The Throes of Writing

I am back in book mode. I went to sleep last night thinking about the book and I wake this morning with the writing on my mind. All I want to do is work on the book. Tomorrow is breakfast day with fellow artists and I’m tempted to not go because I want to write. But I have errands that need to be tended to and I can’t put them off.

Yesterday was another afternoon spent on the book. One of my problems is that I keep going back and rereading and re-editing previous chapters. I remember things to add. Annette advised, “Get the book written and go back to do the editing later!” I’m taking (or trying to) her suggestion to heart. My new mantra is “Get the book written.”

The funny thing is, is that’s how I write poetry. When the words are flowing, I don’t stop to edit, I just write. Later I go back and fix it up. Maybe I do need to do this with the book even though it’s a much more massive manuscript. If I keep spending time going back over what was already done, I’ll never get to the end.

I’ve got to stop worrying about what I’m going to do with all the pictures. I took some amazing photos on the trip and very few will be able to go into the book. I had this same dilemma with “Two Cold for Alligators” which was about the 2013 trip. I still have those pictures sitting in limbo. Maybe I could eventually do a picture book of each trip, but for now, I have to concentrate on the writing of the current book.

I’ve managed to work on the project two days in a row. It’s hard to keep straight writing while referring to the daily journal I wrote at the time and photos taken. My thoughts get interrupted by ideas to add to charts or lists I am also making. Questions pop up about how to do this or what other information I could add. I look up sites on the web to add historical facts on places I visited. This isn’t straight forward writing. Other factors are involved.

I am consumed by the desire to get this book written. I worked on it on Nov. 2, but that day was mostly trying to catch up to where I left off. The last day previously I worked on it was April 6. The project had been put aside with the house selling, new house purchase, and the stressful move. Now, I’m in the grip of creativity and I want to stick with it. How can I ever go on another trip if I can’t get this one written up?

And I do want to travel again. I enjoyed it so much! I loved the driving, seeing the entire countryside I travelled through, and being able to go or stay as I pleased. Just thinking about it brings excitement and writing about the journey and viewing the photos taken along the way make me want to do more.

(I just have to figure out how I will afford to.)