Even though I outline my novels before I sit down to write them, sometimes I can not see exactly how my\u00a0book will take me from one plot point to the next. I know the facts of the novel, the events of what will be taking place between the covers of my book, but\u00a0while writing\u00a0the first draft, I often stand on the deck of my proverbial ship, and see nothing but waves. No light, no land, no clue as to how to make it to the next island.<\/p>\n
That is where Eleanor comes in.<\/p>\n
She always knows the next step. I have to\u00a0trust that she knows her own life and thoughts well enough to be able to convey them to me. I listen, and I wait, and she always has an answer for me, one I never would have been able to come up with on my own, no matter how many books about her I read, or how long I strain my brain to come up with a clever solution to a thorny plotting problem. The character of Eleanor needs no clever solutions. She needs no magic wand. She is the magic wand, I suppose. Her intelligence and insight alway lead me to the next step.<\/p>\n
Of course, I have to do the writing myself, and that requires hard work, staying in the chair even when I want to flee for a scone and a cup of tea. I have learned to trust Eleanor, and myself, as I slowly piece together all the beautiful fragments of her life. Like an archaeologist rebuilding a long buried, broken vase, I piece together the beautiful bits of Eleanor’s life, and bind them so that the cracks can not be seen, so that\u00a0the story\u00a0is whole again.<\/p>\n
The more I trust the Muse,\u00a0the faster and better the words flow. It is a sacred trust, and one that I am grateful for.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Even though I outline my novels before I sit down to write them, sometimes I can not see exactly how my\u00a0book will take me from one plot point to the next. I know the facts of the novel, the events of what will be taking place between the covers of my book, but\u00a0while writing\u00a0the first …<\/p>\n