Today is one more day that I have spent a few hours working on my novel. I think about it every day and you would think that with the amount of time that I spend thinking about the story, the book would be done by now, but for some reason, the typing process and the actual putting thought on “paper” is much more time consuming than simple thought streaming as you walk. As I walk and think, I get whole scenes that seem to transpire in a matter of steps but when I am seated in front of the computer, the flash in my head is many, many words that need to be typed and after a while my brain feels as if it is overheating, believe it or not.
I know where my story is going, the plot is outlined and I know where they are going and how they get there and how it ends. I just need to continue with the discipline of sitting down for several hours at a time to get it down. I don’t do well with sitting down for several hours, so I do get up and walk up and down the stairs several times during the hours and I take Jack for walks and sit back down again and continue typing. I could never have worked in an office because I have never been able to stay in a seat all day long. I need to move and stretch my legs often. Having said all that, it is no wonder that this exercise in novel writing is taking such a longish time. Two solid years and counting, however if I think this way I am probably just shooting myself in the foot and focusing on the wrong thing, putting unnecessary pressure on myself with imagined time constraints, I just need to focus on the positive, writing and continuing to write.
I am very happy that I spent a good deal of time writing my story today. I feel that the end is very near and it feels good. I am aware that I have said this before, every time my characters go out and do anything there is always food involved and those scenes don’t write themselves, but they do seem to have a mind of their own and take forever to get through. I can talk forever about food and that is what is taking so long. What may be taking me so long may just be the thing that distinguishes my novel from others. Only a finished book will tell.
laurieanichols 