Blog Entry: Black Holes, Re-starts, and the Writing Life
Aiyee. What is it about Mothercare? At 11a.m., we decided to drive out there to buy a new car seat for MrD. I figured we'd be back by noon. Instead, we staggered back into the house after 2:00, weighed down by boxes and boxes and bags and bags of stuff, all of which somehow turned out to be vitally important.
Of course one plausible interpretation is: we're just total suckers when it comes to baby supplies. But even so, how could it all possibly take so LONG? Mothercare really is a black hole - time works differently there...
In better news, I've started Chapter Eight of Kat3 again, and it's going much, much better this time. Usually, Patrick and I have a deal that we're only allowed to give each other positive feedback on our works-in-progress - we have to save all critiques until there's a finished draft. After I wrote the last opening of Chapter Eight, though, I read it out loud to him, as usual...and then said, "It isn't really working, is it?"
He said, "Well...no."
And I'm so glad he did.
We had a great conversation about why it wasn't working - I was focusing too much on the magic plot and losing focus from the family plot, and when it comes to Kat books, her family really has to be the absolute core of every story. Today, I re-started the chapter from a totally different angle, and suddenly it feels sharp and fun and really in focus for the first time.
Whew.
(And Patrick swears he was telling the truth today when he said he loved the new version; he wasn't just being nice.)
(Being a writer's partner - even if you're a writer yourself - can be a tough job!)
Today's Blogfest question was "How has writing affected your daily life?" You can read my answer here, and as always, if a response occurs to you, I'd love to read your comments.