I have been working on a novel since August titled "Marion" about an elderly woman and the extent to which she can make her own decisions about her life. It has been slow-going, but I have been enjoying the project. Still, I've got a problem.
Every once in a while, an idea hits you like a rogue wave and you have to go with it. I've had an idea for a new novel and the pieces are falling together in my head faster than I can jot them down on my legal pads. While I type even the first drafts of manuscripts, I scribble out the initial ideas on yellow legal pads with my black Paperchase pencils. Incidentally, these pencils can be tough to find- black eraser, black tip, black paint, black eraser holder...even the sharpened space between the paint the lead is black.
So, I have this new idea. I have a lot of other work to do today, but I will likely spend a good part of my day, pencils in hand, surrounded by legal pads, laptop with 10 tabs open, and I Googling random threads as I seize them, seeing if this new project idea actually has legs enough to get running. And I'm really happy to not have to diagram the previous sentence.
First, I think I'll go for a short walk.
I'm glad someone else has a special connection to pencils. I just bought a box of the discontinued Black Warrior line for an extraordinary price - and a 1950's Swingline Cub (it is Maroon). A unique environment is fertile brain soil. If the tab technique does not inspire you, go out for dinner at the Friendly Toast and people watch through the eyes of an elderly woman...
ReplyDeleteI have to leave the elderly woman book behind for a while, but if you check your work email, Jason, you'll get some idea of where the new novel is headed... haha
ReplyDelete