The Journey – Stepping Back
Sometimes the best thing a writer can do is go back to the beginning of the story building process and a fresh look at the things that made the story appealing in the first place.
All the way back.
A long Fourth of July weekend and unexpected personal matters threw writing into a bit of a tangle at the beginning of July. I was left wondering why I was writing this story and why I was writing at all. Those of you who have been writing for any length of time know what I’m talking about. A crisis of confidence made worse by the sudden appearance of family health concerns.
The health concerns are past, Praise the LORD, and the crisis of confidence seems to be, as well. But the latter required I spend one day reviewing my writing journal for the year in a search for reasons not to abandon this story.
That search for reassurance led to a decision to set writing aside and focus on honing my skills at crafting the best story possible. That involved enrolling in a bit of self-directed ‘home schooling’ featuring James Scott Bell’s book, Plot & Structure. I talked about that in more detail in Back to School and Other Miscellany, so I won’t travel that road again.
Suffice it to say that creative writing for the last half of July and for the next few weeks is focused on expanding my knowledge of and skill in writing.
In other words, homework!
Fortunately, I always did like school, the routines of classes, and the challenge of learning new things. Here’s to a successful summer school session.
Q4U: What is your favorite book on writing?
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