On Writing - thoughts on the process

At first, the prospect of writing an entire novel overwhelmed me to the point I had no idea where to start. It took a calm voice to suggest I write whatever scenes I saw most clearly in my mind's eye. Start with five pages at a time, she said.

Okay, I said. It made it easier. It made it manageable.

With that first start, five pages became a breeze, because the more I wrote, the more momentum built up. The next scenes came into focus. The words came to me. I kept going.

I hit slumps along the way, to be sure. Writer's block is pervasive, so it just goes with the process. I've had to come up with all sorts of ways to kickstart myself back into the game, back into process, back into FLOW. There's that magical word with which all creatives are enamored. FLOW.

Nearly two years after beginning, after four dozen or more read-throughs, I'm about to edit the next to last chapter. Granted, there are a couple sections that still (STILL) need fleshing out, but for the most part, I've written a manuscript.

I'M ABOUT TO EDIT THE NEXT TO LAST CHAPTER!

There were aspects of writing based on a true story that were freeing because historical reality provided guideposts. In other ways, it felt like I was hamstrung to the "truth" and "facts". When I let the fictionalizing enter the story, I could spread my wings a bit and have some fun. For me, writing about a real life string of events was a perfect place to start.

Every attempt I'd made in the past at writing a novel whole cloth from imagination floundered and left me feeling like I'd have to maintain an office job til death or retirement.

All that to say this:

If you have a dream but feel overwhelmed, get yourself a coach who will gently prod, poke, pull, push, inquire, excite, calm, soothe, and whatever else you need when you need it.

Don't go to the grave with your art trapped inside you.

Make someone else's day magical!
Mackenzie

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