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Friday, January 27, 2012

Frankly - It's Not That Interesting

I'm exhausted and frankly, even that isn't all that interesting.  But it's that middle ground of winter and I'm sick of it.  Most especially as this has been a particularly unusual winter.  There aren't many where you can look outside and see no snow on the deck.  Of course all this warm then cold then warm again weather has made the streets rather deadly.  There hasn't been a lot of snow and what there has been should have had Hollywood on speed dial - yes, the fake looking stuff that isn't fake at all.  Let's say my left elbow is getting a workout - wiped out for the second time this month and have the fine art of landing on your elbow and not your head, mastered.  Considering all the patches of ice I've been dancing over on my walks - that's not too bad.  Isn't it?  Shouldn't I be able to shuffle-hop my way over yet another icy, downhill driveway or do the skip-hop recovery on the unexpected rink lying beneath that pretty white fluff of snow cover?  I was beginning to feel like maybe it was just me and I needed more time spent in a yoga tree position but then I saw the dog doing a four-legged dance of his own.

So what else isn't interesting?  Frankly - soggy middles.  Not people, books.  People, not so great either but that's a topic for another post and in mid-winter, a touchy subject for most of us winter clime people.  Nope, what I'm talking about is the literary soggy middle.  The result of a second, third or even what you tentatively called a last draft.  Just because the end was written, once, twice or even three times - doesn't mean the end. 

Seriously, I've never written the end.  Okay, maybe once - the first time round just to see how it looked.  Not that great, it looked better after delete.  The end, spelled out and finalized is about as interesting as a soggy middle.  I'd rather hit the period - one return and save - take a break and on to the next idea.  Or in this case, on to the problem where all the action bogged down.  Action?  Wait, there lies the problem.  There is none.  Not in those middle chapters.  The characters are just hopping from one venue to another seemingly oblivious to any and all around them. 

So it's back to a rewrite, hurl a hurdle or two or even three into that calm little lull my characters were quietly enjoying.  They were quiet about their hiatus - more than likely afraid that if they made any noise I'd be alerted to the situation. So they've enjoyed their reprieve.  But it's time to get their running shoes on and get to work.  You wanted to what?  Enjoy that nice lunch - delete!  Time to what?  Have a conversation about the state of the world - delete?

So while my characters aren't too happy - they'll thank me in the end, when maybe they actually do get a chance to rest, talk and catch up.  Of course they'll have to write their own pages for that, in their own book.

And frankly - in the end - it's going to be a lot more interesting.  Or so I hope.

Meantime, it's time to get out there and walk.  I heard soggy middles are an occupational hazard and I want to head mine off at the pass. 

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

6 comments:

Lisa said...

Ryshia....get walking, despite the snow! Clears the mind and fosters writing! Keep writing - love this post! Lisa McManus Lange

Ryshia Kennie said...

Lisa - I have listened and walked, without wiping out. And you're right it does foster writing. Beware soggy middle!

nat567 said...

Sometimes the middle is the best part, not all middles are uninteresting. Take a look at the middle of a great chocolate, mmm... caramel, or perhaps the middle of a nice pint of beer, it started great and in the middle it is still great in that case the end is the bad part.

Ryshia Kennie said...

You have something nat567 - like a good book - the end is the worst part because you just don't want to leave that world.

farawayeyes said...

Hi Ryshi, nice to meet you. I feel better after stopping here. First that picture of the Great Wall is well, great. Next those pictures of the snow and ice help me to remember that today I worked out in the pool and watched a tropical sunset. Sometimes I'm such an idiot for complaining. I'll be back.

Ryshia Kennie said...

Farawayeyes - glad I could help - although snow/ice versus tropical sunset - I'm not even going to think about that. Thanks for stopping by - love your blog!