How Little Things Work Out Sometimes

It was one of those days.

It started yesterday. I was just plain tired all day. [I don't know if it was that I was really tired or that I was trying to avoid working on the story that is perculating through my brain these last three weeks. I know I am avoiding writing it down because it will be emotionally draining to work with it, as the heroine has to face some rather unpleasant facts about herself -- nothing "nasty" but just very deep-seated fears and a long-standing inability to trust anyone.] Slept more of the day than I was awake. Finally went to bed, for the final time of the day around 3 AM. (My hubby works second shift and our usual bedtime, after dinner and all once he gets home around 12:30-1:00 AM, is 3 to 4 AM.)

Our little kitty woke me around 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30; not intentionally, but she just loves to cuddle or climb on top of me and lay her chin on my cheek, or drape herself over my arm, or stick her cold nose on my chin as she snuggles in on my shoulder. Finally, I got up at 10. Much earlier for me than usual. Well, about an hour and a half "early." I know, for most of the world, the day is almost done by the time I am waking up.

I was headed to a friend's house today and was ready to leave by 10:30 AM. WOW! For once, I might have been early. No, I better not, I thought. She probably wouldn't be home until the "appointed" time. So, I opened up the laptop and clicked into one of the blogs I check out from time to time.

Nothing new there, and I honestly don't know whether I followed links from that blog or from another one ... but eventually I ended up at the blog kept by Lisa Samson, a published author, not just a writer wannabee. Reading through her recent posts was fun.

I found one from August 6th that is, I think, profound. And I want to share it with you. Copy and paste the link below into your browser and go visit Lisa's blog. Post a comment there and then maybe come back here and let me know you visited Lisa's blog. Okay?

http://lisasamson.typepad.com/blog/2007/08/whats-at-the-ce.html

After reading the entry to her blog, I clicked on one of the books at the top of the page to find out what her fiction writing is like. While I was doing that, one of my sisters called and we chatted for a while. Then I finally was able to head to my friends's house. Late, as usual!

However, if I had left early, I would not have encountered that blog or that entry; I would have missed talking with my sister; and would not have been touched by the profound nature of the insight in that entry.

My own writing, very recently, has dealt with this topic to a large degree. A bumper sticker I saw recently says, "Writers drive and plot. Scared yet?" Well, it is true. I plot as I drive. I finagle plot twists. I dream up new plot twists.

And today, for the hour drive to my friend's house, and for the hour back home, I ran the plot through that insight like drawing thread through wax for quilting -- the wax strengthens the thread, makes it easier to continually pull through all the layers of fabric, and helps keep it from fraying from all that stress put on it as it passes through the layers.

When I go to my friend's house, we talk writing, the stories we are each working on, and we make greeting cards using rubber stamps and whatever other art supplies we have on hand that day. Since I got there later today than anticiapted, we didn't bother with the ink and the cardstock. We trimmed sets of stamps that have been just lanquishing in the boxes they arrived in (up to two years ago!). And the next time we get together, the stamps will be all ready to be used. :-)

It was a very productive day, actually! WOO HOO!