I browsed face book when I got up. I didn’t write my morning pages first. I had a fairly light sleep because of some poison ivy on my arm. I am trying to dry it up with a steroid cream which I got with a prescription. I didn’t want to cover it because I had covered it up too much already. I want it to have some time to breathe. So I was conscious not to put that part of my arm under the covers even though it did want to be warmed up. Yesterday I had emailed my sister about a new part to a story I had written. I felt uncomfortable with a character because she was cussing and I wanted to know how it affects the story from my sister’s point of view. So I thought about it all night in the space between deep sleep and light sleep. It was a little more difficult to get up when the alarm went off and I took a number of snoozes. I had about fifteen minutes before the sun began to rise so I checked face book instead of beginning my morning pages. She had answered my questions and I was delighted with her answer. The sun is rising now and the chickens are let out and fed. I took a short walk back there because I had to find my dog. She must have found something because she was making a lot of activity in some under brush under the big maple at the back. The walk was good.
Yesterday, late afternoon Chloe and I went to the library. She checked out a lot of books. More than she can carry. Mark and I both had to take a stack. I worked out some more details with my Elsie book. I have done as much as I can do at the library and now need to print out the pages. I will make a mock book to practice reading it and to see how the words flow from page to page while reading out loud to a couch full of stuffed animals. With my work finished on the Elsie book I took out a piece of paper and began to write. I wrote about my character and how I felt about her walking into my story and using foul language.
“I was writing early this morning, just like I always do.
Only, today I was writing, “The House”. I had left the
story in a creepy condition and was quite anxious to
discover who was at the door. So, this morning when I
began to write the scene turned up a crude character
whose language was vulgar. I thought to stop it, but then
I would have to change the story. Her very use of these
words defined her current characters condition. She
wouldn’t be the same person if she spoke like I do. After
I published it I began to wonder if I should let a
character cuss in my story. It has bothered me all day,
but then I realized that it isn’t my story really. I’m the writer, writing it down. Something here is trying to be
said. It’s a problem when a book is published page by page.
It is also a blessing. Edits will have to wait until it is ended. Changing anything now will change the whole story.
The course of the story is what I mean. I have as much
control over this as one does of a dream. I hope the strong language doesn’t spoil it for you my dear reader(s).”
I am becoming amazed at the process of writing this story. I am always just as curious as you. I think all week about the possible scenarios and how they could play out, but when I sit down to write the character takes over and I am but watching a show. I pay attention to which words I use to describe what is happening. I pay attention to grammar and tone. I do have some responsibility here. My sister confirmed my feelings that I should let the character be who she is because that is who she really is.
person. Even the house is trying to keep her away. Real writing says it like it is. There is bad language in
this world and it is part of this bad character. I love
it. You have me hooked. Love it. Love you”
I am learning as I write. I chose to write this story because it played the most music in my head. I have other stories to tell someday, but I will try not to tell them all in the one story. Some stories will need their own pages to express themselves on. I’m not completely sure yet which story this one will be but I have a few very good ideas. I usually spend only one day a week obsessing and writing “The House”. I have other things I do. I garden, and preserve and care for the chickens. I have a home-school and a home. I tend to take care of mostly everything here as my dear husband is always taking on large projects around the place. This month he is refinishing the garage. One new corner post was necessary because he found that ants had eaten the old one almost completely away. I worried about my garlic hanging in the garage, should the garage fall down. He has almost finished replacing the siding now and received a new window from his father to replace the old rotten one. Someday it will be a brand new garage. He said it might have been easier to just start over, tear the old one down and build a new one, but I don’t know. Have you seen the inside of his garage? It isn’t used only for storing my garlic. A whole years worth.
by Elizabeth Williams, daily writing exercise, 1,000 words.
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