Writing Out Loud

I don't know about you, but writing for me is a creative endeavor. I'd like to think that I choose the best words for my work and give them even greater life by the way I use them.

Photo by Tony Evans, courtesy of Flickr

But sometimes, I'm quite frankly, stumped.

I'm working on a new book that has been giving me troubles: The title: The Feast. I scrambled for just the right words and direction for months and put the work aside again and again. And then one day I was at lunch with my sisters. I told them about my dilemma, that some words were coming but they didn't seem to be the right ones. I felt like I was forcing some and standing still with others.

The suggestion came. "Why don't you..."

Photo by Moyan Brenn, courtesy of Flickr

Now if I were to tell you what my sisters said, I would be giving away the plot, so just let me say this: I got started on my book just the other day and the story is flowing nicely.

Photo by: Horia Varlan, courtesy of Flickr

Talking about your plot struggles can open the doors to continued writing. There is something about sharing where you're at and allowing others who care about you to fill in the gaps. It's kind of like trying to see the forest through the trees. Sometimes you need some distance and another set of eyes to really get the picture of where your book should be going!

I'm glad I listened.