The Writing Moment
I finished my writing session yesterday and headed off to shop with my wife.
Well, that’s the story. In truth, I continued writing in my head. I’d been editing the novel in progress. After finishing for the day, my mind stayed on tht treadmill. Sentences to add came to me as I studied cat food offerings, strolled along bulk offerings, selected green onions.
I made mental notes to myself. Remember this and that. Would it hold?
Settling in today, I remembered that I’d continue writing in my head. Were they still there?
Yes, they all returned. I pressed into the manuscript to make the changes. Even as I did, I reflected, would I really know if I remembered them all, or is that just another trick of mind?
That’s how writing often seems to be to me: a trick of the mind.
The Writing Moment
As I wrote and edited my novel-in-progress, or NIP, this week, a realization struck. I like to practice a ‘stream-of-consciousness’ style of plotting. And I like incorporating details about people and their lives, settings, and events.
My novel ends up with an unusual personality as I cater to those preferences. Starts as science fiction on a starship with a dragon in another dimension. Shifts to ‘literature’ and relationships between family members. Swings to sword and magic low fantasy. Then back to science fiction. All with threads of mystery, genetic engineering, time shifts, and sometimes thrillers.
I enjoy such mash-ups. Fun to read, great fun to write.
Michael Seidel, writer 