View from eyesore
I happen to be on a bit of a roll with the novel. Sometimes books are a struggle to write – often they are, but when and if you are able to stir up a little action between the characters, the thing almost starts writing itself (or righting itself) and this is the most exciting time for a writer. I woke up this morning just dying to get back into it. This novel has much more intrigue and mystery than anything I’ve written (anything I’ve written!). Okay, much more than all my other two books. Last winter, I wrote a first draft of it and since then have been trying to work out various kinks, and now that it’s winter again, I believe I’m sorting it all out. I’ve basically rewritten the entire story, but kept the characters that I had grown quite attached to in the initial draft.
For some reason the winter is my time. I’m most creative and inspired during the winter months. I’ve posted before that I think it’s due to the light. Our area is so heavily wooded that in the summer, we’re often shaded from the light. It’s nice, because the shade keeps our house cool, but I like to look at interesting scenery and when you hike and drive here, in the summer, there are just leaves everywhere. But in the winter! Everything is revealed. Where once there were tangles of shrubbery and walls of green leaves, there are suddenly iced granite ledges, wandering streams, little hills, valleys and frozen waterfalls. And, because of the ice and snow, everything glistens in the sun.
Yesterday I drove past a little cemetery in a neighboring town that I had never noticed before because it’s wooded in the summer. It was an old plot. The headstones were modest little grey slabs, their epitaphs had smoothed away, over time, from weather and their rounded edges no longer showed any evidence of a chisel. They had settled in such a way that they appeared to be leaning in toward one another, as if they were enjoying a nice chat, a little afterlife gossip, while warming their lovely smooth faces in the afternoon sun. I had been thinking all day about a plot – my book’s plot and when I came across this little burial ground I kept thinking, what a charming plot. What a delightful little plot.
Beautiful pictures. And I loved to hear that your have had a flurry of writing. Your description of the tombstones captured my imagination: “They had settled in such a way that they appeared to be leaning in toward one another, as if they were enjoying a nice chat, a little afterlife gossip, while warming their lovely smooth faces in the afternoon sun.” You ARE inspired!
Wonderful post and photos. I love what you say about the beauty of winter and how hidden things are revealed at this time, and I love the image of the little cemetery in the afternoon sun. I’ve come across a lot of those since moving to this area, and they so intrigue me. I wonder about who the people were, and about what the small community was like that made this little burying place.
And I love the fun with the word “plot”!
I’m so glad that your writing has been so productive lately.
Julie, how apropos is your phrase “flurry of writing”! Nice to see your photo — I’m dying to know how a few have added photos to their comments.
I have a blog on WordPress and I enter it on the website line when I identify who I am when I post a comment here. I think the photo is automatically pulled from the WordPress. I think it probably works that way for most of the blogging sites. Hope this helps!
Arliss is right, so visual, I love it!
Winter is my time, too. For different reasons, but nonetheless glorious to be possessed by that passion to return to the page – or document, as it were.
Some folks are infused with energy & emboldened by the essence of Summer or Spring, but I love Fall & Winter. I also prefer evenings & night to mornings or afternoons, and my rhythms sync far, far better to rain than sunshine. A beloved friend used to call me Flipside, because in keeping with the aforementioned, I would quite often prefer the B-side to the 45s we’d buy at the record store on Fridays with our paychecks
Congrats on the writing surges, Ann. And Thanks for the passage that Julie mentioned; I adore it to pieces, as well. Here’s to gorgeous views! and to the electrified desire to engage with words and story that makes our brains and fingertips feel sparkly-alive ~
Denise–I too love the rain. I love it in the summer when rain rounds in, the sound and smell are glorious.
Ann, beautiful photos. Glad to hear that you’re in the fun part of the writing process on your novel. I enjoyed your other books, and I look forward to reading your new one. Also, I love the new blog format. Happy New Year to you and everyone on the blog!
Ann, when is your book due at the publisher? Just wondering when we might expect it. Read your others, so definitely will read this one.
Ann, I have a hardbound copy of The Long Weekend which I would love to have autographed. Is there any way we could arrange that?
Ann, how wonderful to be caught up in your own creation. I too feel so much more creative in winter. My moods are often lighter in winter than in the sunny days of summer. And I love, love, love the description of the “plot”. You are a talented, as well as funny, woman.
And yes, how are some of the bloggers able to post the wee photos of themselves?
I’m a winter fan as well, the light is so wonderful, and I love that I can see the hills from my kitchen windows when the trees are bare.
I also LOVE your description of the little cemetery and the stones. Beautiful. I’ve mentioned before that I do preservation work on historic cemeteries in my town….I find them so peaceful, little plots of history and stories of who lived here before us.
I definitely feel like I come alive again each Fall, and then settle into work and projects into the winter. (And I so love Fall that I capitalize it.) I find spring kind of mushy and confusing; some summer days are lovely but the really hot days pull my energy away. I get wistful on the loveliest summer days as I know there won’t be too many of them. I suppose there is a good reason I moved to a really northern state (Minnesota).
I write these blogs very hastily and am always grateful when a kind reader points out a typo or error. I just received an email from Denise who asked me if I meant to say, in the third line of this post, that the thing starts “righting” itself. She was correct, I had meant to say “writing” itself, but now I’m rather pleased with the new meaning given to the statement by my mistake. In fact, the thing has been kind of righting itself, like a boat that was listing to one side and is now righting itself.
So not sure if I should change it.
I’m losing my mind
I was wondering if it was a typo but figured your use of “righting” was a play on words. Either spelling or meaning fits. I kind of like the “righting” meaning.
I completely agree! — “righting itself” has a wonderful and appropriate sense all its own, like something finding its balance and best self ..
Ann, I’m so glad you’re inspired, so keep on writing.
I tend to type hastily myself. I was once negotiating a tug contract with a very stern, serious Captain at a major cruise line. He was a no fuss, no fluff, “just the facts, m’aam” kinda guy. So, I was sitting by the pool one day, answering one of his very serious questions about tug horsepower and bollard pull. I proceeded to respond via my Blackberry, and somehow typed the words “koo poo”, and then hit “send.” I was mortified, and then laughed until I couldn’t breathe. I still got the contract. Such a hoot.
Aislinn, you have the coolest job!
Ha ha ha! Oh, Aislinn, that’s priceless!
It’s a wonder I still have a job!
Not only does Aislinn still have a job, but was
recently promoted!!
Congratulations on your promotion, Aislinn! So cool!!
I am a summer person, I love the shade of the trees and the music of the leaves when the wind blows through them. Creative juices kick in around May. Really like to hear about the creative process and look forward to the book. Your pics are super…take me to a place so exotic and different from coastal California. Not to mention the occasional great pics of the dogs.
Glad for you to be able to reignite what you do so well! This must be a deeply satisfying time for you and you have worked hard to get here.
I am always captivated by winter light – its much more complex than the summer sun – and watching the sunrise in the morning is a real treat in the winter. It’s almost a religious experience watching light dispel darkness.
What a great piece. That’s the beauty of living somewhere where there are four seasons. Living in MN we have four seasons and I love it.In the Fall/Spring the energy for me goes up, Summer/Winter it dies way down. It’s nature’s way of slowing us down to just create, ponder, and breathe. Like CT, we have tons of foliage and greenery most of the year.In the spring the parkway by my house is full of lilac and apple blossom trees. In the winter the creek sometimes has running water, and the sound is delightful. Spring is coming! Maybe not for another 3 months, but it will come.
Until then Anne wear those baggy sweaters, drink that coffee at 3am, and enjoy writing that book.Spring will come and you will be busy cleaning your barns,doing stuff in the yard,and your great mind will enjoy that time off.Many wishes for getting great work done for this next book. xxoo
Beautiful pictures and cannot wait for your new novel to be published!
Ann,
I love your photographs! You must have a great camera. Please keep these great images coming with your writing.
Luc, thanks, I have taken all of them with iPhone recently. It’s amazing what great photos that little phone takes.