April 16, 2009
Here’s an interesting phenomenon which I think I’ve already touched on in this blog. I have a need to write that borders on the pathological. If I’m not writing, if I don’t feel that I’m making progress in my writing career, I actually get wrapped around the axle. I go a little crazy. Snap at loved ones, do stupid things, make mistakes. It’s like I’m wired all the time. Come to think of it, it’s kind of like withdrawal from an addictive substance. I need that fix to keep going.
Then, when I’m deep into a project, especially a long one like a novel, I can’t wait to finish it. I feel like I need a break from the writing. I need to take some time off. I can’t wait for that time off. But the truth is, I know in my heart that as soon as I get that precious down time, it won’t be long before I’m dying for some more writing action. Which is good, really. Anything that encourages productivity is a good thing.
Such is my path right now. I’m just shy of 93,000 words into a 100,000-word novel, and I’m itching for a break. I have so much to do to get ready for my May workshop, my parents’ return from Florida, my Spring yard work, my painting and patching inside the house…plus the million little things I’ve been putting off since I started this novel in mid-January. But at the same time, I don’t want to rush the book. After all this time and effort, I want to finish it right. Still, I’m looking forward to a break in a couple of weeks.
Now for today’s photo. This one’s a shot from the Badlands of South Dakota, one of the stops my pal Don and I made during our trip across the country after graduating from college. That was all the way back in 1987. Wow! I thought this would be a good time for this particular shot, as the Badlands play a role in the novel I’m currently writing. What an amazing and soul-stirring place. See you tomorrow!
Badlands, South Dakota, June 1987
