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Writing Update

I start the day by sharing with Amoeba whatever weird dream he just woke me from.  This morning I must have been thinking of all the housework in front of me, including washing the bedding, because my dream was about Amoeba helping me.  He’d strung the garden hose through the house and was washing the bedding.  Unfortunately it was still on the bed.

Happily, it was just a dream and I woke in a dry bed.  I yawned and stretched and complained about the mornings getting colder.  Then I got up and dressed for the cold, wet foggy, gray day.  I made toast and juice for Amoeba, and tossed his lunch together (literally).

Next I checked my email, finished up Punny Monday, and helped Amoeba get his office ready for use as a bedroom by our eminent company.  Afterward I returned to my office, did my morning devotions and began to write.  My first few days of writing were actually spent looking for the story in my jumble of thoughts.  I’ve written around 7k words since I started, but so far only about 1500 is actual story.

I would probably still be floundering around trying to find story, but an inventory of my likes as a reader, my strengths as a writer, and the book I am using for my morning devotional (which I purchased while on that wonderful retreat), helped focus my thought and give birth to a plot.

The book I am reading, one chapter per day, is Reclaiming the Spiritual Power of Humor: Laugh Your Way to Grace.  The book’s author, Rev. Susan Sparks, was a lawyer who became a stand up comic who became an ordained minister.  As she shared her strict church up bringing she described the God of her childhood as a cross between “Walter Cronkite and Clint Eastwood in High Plains Drifter.”   And that sent me to wondering ….

A writer creates a story by finding something that sparks his or her imagination and starts her thinking, “What if …”.   My string of what ifs (and a couple of, “And how did that work for you?” courtesy of Dr. Phil) gave birth to a trio of characters who have a story to tell.  They have captured my heart and my imagination.

After writing I dashed out to run the errands and do some shopping.  Do you know that one can’t buy a pillow in this town?  It’s amazing.  Three stores all with clerks who say, “We usually have pillows, but …”  No pillows.  After the errands and the grocery store I returned home and did a bit more housework.  Then I sat down to write this post.  In a few moments I have to go start dinner.

Tonight I have to clean my office and find time to finish the church newsletter.   Tomorrow I will vacuum and mop before we go to get our company. While our company is here, I should actually be able to take it easy, since they’ve come to work at the labs and won’t expect to be entertained.  If I don’t get by your blogs tonight.  I’ll see you tomorrow!

16 Comments

  1. I went to my writer’s group for the first time last night. I’m trying to be very open-minded and encouraging, but reading through the 3 pieces I brought home for critiquing, I’m a little take aback at how BAD it is. I want to be in a writer’s group with you and Susan!

    1. Church Lady — the internet is a great idea. I need them by tomorrow at 4 p.m. Bet they won’t arrive that quickly. Amoeba and I have decided we will each just give up one of our own pillows so each of our guests can have two. (No hardship for me, I only use one of mine, but Amoeba uses both of his.)

    1. Bill — I have at least one weird dream every night. I don’t know how much I’ll get to see of my company, but I sure am enjoying my really clean house!

  5. Happy to see things are going well. Enjoy your guests and let’s hope they enjoy the dry beding.

    Wow! It’s getting cold already. Still rather warm over here.

  8. Sounds like Amoeba was being quite a pill(ow) in your dream! I have dreams like that too – ones where I wake up and think “how in the world. . .?”

    Jacob used a rock in the Bible to rest his head. Maybe if you do that, you’ll get angels on a ladder!

  9. I don’t usually remember my dreams or even try to.

    I like hearing how your book thoughts are coming along. I’ve had a couple of characters in my mind for a while, but I don’t know where I want them to go. I’ve been thinking if I just start writing a few scenes that I have in mind, maybe that will suggest something. But then I keep not having time to do that. That’s one of my goals, though, once we’re more settled in.

    I was just reading somewhere of a writer who kept a pad or journal with her all the time to jot down ideas.

    Do you have any couch pillows? There have been times we’ve stuffed one or two of those into a pillowcase.

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