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| Drawing by KT |
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When I'm writing a book, I find the middle is the most difficult part - and when you think about it, it's pretty much that way with everything in life.
Relationships start out awesome - it's the middle that's the rocky part - and if you get through the middle - the rough edges smooth out and it's usually smooth sailing.
A project always starts out great - everyone is excited - the middle drags because the excitement fades - and then suddenly you're closer to the end and the speed picks up again.
I'm in the middle of a book - I've been stuck here for awhile.
Many writers advise to write even when you don't feel like it. That's what I was trying to do yesterday, force the words.
There's a scene where one character is telling the other to forget the past and move on. I wanted a really good quote for that - I wanted it to be the character's own quote. What came out was long and sub par.
Finally, I gave up on writing and watched the finale of Oprah - damn if I didn't get teary eyed - then hang out with JT - and then, on the way to the gym, an idea of how to move the story forward came out of nowhere.
Lying in bed later that night - still thinking about the book,about life really, about my life, and how lucky I am and how all the struggle and drama in my life seemed to fade when I took responsibility for everything that happened. And when crap happened to me - I'd always try to find the lesson in it, or the 'silver lining' - my life became one long rainbow. Then a quote popped into my head:
"Don't be a victim of your past - be the author of your future." It was the perfect quote for my character.
You can't re-write your past - but you can write your future. You can change your story any time you choose.
Now - go forth and forget about your past and write the most fantastic story of your life!
