The Beach Fixes Everything

So many things going on right now. Writing is not one of them. At least not one that is coming easily. I’m switching between projects, keeping up with prompts, reading, reading for research purposes, and yet… and yet. I know when I get lost in reading for fun (even if I tell myself that I’m looking at story structure, character arc, etc. etc.) I am avoiding something. So, I’m trying to figure out what exactly I’m avoiding. I’m not under any pressure to finish a project by an externally imposed deadline, I’m not dealing with crap I’d really rather not deal with. So, what’s the problem?

Well, for one thing, I think it’s waiting. Waiting to find out about husband’s job situation. Waiting to see when and where we move. Waiting to see what’s going to happen in the country (that’s a long game for sure). I seem to have put things on hold for no immediately apparent reason. For the last few days I have managed to get in about a thousand words on book #3. That’s good. I created a vague chapter by chapter outline. It’s more of a “what happens in this chapter” kind of thing, but at least it provides a path through to the end of the story.

We went to the beach yesterday and that was wonderful. The beach, any beach, is a happy place for me. I can sit and watch and listen to the waves rolling in for hours. I mentioned to the husband yesterday that as a kid, after we moved to California, I used to tell people that I didn’t think I could ever live away from the ocean. I remember thinking that as long as I could see that endless horizon and the promise of adventure lurking just past it, I would be good and not feel confined.

Now, I live at least an hour and a half to two hours away from any beach. I do live a short walk away from a river, so there’s that. But a river is not a beach and never will be. It’s water, and every now and then there are some small waves lapping at the bank, but let’s face it. That’s small potatoes compared to ocean waves.

So, yesterday felt good. For both of us. So good, that we’re talking about going back and perhaps doing an overnight excursion. I’m all in favor of that. As one of the many refrigerator magnets I’ve picked up over the years says, “The beach fixes all problems.” And for me it does. Sitting on the sand, listening to the waves, watching the water, I’m at peace.

I feel better equipped now to plunge back into my world of Academic Magic. I do know how Book #3 is going to go and how it’s going to end. I just need to keep watching this movie in my head and scribble things down as fast as possible. But the other thing that happened yesterday is I got more ideas for stories. And those are clamoring for me to write them down NOW. I have some notes and I likely will start getting things outlined or at least some sort of storyboarding done.

That whole “don’t stress about things over which you have not control”? Yeah, I need to pay more attention to that. My job right now is to keep writing. And that I will do.

I’m also going to the beach more. I’ll figure out a way. I will.

Photo by me. Rehoboth Beach.