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Friday, August 22, 2014

Friday Fricassee

Hello, Friday!

Something amazing happened last night, and Mr. A gets the credit.

(Well, doesn't that sound all spicy?)

You know I'm on a self-imposed writing break.  You know--because I bleed my heart all over this blog--how deeply necessary this hiatus has been.

And yet, as my second week of non-writing dragged on, I wasn't filling my time with Good Things.  I was despairing.  Drowning in a dearth of creativity.  Crying too easily because I felt empty.

Seriously, Non-Writing Me!  What's with that?  I am not the high artiste type.  Not the woe-is-me-I-am-dying-internally-because-I'm-not-wordcrafting type.  Really, I'm not.  Writing does infuse me with life--but so does any creative pursuit.

Because I was created to create.  And that is where, for me, life and joy exist.

In the midst of my difficult week, the seeds of a story came to life in the dust of my dormant brain--a retelling, of all things.  (I have never been tempted to do a retelling before.  But this one...oh, this one!)  And last night, accompanied by a glass of Chardonnay and soft guitar music, I sat with my husband and brainstormed.

It was tremendous.

For whatever reason, Mr. A has captured the vision of this story with me.  (Oh, yes.  He was created to create, too.  It's one of our strongest bonds.)  And when I skipped ballet in order to spend creative time with him, he was happy to oblige.  In fact, he'd already offered more than once to sit down with me and play around with this story idea.

How can a gal say no to that?

So it was fairly magical, tossing around characters and plot ideas and setting and romance and all the good things with the love of my life.  And this morning, I am fresh and alive again.

Here's the thing--I'm still on hiatus.  In order for this to truly work, it needs to feel like child's play for a while.  I need to dabble...to imagine...to sift my fingers through the sand without building a castle.  Yet.

I'll know when I'm ready to write this thing.  Right now, it's refreshing and restoring me.  I'm not going to push myself to start that beat sheet.  But I am going to immerse myself in the joy of finding this story's heart.  And this is new ground for me--I'm not a lover of the planning stage.  I need productivity--word count--a completed manuscript that I can rip into and revise.

But that's not what my spirit needs right now.  And thanks to Mr. A, I've discovered exactly what I do need.

I need this story to dance in my head and take shape in its own time.  I need to allow myself to live in the seven-year-old-me realm, where stories float to the surface and I stir them with my fingertip, watching them grow.  No pressure.  No deadline.  No ROI or marketing plan.

Just pure creativity.  Pure story.

Pure bliss.

Thank you, Mr. A, for helping me find my lost self.

And thank you, dear readers, for taking this journey with me.

May your creative spirits find equal refreshment!  I'll see you next week.

17 comments:

  1. "Created to create". Yes! *High fives you* May this season of play be refreshing AND eventually productive.

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  2. YAY! A feel good moment of the writerly kind is always exciting. Hang on to that seven year old YOU and keep brainstorming with Mr. A. I LOVE retellings and can't wait for you to emerge with a shiny new MS. Until then, keep enjoying your hiatus!

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  3. Elizabeth Van TasselAugust 22, 2014 at 1:28 PM

    Dear Miss Snark,
    Bless you and Mr. A in your journey this week. I left some ideas on the August 15 blog about listening to Jesus and his encouragement while you are on this hiatus. Best wishes for renewed zest, and after all, fun! Hope you find a pretty place today to soak it in and laugh a bit too.

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  4. Yea for you and Mr. A-is-for-Awesome! I had a similar happy event this week, and the supportive brainpower gives me so much new hope! All the best to you on this journey. It's a great time to play.

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  5. There's not much that can compare to that bright and shiny new idea when it waltzes in and eases into your heart! Enjoy :)

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  6. I was so happy to read this! I don't always comment, but I always read, and this post made me particularly happy for you. I'm excited to see where you go with this--once you finish your hiatus!

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  7. Awesome. The other night the hubs drew a world map for my series, then we played in Illustrator and had fun collaborating. Great when we can do that.

    Now go take some sidewalk chalk and really get into the 7yr old you.

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  8. I love to brainstorm plots with a friend. It makes you feel like you're on the road, rather than stuck in the mud. Congrats.

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  9. It was fun, as usual.

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  10. Yay! I'm so happy for you! Enjoy this moment!

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  11. I love, love, love brainstorming. Best thing ever, especially with someone who's not afraid to be silly. Just don't jump on a thing too soon or try to form it into a plot before it's ready. Next week consider doing something unusual, visit a kids art show (kids are so darn creative it knocks me out) or that tow-truck museum in the next town. One never knows just where the bits and pieces will come from for your next story. Most of all stop boo-hooing into your hanky and have some fun.

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  12. This is the absolutely best part of being on hiatus! It gives you that time to grow a new story and let it build in your brain. I LOVE retellings. :)

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  13. I think we're all in love with Mr. A! What a guy!

    It makes all the difference in the world to have an understanding and supportive partner/spouse. Him being creative is just icing on the cake!

    He does bake cakes for you, right? :)

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  14. He does not bake cakes -- but he makes the most AMAZING from-scratch gourmet pizza EVER. :)

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  15. Ah, Authoress,
    So happy for you ---don't you just love it when the ideas appear and flow and it's all fun!

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  16. Hearing this makes me happy. So glad to hear.

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  17. That's the most wonderful, wonderful news! It's always amazing to have creative juices flowing, but how much more amazing to have your loved one right there with you! I envy you!

    Congratulations on this new writing journey. Let it percolate and come in bits a pieces until it all falls into place into a phenomenal story!

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