An old friend of mine was fond of saying "life gets in the way" when discussing how relationship problems arise. Turns out life can get in the way of other things, too.
Since my last post in June, my household has experienced much, from great to good to bad and sad. All of it, 'life'. What I have just realized, with all of it behind us now and the routine back that we know so well, is that 'life' leaves little time for reflection, where ideas take shape.
Others develop as I take long walks or putter in the garden. These pictures represent my current efforts; converting a previously weed-filled area of grass to planting space. Doing so required layering compost over the grass (lazy way to kill grass).
Back to writing.
With a return to routine and fall approaching, my mind is also returning to the next book that I've been working on for a year or two. This writing never arrives fully formed but, rather, grows from a thread. This thread gets developed as I begin to own the characters and build their personalities and lives.
Because I grew up with a mother who quilted, my mind pictures creating a patchwork quilt from fabric scraps when I think of writing. Take a main fabric, or two, that you want to play starring roles. This fabric represents the main character(s). Pull in other scraps around it to build the body of the quilt (the plot). Scraps might coordinate with the main fabric, pulling on the best features of the main resulting in a pleasant read. But every good story must have fabric scraps that clash horribly with the main fabric, creating conflict, chaos, even tragedy to the overall picture.
Which brings me back to 'life': great, good, bad and sad. The elements of all good stories and fulfilling lives.
