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The writing has not been going well the last few days. Not well, at all. I’d tried all the usual tricks to get me through this part of the book. Christmas music, Broadway Musicals, changing desks, changing entire rooms, writing long hand in my writer’s notebook, writing on the computer a sort of open letter to my characters asking them what they thought was wrong. Sometimes it’s a plea to a particular character if they seem to be holding things up. You know, what do you want from me kind of letter. The kind of letter you are usually supposed to write to estranged relatives or boyfriends that are driving you nuts. I guess it’s a good thing that my most difficult relationships are usually fictional, but it’s still frustrating.
Imagine if your job depended on getting your most difficult co-worker to cooperate, and you’ll have some idea. Add a dash of romance, or you being their confidant for their romances, and you have some idea how it is dealing with fictional people that have a mind of their own.
I think the book stalled out because it wanted to be a thousand pages, and I told it, that wasn’t possible. Jason agreed with me that he didn’t want his book shagnhied by some sub-plot. So, there we were some of my characters in agreement with me, and some not. It’s like being on a damn jury sometimes. Or trying to drive cross country on vacation where everyone gets to give directions.
It’s been a wee bit frustrating. Okay, a lot frustrating.
Finally, yesterday I did my last ditch effort. What does that mean? It means I sat on the couch with my notebook, and wrote. Now that doesn’t sound very different from writing in my office in the notebook, does it. The difference is that I put in a DVD and let it run while I write. Only some DVD’s will work for this. I don’t know why some work and some don’t, but for this I am particularly fond of the Mystery series of Miss Marple movies, the original with Joan Hickson. Some Poirot’s with David Suchet work, as well. What I put in yesterday was The Last Detective staring Peter Davison. Some Disney movies will work; Beauty and the Beast, Lady and the Tramp, The Ugly Dachshund, and The Great Mouse Detective. Those are some I remember using over the years. It has to be a gentle movie, if you understand the definition. And it usually has to be something I’ve seen before, so I won’t do more movie watching then writing. But yesterday I had to actually put in something I’d never seen before, and knew I wanted to see. The idea is to sort of trick myself into writing. I only do this when I am almost stumped. It’s the closest I get to the dreaded writer’s block.
But if I can convince myself that I’m actually watching a movie and relaxing on the couch. I sort of get out of my own way, because I’m not trying to work. The notebook is just there. I know it’s sort of like lying to yourself. I mean, obviously, I am intending to write because the notebook and pen are there. I’ve carefully chosen a movie that will help me be entertained but not distract me completely. But it’s like any good coping mechanism, it works.
I wrote several pages in my notebook. Then the next morning I typed in the notes. It was enough to get me going, so that when I ran out of already written words, I was well on my way. I turned a handful of notes into eleven real pages of book. I also wrote through the scene that had driven me crazy for days. I know exactly what the next scene is, and it’s an action scene so I’m done with the emotional wound shit for awhile. Boy, am I glad to be through this part, and back on the mystery.