough to write the last three chapters – but it’s not going to happen before Christmas. This week has been in interrupt mode, with final exams, flights, baking, wrapping and shipping, with writing tucked in whenever I can, in between everything else.

When writing becomes the ‘tucked in-between’ activity, it’s time to let go of the big goals. But I will sneak off periodically, just to get a regular dose.

Maureen

The Magic of Christmas

We had a lovely Christmas, alternating between chaotic, quiet and exhausted. Now we’re settling in to a clean house and a quiet week.

When the kids were too tired to get excited about building snowmen, I built my own, a wee family standing on a bench by the back door. I used dried grapes from the grapevine for eyes – they were gone within a day. I’m not sure why grapes on snow are more appealing than grapes on the vine – a gourmet touch for the birds and squirrels, perhaps.

The gift that’s given us the most fun is a magic wand/TV remote we bought for the kids. It’s hysterical watching them sitting on the sofa waving a wand at the TV, cursing when it turns off instead of turning on. Errant magic, hard at work.

Maureen

Grit in the Oyster Shell

I love Christmas, but I don’t love all the distractions from writing. Here’s what Stephen King wrote about interruptions, in On Writing:

“In truth, I’ve found that any day’s routine interruptions and distractions don’t much hurt a work in progress and may actually help it in some ways. It is, after all, the dab of grit that seeps into an oyster’s shell that makes the pearl, not pearl-making seminars with other oysters.”

I’m not sure if thinking about Christmas interruptions as grit is a good plan. Perhaps I could just call it a holiday. But I like to write… I get sad and lonely without it. Maybe it can be grit but I can remember the pearl. Perhaps I’ll wear pearls as a reminder.

Maureen

Editing

The first round of editing comments for the sequel to The Nexus Ring has arrived! The story starts at Castle Mountain (see photo).

I’m really excited. I never expected this to happen, but I actually enjoy editing. I like working with a professional editor who can look at the story with new eyes, find the weak spots and help me fix them. I like seeing the story improve as it’s polished and refined. I even like learning the incredibly picky rules of editing so that I can correct them myself next time. Most of all, I love how much better a story is once we’re finished.

I’m eager to leap in, but my desk is covered in presents and wrapping paper, and I have a list of Christmas baking to tackle. I guess editing will be my post-Christmas treat. Did I really write that? Weird. Merry Christmas.
Maureen