Chapter 7 - The Fire, The Fence and The Fierce Femme Fatale
So, Camp Nanowrimo has begun! Officially this past Saturday was the start and I was so excited for the beginning. In fact, I had plans to stay up until midnight on Friday night to start writing at the first first minute that I could. However, I came home from work and the moment I walked in the door, a massive headache split my brain in two and made a home in the middle. After pain meds and water, I was feeling better by midnight but weariness had laid claim on me. I went to bed and told myself that the official start day was Saturday, so I would get to my writing in the morning.
Saturday morning. Rising with energy, I neatened up my desk while the coffee brewed, put on comfy slippers and sat in front of my laptop with vigor and energy.
Two sentences. I was two sentences in and there was a knock on my door. I had arranged for both of the guys who occasionally work as farm hands for me to be here to assist my father, who brought his backhoe, to clean trees and branches out of the creek to prevent further flooding. Unfortunately, my father told one of the hands to bring one of my tractors down with them as well. It has a trailer hooked to it and, more importantly, is almost as old as I am. It has no brakes and really is a hinky little piece of equipment. So on his way down the road and into the field where they were working, he turned into the field and took out the gate post.
THEN it started raining. And of course no one can be expected to work in a warm summer shower when they are climbing in and out of a creek anyway. But apparently my father is made of sugar and couldn't possibly stand to be wet. So he told the hands to go home and he came down to the house with his hands up in defeat. Did he get everything out of the creek before he stopped? No. Did he get the wood that the hands had pulled out of the creek by hand, piled up neatly to burn? No. Did he fix the gate post so I could close the gate and at least use that field? NO!
Needless to say, I had a fun day in the field that never seemed to end.
But, a fire was started, more wood was pulled out and the gate was fixed. How was the fire? I hear you ask. Freaking hot. I continued trying to feed the fire logs and branches, but there was no getting within ten feet of the fire without the metal grommets and zipper off of my jeans turning to molten metal and searing into my flesh. Not to mention how many times I almost lost an eyebrow to popping flames.
Still, I went back into the house, got a shower and was out by five. Plenty of time to write. Right?
In comes my son, reminding me that I had promised to take him to see Wonder Woman. Being that he is an awesome little child and so pumped about a female-centric movie, of course he manipulated me. We were in town running a few errands when I checked the movie times. Only to see that we had missed all of the earlier showings and there was nothing playing until 9:30 at night. It was 6:30.
Sunday. Back in the field feeding the demon fire. Again all of my hair is in danger.
But I will say, Sunday night was my amazing night. I waited until the house was quiet and still. And then I wrote my ass off. I did my word count for both Saturday and Sunday and absolutely killed it.
The point of all of this. There will ALWAYS be something else to do. It is amazing that we ever have time to watch so many cat videos, but the second that you sit down to write, you will be needed elsewhere. Murphy's law. The solution, don't get discouraged. Don't throw away responsibilities or your schedule. But don't let those things derail you either.
When you undertake a journey, make sure that the reasons that you are doing FOR are louder that your doubts and fears. This novel is for me. I picked a topic that I liked because it amused ME. I am writing because it pleases ME. I want to share this book with the world because it is a part of ME. All of those reasons are more important than my worrying if it comes across as 'marketable' or if I'm falling behind in word count (totally NOT behind, so far ahead), or my worries and fears about what will come of all of this in the end. Because of course, the biggest fear is that nothing will happen.
I do have to, especially after all of the 'ME'-talk, give a HUGE shout out to my writing group. They are the most supportive and amazing group of women and I'm so thankful for each and every one of them and every word of support and encouragement. Ladies, I only hope that I can be as big of a help to you, as you have been to me.
I am off for the night, but good writing to you all. Remember, be bigger than your fear.
Saturday morning. Rising with energy, I neatened up my desk while the coffee brewed, put on comfy slippers and sat in front of my laptop with vigor and energy.
Two sentences. I was two sentences in and there was a knock on my door. I had arranged for both of the guys who occasionally work as farm hands for me to be here to assist my father, who brought his backhoe, to clean trees and branches out of the creek to prevent further flooding. Unfortunately, my father told one of the hands to bring one of my tractors down with them as well. It has a trailer hooked to it and, more importantly, is almost as old as I am. It has no brakes and really is a hinky little piece of equipment. So on his way down the road and into the field where they were working, he turned into the field and took out the gate post.
THEN it started raining. And of course no one can be expected to work in a warm summer shower when they are climbing in and out of a creek anyway. But apparently my father is made of sugar and couldn't possibly stand to be wet. So he told the hands to go home and he came down to the house with his hands up in defeat. Did he get everything out of the creek before he stopped? No. Did he get the wood that the hands had pulled out of the creek by hand, piled up neatly to burn? No. Did he fix the gate post so I could close the gate and at least use that field? NO!
Needless to say, I had a fun day in the field that never seemed to end.
But, a fire was started, more wood was pulled out and the gate was fixed. How was the fire? I hear you ask. Freaking hot. I continued trying to feed the fire logs and branches, but there was no getting within ten feet of the fire without the metal grommets and zipper off of my jeans turning to molten metal and searing into my flesh. Not to mention how many times I almost lost an eyebrow to popping flames.
Still, I went back into the house, got a shower and was out by five. Plenty of time to write. Right?
In comes my son, reminding me that I had promised to take him to see Wonder Woman. Being that he is an awesome little child and so pumped about a female-centric movie, of course he manipulated me. We were in town running a few errands when I checked the movie times. Only to see that we had missed all of the earlier showings and there was nothing playing until 9:30 at night. It was 6:30.
Sunday. Back in the field feeding the demon fire. Again all of my hair is in danger.
But I will say, Sunday night was my amazing night. I waited until the house was quiet and still. And then I wrote my ass off. I did my word count for both Saturday and Sunday and absolutely killed it.
The point of all of this. There will ALWAYS be something else to do. It is amazing that we ever have time to watch so many cat videos, but the second that you sit down to write, you will be needed elsewhere. Murphy's law. The solution, don't get discouraged. Don't throw away responsibilities or your schedule. But don't let those things derail you either.
When you undertake a journey, make sure that the reasons that you are doing FOR are louder that your doubts and fears. This novel is for me. I picked a topic that I liked because it amused ME. I am writing because it pleases ME. I want to share this book with the world because it is a part of ME. All of those reasons are more important than my worrying if it comes across as 'marketable' or if I'm falling behind in word count (totally NOT behind, so far ahead), or my worries and fears about what will come of all of this in the end. Because of course, the biggest fear is that nothing will happen.
I do have to, especially after all of the 'ME'-talk, give a HUGE shout out to my writing group. They are the most supportive and amazing group of women and I'm so thankful for each and every one of them and every word of support and encouragement. Ladies, I only hope that I can be as big of a help to you, as you have been to me.
I am off for the night, but good writing to you all. Remember, be bigger than your fear.
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