During my writing sessions I’ve started listening to Celtic instrumental, in addition to classical music. It adds something to the experience (and it drowns out in part the sounds of my family in this old creaky house).
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Writing Status: S&P Progress
The first part, of three parts, of my novel about Sifa and Peter, is shaping up nicely. I feel like the section now builds the characters and builds up tensions for the upcoming conflicts in a decent way. I’m still struggling a bit with Laura’s story — how much to reveal about her personal tragedy in the first part. How much allusion versus specific detail should be included? How much should I unravel, or unveil, about her problems? After all, her story is not as prominent as Sifa’s, or Peter’s.
I may have finally found someone to review Peter’s work scene, someone who knows of the profession Peter has in the book. We’ll see!
Zeddy and Bubba Excerpt
The car soon pulled up at a large, flat field. All over the field were colorful patches of fabric. Groups of people were standing around here and there.
A Great Mountain Hike
Driving south of town, you watch the two-lane blacktop curve back and forth around slight slopes of evergreens. You catch glimpses of a rushing creek bed on your left. Then, a large and beautiful pond, clear and shining, appears, and you almost miss your right turn on to Spruce Road. The scent of pine needles wafts in your windows in the cool mountain breeze.
Writing Status: Journal and S&P Revisions
I’ve spent more time in my journal than anything else this month. I’m just thankful to be writing something, and the journal has been valuable in a number of ways.
I’ve also tried a few self-assigned writing exercises, and I’m still eyeing the outline of S&P on my desk. I’d like to get the calendar of events in the novel straightened out.
It’s been fun editing for the whole participle phrase thing. Now, in addition to writing at least three more scenes, I’d like to expand my current dialogue with more action in light of this advice.
That’s probably enough work for the next month, although I’d love to fit in some scene overhauls and consider making some scenes more emotional with different word choices.
Essay Ideas #1
Here are few very loose ideas for essays or stories down the road:
- Respect: earned versus always given.
For instance, should we not give respect to a person in our lives until they earn it, or should we give every person the respect due to them as a human being? Do we give respect to those in authority because they are in authority or because of values? Do those in authority have to earn it?
- Types of Prisons: of our own making versus prison cells of debilitating conditions, prison cells of mental distress, of hurt and fear, of anger and violence
- Conservative vs. conventional
- God, time, and the attempts by man to fit God into man’s notions of time
- Do you want to be a sheep?
Childhood Sun, Sea, and Wind
Take either the short ferry from Port A. and drive down Mustang Island, or cross the Intracoastal Waterway from Corpus. Take Park Road 22 south down Padre Island, passing by beachfront parks and condos and Bob Hall Pier. Keep going until buildings disappear and sandy flat vegetation stretches out on either side. Keep going as the road ribbons onward. Keep going to the entrance to a little known national park, Padre Island National Seashore.
2016 Poker Run at Bird Island Basin
Pay your entrance fee, and keep a sharp watch out for the first turn westward, away from the Gulf and the pounding surf. A short drive, a cluster of cars, then you see colorful sails dancing like butterflies across the water. The sailboard rigs fill the water as they skim, race, flutter, flip, and tip.
Welcome to one of the best windsurfing spots in the world: Bird Island Basin.
Writing Status: Participles and Clauses
Things to correct that I’ve noticed about my writing (so far!):
- A possible overabundance of participles, participial phrases, and absolute phrases
- A lack of gerund phrases
- A lack of “when” and “while” and “where” clauses
Writing Tidbit: Hurricane
A waterfall of rain cascaded over the windshield, the wipers battling futilely. She peered ahead cautiously, driving slowly and rocking the steering wheel side-to-side in tight, white-knuckled motion as she fought the winds.