Writing Saga # 35 / Diary Extract for Thursday, 11th December, 2014

Much has been happening lately, so I’m reassessing where I am at with my new writing projects …I find reducing my ‘writing-work-thoughts’ down to a list helps me to sort myself out! J Here’s my list:

1)      PROJECT ONE:  I’m currently working on the "book about books,” A BOOK IS LIKE A SACRED ISLE; A Rain of Booklight. I have nearly finished the poetry section of this book: Parts 1 & 2, and I am just beginning Part 3; the prose section: anecdotes of personal thoughts on the vast subject of "books." So far I have written four anecdotes:  (1.) Compassion; (2.) Tortoise & Hare Reading (3.) Winnie the Pooh at Sea! And (4.) A String of Red Beads (which is an extract from my book, THE LIGHT TREE JOURNAL.)  Today I have made a tentative list of twenty-five titles of proposed anecdotes for this section of the book. I look forward to writing these; and at the rate of one per day, hopefully; interspersed with other writing projects, perhaps. I enjoy the brief bursts of creativity in short piece writing work; and the sense of accomplishing a thing complete in itself is rewarding, too. 

2)      PROJECT TWO:  I am also currently working on the next “cameo” of the novel STORYCHASER; Sketchbook of Solitude; I have written it, but not posted it here yet; I feel I have more editing work to do on it first. This is a work being written entirely by faith; i.e. not really knowing what I am going to write before I write it. It is a very exciting form of writing; and one I am used to. I find I can truly flow in it. But it does require great self discipline: I have to overcome ‘the initial niggle’ that I can’t do it; but that, soon disappears as I set my fingers over the keys and just write what comes without thinking too hard. I actually spent most of 2012 and 2013 writing this way; and completed a kind of spiritual memoir titled: THE LIGHT TREE JOURNAL; a Twelve Month Story-Journal; Portrait of a Lost Star.

3)      PROJECT THREE:  I have recently had someone inquiring about my sailing adventures…my five year stint afloat…having no home other than a succession of three small yachts…suggesting that I should write more on this; and very kindly encouraging me to do so.  I have only written briefly on this period of my life, mainly in THE SHIPWRECK STORY; a single chapter extract from DAWNING… my autobiography. So I spent a little time the other day, making notes…starting a list of all the things I can remember of this highly adventurous but often traumatic time, with a view to writing it up in a form suitable for serializing in a magazine. At the moment I don’t really want to think of turning it into a full length book…too many other projects!! J