While the A-Z goes on around me, I’m sticking to my own
quest to write 5K per week on my newest project. I’ve completed almost 13K since the first of April, which
puts me ahead of my goal, although I won’t deny it’s been a struggle, since it requires
research that steals from the writing time, as does the normal push-pull of day-to-day. Last week I had to travel out of town unexpectedly,
and since the battery is cooked on my laptop, I went 24 hours with no writing, which
meant playing catch up on the weekend.
Then there is this. The trip out of town, personal in
nature, touched me in unexpected ways so when I’d finished my thousand words on
Friday, I wrote a blog post on the subject.
Once I’d shaped it and tweaked it, I was set to press “Publish” on
Middle Passages, until during what was to be my final read it occurred to me
the topic was current and universal enough that my essay may be marketable. That meant more time on edits
to make sure it came in just under 650 words, before I sent it off to a local publication. I was left with hope, a few less words toward
my April goal and no Monday blog post.
Sometimes, writing can be like any other hard work, a
challenge, drudgery and frustrating in its failure to flow. Even on a day I feel that way, I have to
acknowledge this. Massachusetts is one
of the only states to celebrate the Patriot’s Day holiday. I have the day off from work. There are plenty of things I could and probably should be doing. But still, I choose to write.
