Writing and Garden Planning

[blairmacg]

After an initial burst of happy creativity that resulted in a twenty-page outline, covering only the first third or so of INDY, the flow stopped.  That's fine, for now, because writing that outline answered more than a few nagging questions, and found the depth beneath the opening ideas.  And I know the climactic scenes, where the pieces land after the fall, and even the final few lines.  The bad guy is still something of a mystery--not unusual for me.  I used to believe I knew what motivated my bad guys from the moment I thought them up.  Not so.

  My brain has also been busy with other things.  Forex, I have a stack of reading to do for other writers, and I'm enjoying it immensely.  It's delightful to know so many creative people, and have the opportunity to read what their minds construct.

But I'm working on my non-fiction writing projects, mostly, as a trial run with ebook publishing.  I have dozens of articles I've written for newsletters and newspapers.  I have PowerPoints and lecture notes for nearly twenty workshops.  There is no reason those pieces cannot be configured and developed into salable products.  If nothing else, it'll get me over the learning curve with the whole process, and I'm beginning to see that skill set as an essential component of my writerly tool chest.

In other news, the urge to garden has arrived early, prompted by the mild winter.  Romanesco broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, garlic, cucumbers, lettuce, peas, beans, peppers, okra, tomatoes, purple potatoes, squash, spinach, radishes, melons, basil, chamomile, sage, lavender, oregano...maybe stevia...  I think that's it.  Since I didn't garden last summer, and gave away most of my saved seeds, I'll be needing to purchase all but the beans and the okra seed. 

Alas, the garden plans may be overly ambitious since I'll be working with a brand-new plot that likely won't get tilled until the second week of March.

Comments

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

Will your subconscious continue to work on the project? Or will you sit down and work out the details when you're ready? (I love to hear how other writers work.)

Are you beta reading short stories? Or novels? Like you, I love to read for other writers. (And, I'm enjoying your novel, BTW. I'm about 1/2 through now.)

Ooooh, what awesome garden plans. Will you post pictures? Okra. I wonder if I can get okra seeds out here and if it will grow on my balcony. I cannot get okra in the stores. (I grew up back east and love okra.)

[blairmacg.livejournal.com]

Usually it'll either work itself out in the background of my thoughts, or I'll hear/overhear something that triggers a solution. On the other hand, this is the first time I've written something driven so much by its setting. If I get really, really stuck, I'll just take a drive to one of the locations and wander around, see what strikes me. The stopping point I hit in the outline is where I've always had the placeholder "Then something happens that leads them to X." :-)

I'm beta reading two novels right now, totally different from each other, while also reading Harry Connolley's Twenty Palaces prequel. I'm loving all three. (And mightily jazzed you're enjoying mine!!)

For okra, I'm not sure how well it would do in limited space. Even the dwarf varieties can grow to about four feet tall, I think. They are beautiful plants with flowers a bit like hibiscus.

I will post pictures, though my gardens tend to look extremely messy. I don't like bare earth (bad erosion, mostly), so I plant things close and let grass/clover grow where it wills. Weeding is done only when the weeds are ready to go to seed.

[blackhanddpants.livejournal.com]

Blair, If I may ask a totally off-topic question: what, once more, is the supplement you give to dogs that prevents ear problems?

Thx!

Jen

[blairmacg.livejournal.com]

Hey! It's good to see you! I've gotta get my act together enough to post at sff.net, too. Duh.

Anyway, it's a silver solution similar to colloidal silver. If you wouldn't mind, drop me an email with your address and I'll send you some. There's a ton of crappy, unsafe silver products out there. I'd rather you get something that's both safe and effective.