Sometimes I do my best writing… when I’m not actually writing.
It can be a simple thing, like doing the dishes, or mowing the lawn (although here in Texas, I don’t really have any grass). Since I drive back and forth frequently between my corner of Texas and Arizona, I often accomplish a lot on the long desolate stretches of highway (and trust me, it’s pretty damn desolate).
This writing occurs when my mind is free to wander but I’m physically otherwise occupied. The rote nature of the task, coupled with the exertion to get it done, seems to unlock a mental state where I can turn a story over in my head, work out plot lines and dialog, untie narrative knots. I know there’s a science behind it, something to do with endorphins and all of that, but whatever the cause, I’ve discovered that I can get quite a bit done even when I’m not eyeballing a blank page, fingers poised to type.
None of this rumination takes the place of actual “time in chair” (TIC), but it’s an important part of my process.
And speaking of process, the current WIP is nearing the 70k word mark. I’m hoping to have a draft put to bed in March, with revisions through April/May and then off to the agent! A lot of it was formulated half-way to Arizona…
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