Getting lost...

Today’s quote on my perpetual calendar said, “Getting lost at times reveals itself to be a blessing, not a curse, prompting a search for a better route.” That quote really hit home with me, since I deleted twenty pages from my current WIP.

I began think about the quote and how it relates to so many aspects of my life. How many times have you taken a detour off a major highway and found yourself on a strange road with no signs to direct you? It has happened to me. My first reaction is fear. The old song about a man who gets on a bus that never returns and his fate is unknown runs through my head. Once I took an incorrect turn and wound up on a two lane country road that went through several “blink once and you miss them” towns. But the scenery was gorgeous. I knew I was heading in the correct direction, so I decided to just enjoy the view and the relief from battling traffic. It had been a rough day, getting up before dawn and traveling three hours to a meeting, then having to face the long ride home. By the time I reached a familiar road again, I had relaxed and no longer white-knuckled the steering wheel. Traffic had died down and the remainder of my journey passed quickly.

In my writing life, I’ve found myself lost and unsure what the next scene should be. Usually it means exactly what I’ve done today. I’ve taken the wrong path, instead of allowing my characters to lead me through their story. It’s painful to lose hours of words, but the blessing is always in the rewrite.

So, the next time you are “lost” on your journey, no matter what that might be, look for the blessings you find in the new route.

Thanks for stopping by.