Writer Wednesday – A Change in the Air
Minutes ago I viewed lovely images of spring as captured by talented photography Eaton Bennett. The delicate blooms are beautiful reminders of nature’s power of regeneration, as she aptly titled the series, and make me look forward to planting my spring flowering bulbs. For here, in my little corner of the world, autumn takes a turn.
Morning mists hang over the fields as trees unburden their branches for a welcome winter rest. Having suffered lean summer months until this bountiful nut harvest, squirrels leap and bound, making drivers beware. Crisp air beckons me out of the house to savor dazzling skies.
If I seem to glorify fall, it’s because I adore this time of year. Each season displays different delights, but October holds a special place in my heart. Halloween fills me with a sense of whimsy. Colorful foliage, the smells of bonfires and burning leaves, and birds flocking to migrate all enchant me. I even look forward to plants going dormant after sweating over garden chores.
Every year I enjoy these changes. This month, having finished a small group workshop of Julia Cameron’s “Finding Water”, my inner artist awoke. I walk the local riverbank, camera ready, enjoying a renewed creative flow. With no idea what to write and choosing to ignore the resulting butterflies in my stomach, I look forward to November’s National Novel Writing Month.
One large hurdle to writing fifty thousand new words next month lies in curbing my inherent perfectionism. I’m notperfect; I simply strive for the impossible. Already, this short post has taken a ridiculous amount of time while I seek improved grammar and more laconic phrasing. On that note, I shall upload this little message forthwith.
Whatever season sculpts your landscape, I hope you can take a deep breath of fresh air and delve into whatever art calls you. As I hear repeatedly from gentle mentors, take small steps. Set reasonable goals. Be easy on yourself. Mother Nature acts harsh at times but she generally prepares her charges with steady, gradual progress.
Let me know which is your favorite season, and why. Does weather affect your creative soul? After you comment, please enjoy Ms. Bennett’s vision of spring:
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What a lovely post, Darla. I agree with you, Autumn's beauty is enticing and, as I sit here, I debate with myself whether to go out for a walk (my heel is bothering me). I may take a short one.
I'm so glad that you are getting onto the page despite the censor. That is the best news I've had all day. Maybe for NaNo, write a bad novel? Fill it with the best drivel you can think of, pick a silly trope (theme from a particular genre) and go at it? What if it's about a young man, accountant by trade, who goes to a coffee bar only to see a man he'd gone to college with, now a successful musician and brave soul who bucks convention while he, the accountant, sits at the sidelines wishing he had more courage… And then their eyes meet, the musician walks over and starts a conversation before the accountant knows what's happening and…
What happens?
Oh, you are so good at inspiring me. I do have a soft spot for that kind of story about hot rockers sweeping conservative guys off their feet. I could open with "It was a dark and stormy night" to set the irreverent tone. Oh, and it could be from the accountant's self deprecating but snarky viewpoint.
Is it November yet?
I know, right? I put my NaNo novel up yesterday and got all sucked into it. I want to finish EMERALD KEEP but totally got into wanting to write about Mitch. Then last night, I did a flash-fic for a guest post next week, and shared it with Rachel; we now have a full-blown novel idea with new characters.
But, think of it this way: it's the right problem to have. 🙂 And remember, you know a ton about adhesives and the petrochemical industry; what about a story about a purchasing agent who goes to a bar one night to find it's karaoke night. He secretly always wanted to be a rocker and goes to leave, blocked and sad, and literally runs into a gorgeous singer from the band that sponsors the karaoke. They get to talking and…
Well, I don't know. What happens next?
🙂 This is definitely a nice problem to have. I scribbled notes for the story idea you sparked with the first great comment. That's something I don't normally do. I'll take that as a good sign since my writing has trickled to blog posts.