Physical and Mental Workouts

Spring is here and although I heard that our temps might drop next week, this week is heavenly with temps in the low 80's. I intend to enjoy every minute!

CARPE DIEM! The sun energizes me and I deal with wanting to play hooky from writing :)

This is the time of year I love best and it's also harder for writing and blogging because the grass needs mowing, the weeds need pulling and the young plants I've nursed inside during the winter months need repotting or planting outside.

I love playing in the dirt, so I have to wake up earlier to get my yard work done before I sit down to write. My garden is calling me! I find gardening extremely rewarding, gratifying and meditative. I'm not sure I love it as much as I love writing, but it's pretty close! I purposely planned my writing space in the dining room so that I have a view of my front garden which is what I've shared with you here. I'm inspired and soothed with the beautiful views of my garden which in turn, motivate me to keep my butt in my writing chair.

I'm not a gym rat by any stretch of the imagination and I need to lose the weight I usually put on in the winter months, so instead, I work in my yard and tend my gardens -- that's my workout and I love it. Writing and blogging are my mental workouts!

I returned from visiting my father and his wife in Florida to find that the grass had grown three inches, so it's time to mow. I also have to prune the ancient grapevines that should have been pruned in March. I kinda missed that and hope it's not too late now. After I finish writing this blog post, it'll be time to make coffee and mosey outside to brush the cobwebs off the lawn mower and find my pruning shears. I'll check on the growth of the perennials I planted last year along the front fence and have already started thinking of extending the front garden along the side fence. Some plants may need a new location in my garden and weeding is a constant. I'm sure my outdoor table will need a little face lift in the coming weeks and the wicker pieces will need more white paint. There's never a dull moment in a garden and patio, but the rewards are great. The rewards of writing are just as great; I can't imagine doing anything else.

In Spring, I must adhere to a more structured writing schedule because of the demands of maintaining a beautiful, thriving garden which is a pleasure, not a chore to me. Careful editing, pruning, weeding, and rewrites are necessary for a beautiful book. Hard work, perseverance and patience are required by both.

It's also a busy time with the river season opening up. I spend weekends at my river place and as you might guess, I also write and garden out there. I maintain two gardens in spring and summer. I garden early in the morning while it's still cool, I write during the day and enjoy river life in the evenings.

It's great to have such a portable job :) I hope your morning is as beautiful where you are.

Peace and love,
Ellie

On Outlines and Planning Your Novel

I photographed this leaning royal palm while on vacation in St. Lucia. It got my attention. I don't know why the tree leans to the right, it just does and it has grown into a beauty. Perhaps heavy winds of a tropical storm or hurricane caused it to lean or maybe the tree to the left shaded it and the palm like a flower, kept searching for more light. Maybe it was always meant to lean, who knows! But for whatever reason, to me it's still a majestic royal palm with a quirky, interesting side. It wouldn't have gotten my attention any other way.

As a new writer, I made quite a few mistakes with my first novel, A Decent Woman, but I was enthusiastic! All I knew was that I loved to write and I kept at the business of telling my story. Ignorance was indeed bliss with me. I didn't compare myself to anyone and I didn't try to emulate other writers. As a matter of fact, during the year that I wrote the first draft, I didn't read novels about Puerto Rico so that I wouldn't be swayed by other writers. I wanted to see what I could come up with on my own, realizing that nothing is really original in this world and also realizing that five writers could write about the same town and come up with five distinct and original story lines. But I'm a little stubborn and love a challenge. So, that was my plan - just write.

I wrote the first draft without worrying about specifics. Some writers plan out every single detail with outlines, charts, plans and index cards, but I didn't. I had an outline and knew where I'd wanted to begin and end, but the middle was pretty much organic. Both methods work well in my humble opinion.

I thoroughly enjoyed writing my first novel and afterward, I began reading novels about Puerto Rico again and started reading books on the craft of writing. I did, however, do research along the way. When the first draft was finished, the editing began. I rewrote, strengthened the story and my characters and the direction and side roads that my characters chose became clearer. I learned a lot and tried out many different approaches in trying to better my craft and my novel, but being held to a rigid outline in the beginning wouldn't have worked for me. I'm a flexible, spontaneous person by nature and it shows in how I write books.

When it comes down to writing my second novel...I'm sticking to writing without a detailed outline, it works for me. I want my writing to be fluid, organic and I love the discovery along the way. To do otherwise would discombobulate me! I paint the same way - I don't have a plan in mind. I might have a theme or might have a series in mind, but that's about it. I just paint and see what comes about.

There is no wrong or right way to write a book, go for it. Just write. Write your story. Do what works best for you.

I'm following the same path with my second novel, Finding Gracia on the Path, a novel about a woman who finds herself along El Camino de Santiago in France and Spain. I kept detailed journals during our two week walk, I took dozens of photographs, and I have personal accounts of pilgrims I met along the way. I walked the medieval pilgrimage path with my children right after my husband left our family home. Talk about combat enlightenment! You know, that wouldn't be a bad title, either!

I'm getting it down in West Virginia...my way.

Happy Easter to you!
Ellie