Saturday 25 April 2009

Headache, in Pig Latin

sunny, hot!!! temps 28

this would be considered a hot day at any time of the year! Wonderful, gorgeous, blessed day! Just back from the village - groceries and a few things - everyone smiling!

Day started off not so good. A woke with a headache...one I recognized...stress. And I can even fine-tune it. Book stress. Something wasn't right with the manuscript. As the morning wore on the headache worsened, but I kept hoping it was something else, something trivial. Like a brian tumor, or a stroke. But no such luck. I knew it was because I was unhappy with yesterday's writing.

I went back to it, read the chapter before and while I did some minor fiddling, I actually really liked the chapter. Then I started on yesterdays...the first part was fine...then I hit it.

It's immediately obvious. The writing is fine, all good words...but not perhaps in the right order. It's funny how clear it is when it doesn't work. Not that i start writing in Pig Latin, though that would make the bad writing more obvious...but it just doesn't "work".

But I didn't know what would work. So I fiddled and messed and played around...and suddenly wrote a sentence that took me off in the right direction.

Again, it's funny how clear it is when it's right!

Phew.

A huge relief. I ended up taking 500 words out and re-writing the whole thing, but now I really like it. It serves all the purposes it needs to serve. Character development, richness of setting, and advances the plot. Yay.

Lovely day.

and, happy birthday, Anny!!!! A day late, but there you have it...

6 comments:

Cornflower said...

I love to hear how writers work! So glad you've managed to sort things out.

Lesa said...

Lovely day here as well, when I know your writing is going well on another Armand Gamache book.

Congratulations on the nomination for the Arthur Ellis award, Louise! I'm always rooting for you.

Hugs,
Lesa

http://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com

Louise Penny Author said...

Dear Cornflower,

What a great moniker. Lovely. Can't begin to describe how awful it can feel, when the writing isn't good - and how great it feels when it does. Long sigh.

Louise Penny Author said...

Hi Lisa,

You are just the best! Thank you. You've been having hot temps, right? I always think of you when I see the weather in Phoenix.

Thanks too for rooting!

Jo B. said...

It must be hot all over if it is warm way up where you live...having 90's in Georgia. We are not used to that this early in Spring. Nice to hear you got the writing untangled!!

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