In the middle of moving from the cabin-in-the-woods to the-house-in-the-town I had to take one of my dogs on her final journey. I still haven’t completed the move, but we’re getting there. So, probably no surprise that I’m reflecting on the effects of stress on creativity.
One of the things writing has taught me is the importance of accepting something is OK and moving on with it. I am the world’s worst decision-maker. Give me a simple choice between two items and I will call a friend, look it up online, ask the audience, anything rather than decide, because a decision might be the wrong one… I’m working on it.
Writing mysteries requires a lot of decisions. I’m a pantser, aka a discovery writer, which means I have only a vague idea about what the story is. I make a lot of notes and then just begin at the beginning. Inevitably I write myself into a corner every few thousand words. So, who did kill x? Why the h… would he go there? Surely they would just have rung up? I find that the best way to solve these problems is to write them down, do something else and wait. The answer often appears. If it doesn’t I scribble every possible solution until I get the right one and then I carry on until the next problem.
That’s the creative process. I try to transfer the same techniques to real life, but what about the other way round? Turns out the lesson is the same: wait.
So, I didn’t write for a few days. I sat in my new house and watched the rain. Took the other dog for lots of little walks and in the fullness of time, the urge to carry on with my story came back. The house move will get done. Jelly-dog and I will get used to not having Hetty around and the story will get written.
Apologies for the miserable post. Normal service will return soon.
Thank you for such a seemingly frank and open look at yourself and your process. To lose a furbaby alone is devastating and that lingers so deeply, then to move as well…”shudder”. Bless you for plowing foward and sharing your process. Moving is so rending, for me it feels like not home for years!
I have enjoyed discovering your books and look forward to reading them all….Daniel and Mal are so special to me, I am looking forward to so much more suspense and pleasure…miss Daniel full time copper though!
I’m working on a new Daniel right now!
Hi Ms H
I just wanted to say that whatever your creative indecisiveness, it doesn’t come across in the finished product at all. (Libran here, so I can judge!)
I alternate “worthy” reads with (usually) MM gay fiction, all the better if it has a thriller/mystery core. There is such a lot of MM junk out there, it has been a real delight to read “Murder in shades of blue and green”, to the extent that I didn’t feel the need to read a worthy book in between it and the next in the sequence. This is a complicated way of saying how much I enjoyed your book, your style of writing and characters. Brava, and thanks.
Patrick
Thanks!