Faith

"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase." — Martin Luther King Jr.

The Revelation

I was sitting at my desk last Friday, watching an episode of Felicity on my lunch break when I had a revelation about my novel. I was thinking about my character Ronnie and how I just haven't been happy with how her story is developing and the way she and Mark meet and why they would continue to talk to each other. This has bothered me from the very conception of these two characters. The whole idea of her wanting to "paint" him and him just opening up to her about his whole life always seemed so flimsy to me.

So, when this idea hit me the other day it was like solving a problem that has been bothering me for years. Totally invigorating! I felt more inspired than I have since starting this project.

Unfortunately, the timing of this revelation couldn't be worse. My boss has been out recovering from surgery so I have been doing her job as well as mine. As if that isn't enough, we have a new employee in Communications that I have been training. I can handle it at work, but I've been truly exhausted, drained, done by the time I get home at the end of the day. I was able to wrap up a couple of pressing projects last week so I am hoping the next week will be a little less hectic and I'll have the energy to do some work on "the novel" when I get home.

We'll see...

The Talented Mr. Mayer

One of the presents my husband got me for Christmas was John Mayer's latest album, Battle Studies. As usual, Mr. Mayer has proven himself to be a first class musician and lyricist. The album is filled with songs about heartbreak and odes to the single life (fitting given Mr. Mayer's penchant for serial dating), and I have been listening to it almost non-stop since getting it.

I love John Mayer not just because he's so friggin' hot. I mean, hello:

As someone (slightly) obsessed with words and language, I love his lyrics. For instance, in the first track off this album, Heartbreak Warfare, he writes: "How come the only way to know how high you get me, is to see how far I fall? God only knows how much I'd love you if you let me, but I can't break through it all." Totally captures how the people we love the most are also the ones that can hurt us the worst. How sometimes you just push to see how far you can go.

And in Edge of Desire, he sings, "Don't say a word just come over and lie here with me. 'Cause I'm just about to set fire to everything I see. I want you so bad I'll go back on the things I believe. There I just said it, I'm scared you'll forget about me." The yearning in his voice, I mean...wow. Makes me weak at the knees. I'd be over in a heartbeat! (Except for the fact that I'm happily married of course.)

Anyway, just wanted to share my latest obsession. If you want a copy of Battle Studies or any of Mr. Mayer's other masterpieces, you can get them here. (I highly recommend Continuum, which in my opinion is his best work to date.) Enjoy!

The CBC, Day Nine and Wrap Up

Days left: 491
Words written: 5,219

Despite being a bit of a grouch today and really just wanting to lay on the couch and veg out, I managed to write about 550 words.That brings my total word count to 5,219.

When I started the Christmas Break Challenge last Saturday, I only had 975 words written. That means the challenge word count is 4,244! Though that number is shy of my 4,500 word goal for the week, I also didn't write on two days that I'd calculated in for that total. So, I actually wrote more than my 500-words-a-day goal on the days I did write. Something I am very proud of.

Other than getting my word count up and the story going, this challenge has made me realize me two things.

One, I need to just write. Doesn't matter what, just that I'm doing it, just that I'm getting words on paper. It's much easier (for me at least) to go back and fix what I've got that to start from a blank page.

And two, that writing fiction can be fun. I had totally forgotten that. Yes, it is work. It requires research and revision and I'm not always going to be able to use everything I write. But it is also fun. I've had a blast seeing these characters and their world come to life. Inspiration is literally everywhere and it's been fun to pull in ideas and instances from all parts of my life and my brain.

I hope you have enjoyed following me this week. I go back to work tomorrow, but am going to try to start writing regularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the evenings (HA! I've said that before, right.) Keep checking back to see how I do...

The CBC, Days Six Through Eight

Days left: 492
Words written: 4,671

Happy New Year!

Having my dad, sister, niece and two nephews here (in addition to my own daughter), as well as it being New Year's Eve and Day, proved to be too much of a distraction to get any writing done on days six and seven of the Christmas Break Challenge. Is that enough justification for skipping writing on those two days?

I got right back in the saddle today, revising much of what I'd written for Ronnie and adding another 557 words to the total. I think I'm pretty much done with the rough draft of chapter one and can move forward with the story. Next up, getting these two characters in the same room and talking. That's where the story really begins...

Tomorrow is the last day of my challenge so we'll tally everything up then.