This week the days have been bright
and balmy. After a long, hard winter, days like these make it difficult to
focus because I want to be outside basking in the warm April sun when I need to
work. From my writing room window I see the dog walkers passing with their pack
of dogs, and the runners sprinting down the street. For the most part, winter
jackets have been shelved. Runners sport skimpy running gear. This says spring
has sprung, and that winter is finally behind us une fois pour toutes.
To remain focus and on track,
this week I had to go back to basics. I had to keep to a simple grid in order
to move forward. Like I’ve done for the past eighteen years, my days began with
my Morning Pages. Then I’d spend a
couple of hours writing before heading out for a run, followed by my reward
latte at Atlas Espresso Bar. Then there’s lunch and a little more writing
before supper. In the evening, I try to catch up on my reading (at the moment Chaim
Potok’s The Chosen and Jamie Freveletti’s
The Geneva Strategy) and what’s going
on in the world of social media. I go to bed early to rise early, the cycle
beginning all over again in the morning.
My grade ten chemistry teacher,
Mr. McRae, always started and finished each of his lectures with KISS: Keep It
Simple, Stupid. Every time Mr. McRae used the acronym, reminding us that systems
work best when they are kept simple, we’d roll our eyes and snicker. But today,
as a writer, KISS is invaluable advice. Holding to my simple grid, I remain
focused, and my writing progresses one word at a time, one paragraph at a time.
This allows me to bring a writing project, or any creative project, full circle.
This week, remaining faithful to my grid, I finished (yesterday, 15 April 2015)
a from-the-top rewrite of a novella.
The sun is receding, the day is
drawing to a close. Having finished my novella, I’m feeling good about the day
and the days that lie ahead. Going back to basics, setting up and holding to a
simple grid, I’ve finished something. And like I’ve said before, finishing
something shores up my writer’s foundation, and offers reassurance, when doubt
lingers large and heavy, that I am in fact on the right path.
Marcus, much congratulations to you for keeping it simple and stayed disciplined to make it to your finish line. Look forward to getting a copy of your publication. Anita P.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anita. One day at a time is how I take it. Hope you are keeping well!
DeleteMarcus