The Writing Moment
He’d completed the second draft of the novel-in-progress. The Light of Memories.
Being done felt good but odd. Another round of editing and revising was needed, he felt. The Light of Memories has a complicated concept and story because he likes complicated. Huge cast of characters. Several betrayals and double crosses. He felt he’d gotten it all right, but another round wouldn’t hurt.
With a little surprise, he saw in his notes that he’d begun writing the novel on March 20, 2022. One year and two days later, here he was, done with the second draft. It feels very satisfying. He’ll see after the next round.
Now he’d go on a break from it. Let it recede from mind so he sees it with fresh eyes. It’d be hard. He’d been with those characters and their stories almost every day for a year. He was going to miss his time with them. Maybe he would start another novel. He had a dozen other concepts in mind. Had even written opening chapters for half of them. More was teeming in his head.
It felt too soon. Maybe tomorrow.
Maybe not. He’d have some coffee and see.
Tomorrow.
The Writing Moment
Excited. Worried. Exhausted. Determined.
He sits and begins — again — editing the final twenty-five pages of the second draft of the novel in progress. The first draft had multiple iterations. This draft has undergone changes and now ‘feels’ better, but he believes another go through, maybe two, will be required.
He has his coffee and is ready to begin again.
Saturday’s Wandering Thought
He and his wife have stacks, piles, and cases of books. Some were bought at garage and yard sales because they look interesting, on deck, waiting to be read. Classics gather dust on shelves. Library books fill the TBR piles on nightstands and desks, along with books recommended by others, gifts, books written by friends, new releases by favorites, debuts which intrigue, and books waiting to be given to others, added to little libraries, or donated to charities. Finally are the books read and enjoyed, kept on hand for surviving the apocalypse.
The Writing Moment
He called it ‘a bad writing day’.
It was challenging and stressful. He didn’t like what he was editing, something he’d written months ago. It seemed good then but the need for deep revisions were obvious.
Disappointed, he struggled through as much as he could and broke it off to save his sanity. In truth, he was relegating the work to his subconscious. The next morning, returning to the manuscript, he understood how to fix that chapter. Coffee was poured. Revising was eagerly resumed.
Michael Seidel, writer 