embrace

I wrote for four days straight over Easter. I actually started with fervour at 5am on the Thursday morning a full day before Good Friday so was effectively running at full steam when I sat down to begin on Friday morning.

Thursday morning was the moment in the drafting process when I woke up with the final scene of the book racing around my head. It took me all of two hours to get it typed up (bar for some editing I did over lunch), I could not have spewed it out any quicker.

This happens to me with every book I draft. I am still about a dozen scenes from the actual end but the way I want to finish the story emerges before I get there. The evolving plot is reaching a crescendo and I want it to end as much as I enjoy drafting the story. Home stretch.

Oddly, I find the writing easiest at this point. I have passed the 100,000 word point and am still excited by how the characters will reach their fate. They are so close to it now. They were on a collision course towards it the moment I started writing this story and their journey, my drafting, has taken them through many forks in the road.

I wrote so much over Easter, I aggravated a rotator cuff shoulder injury through repetitive strain. Turns out my personal trainer is not the one who makes my muscles ache. Who would have guessed.

I did not think it was possible but I my Easter writing frenzy productive efforts continued into this weekend. Two straight weeks. I was meant to be at a hen's night, a burlesque gaggle. I really wanted to go but was infectious with a throat infection and had to hole up at home instead. Hated missing the opportunity to show off some of my finest red corsetry. Trapped at home, grumpy and hoarse, turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I powered on through chapter 9 and into chapter 10, though I needed manuka honey, Aspro Clear, cough medicine and anti-bacterial throat lozenges to keep me dancing.

I even have had enough time to listen to the beautifully haunting song by Oliver Tank called Embrace on high rotation. Sometimes the same words spoken over and over can be inspiring - "you're in my dreams, the one where we're always torn apart at the seams, and i don't want to be, wearing my heart on its sleave". Do yourself a favour.

With a ten day break from the day job coming up to finish my April, I will be within sight of the finishing line of the first draft of book number four. I am streaks ahead of schedule.