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Monday, January 16, 2012

Writing Discoveries

I am trying to end a novel.

It is hard.

I keep thinking, "This will be the day.  I will finish TODAY."

But that was yesterday.  And the day before yesterday.  And the day before that.

I think the reason it won't end is because I have yet to have that moment.

For me, that moment is when I am writing a book and I make myself cry.  It's not a forced cry, mind you, but a deep, heartfelt tear or two.

(Okay, sometimes I am writing funny things and I have to make myself laugh out loud before I know that it is right....over and over again at the same joke...it still has to be funny to me.  Hey, that's just how I roll.)

Anyway, I need that moment in the writing when it's no longer about the words or the story.  I need that moment when the only important thing is what I am feeling in my heart. If the deep feeling is not there, well, the story cannot end.

So, I am back at it today, hoping my characters will lead me to that moment of perfect rightness (or perfect wrongness, as the case may be) and I will have my little cry and get to type THE END.

Wish me luck!

hrh

P.S. Because I have an extremely full plate these days, dinner time at the Thomas house has been SUFFERING.  So, I have developed a little dinner schedule:

Monday- Something good...Mondays are hard enough at it is, they really deserve to have a good dinner.  Often it is crockpot night (nothing like coming home from work and smelling FOOD. Tonight it is BBQ chicken pizza.
Tuesday-Salad Night-Some kind of main dish salad.  This week I think it will be a greek chicken salad, or perhaps a roast-beef bleu cheese salad.  Dunno yet.  But it will be a salad.
Wednesday-I have to drive kids this night, so it will be fast food.  Usually In-n-out Burger is the choice because it is semi-healthy (you can have protein-style!) and not too pricey.  And it always tastes good.
Thursday- Leftovers (if there are any from Mon and Tues) or Breakfast for Dinner.  I love breakfast food and there is never time to make it.  And eggs are super easy to whip up.  So Thursday is Breakfast night!
Friday-Soup Night OR Mexican Food-  It totally depends on my mood.  If I need comfort food, it will be a soup night.  If I need a fiesta, it will be Mexican!
Weekend-No rules...whatever anybody feels like making.

11 comments:

Janet Johnson said...

I love your dinner list! I like the felxibility of it. My tends to get to stiff and I rebel.

And Amen about writing! THere's definitely a moment, isn't there? Best of luck finding yours!

Jess said...

Love your dinner list as well! I've had similar problems with endings before~ I used to just plow through it and write something crappy, thinking I'd get an epiphany during revisions, but now I wait. And wait. And sometimes, I wait some more :)

Laura S. said...

That's a great dinner week! Good luck with the end of your novel, Shelley. Sending you positive thoughts and energy!!

Faith E. Hough said...

I hope you reach your moment soon! Do you keep writing until you're there, or rewrite?

Veronica and Thomas said...

Sounds like my dinner menu! Between writing and hockey there is no for the ritz meals in this house!

When we have moved our characters to the moment that they move our hearts then the novel is real.

Catherine Denton said...

Breakfast for dinner is our favorite but I still don't do it often enough; thanks for reminding me.

Here's wishing you'll cry! (That sounds so wrong)
Catherine Denton

Joanne R. Fritz said...

Wow! Shelley, it's like you read my mind! I'm having the same trouble right now with MG novel #2. I keep thinking the rough draft is finished and then realizing it doesn't have that oomph.

Can I come over to your house for dinner? I make something big on my days off, like a huge casserole or lasagna, and then we eat leftovers for days.

Hardygirl said...

The End. Yes!!! It's so hard.

And I'm inspired by your meal schedule. That's just what I need.

sf

Christina Lee said...

I really like how you describe it as a MOMENT--hadn't thought about it that way! good luck!!

We have no in n out burgers here, just Five Guys which is YUMMY!

Hilary Wagner said...

If I can do it, you can do it! Go Shelley! :) I adore the dinner list!

Anonymous said...

Roast beef blue cheese salad?!?! That sounds *amazing* (recipe, please?).

I hope you made it this week with the end. If not, there's always next week!