What to Write

What should I write?  It's a question beginning writers often ask.  And it's a legitimate one since the choices are so varied, space for new authors limited, and the time to experiment in short supply.  Still, it's a little like asking what you should make for dinner.  As with cooking, the work in progress can be an everyday staple that's satisfying but unexciting; something more complicated which may garner greater compliments, or an exotic dish that some will love but some may hate.  Since you're the cook, nine times out of ten you'll choose whatever you have a taste for at the moment, whatever you think you'll most enjoy -- and you'll season it with just that little bit of difference that will make it your own.  So it is with writing.  Please yourself, and chances are a reasonable percentage of readers will also be pleased.       

Candy Wrapper Philosophy

Recently, while revising my book in progress in order to get back into the story after being away from it for several weeks, I picked up a Dove dark chocolate for the energy boost.  As you may know, this candy company prints bits of Zen-type advice inside their wrappers.  Mine read: Don't think about it so much.  What a timely reminder, especially since my tendency these days is to obsess over every word.  I do this even knowing that the first thought is the often the best -- maybe because I also know this first thought can be trite and uninspired.  But the basic idea here is to let go and trust to instinct.  I tried it that day, and you know, it worked!  That candy wrapper is now pinned to my bulletin board.  Wonder what else is printed on the wrappers in that bag of chocolates... 

           

Excuses, excuses

Life intervenes for all of us now and then.  This past September, my husband was told he had a brain tumor.  Surgery was eventually scheduled for November.  The tumor was benign, and his recovery went as scheduled, but ran into the holidays.  What with one thing and another, I wrote next to nothing during the last quarter of 2006, including for this blog.  Now my husband is back on his feet, back to his old schedule.  After getting things cleared away again, I'm now at work on the book in progress, with a tentative title of Gallant Match.  At last, I have the time to think about blog subjects again.  There, you have my excuse for three months of neglect, and I promise to do better from now on...

 

Warmest, Jennifer