Okay, so, I woke up…and I literally could not remember what season it was. Not even kidding here. For no less than a full minute – maybe two, my time estimating skills aren’t so good in the morning – I laid there thinking, “Dude, is it spring? It can’t be summer ’cause I’m wearing my fleecy pajama pants.”
Now, lest you start worrying that I’m walking around in a tank top and shorts in 40-degree weather, I did – eventually – remember that it’s autumn.
But after I figured that out, I had to lay in bed a bit longer and wonder how in the world I could wake up so confused. I mean, we’ve all had those days when we wake up not so sure what day it is. But what season?
It dawned on me pretty quick, though. I’ve been in a writing frenzy this past week. Took an entire week off solely to write, write, write. And it’s been awesome! Well, the book I’m working on – scene one of which took shape during the totally stellar (yeah, slipped into teenage speak for a moment) premiere Storycrafter’s Retreat with Susan May Warren – takes place in spring. And the season is very evident throughout the book as farmers are planting, green is busting out all over (like June in Carousel) and new life takes shape.
And I realized that it’s because I’ve delved so deeply into this story – nine hours a day of writing, the unions should be coming after me! – that I woke up so confused about the time of year. And I took it as a good sign. Though, I did do a little mental eval – my name is Melissa (not Georgia), I’m 28 (not 33), I live in Iowa (not Chicago) and I’ve (not yet) met a man as cool as the fictional Case Matthews. Oh, and I’m not on the brink of losing my job like my main character. (That is, if I can pull myself out of my storyworld on Monday morning, dress appropriately for the current season and assimilate back into normal life…)
Anyway, if a little writer’s confusion over real world v. storyworld is the result of a week’s worth of intense writing, I’ll take it.
Oh, and that Storycrafter’s Retreat I mentioned…one of the best writing-related experiences of my life. I learned so much and met a group of wonderful women (long live The Ponderers!). If you’re even slightly interested in writing fiction, I definitely suggest checking out Susan May Warren’s My Book Therapy resources and retreats.
Our lovely group of ponderers, minus Lisa who had to leave early. Florida, here we come!
