Shhhhh! Silence, Please!

Writing is a solitary profession.

My hubby, for instance, could not be a writer. He would wither and die. He is a people person, requiring someone to talk to at all times. He thrives on conversation. He surrounds himself with loud television voices or radio stations when he is left alone while I write. He carries on conversations with the cats. When I emerge from my writing cave, he begins reading me columns from the newspaper, telling me what he's just seen on television, or asking me questions about what I'm planning to prepare for dinner. He needs that stimulation.

As a writer, I, too, need the stimulation of other people...but not while I'm writing. I am easily distracted, and when distracted, my thought process is broken. That causes frustration, and when I get back to writing, my mood is not right.

Some writers like to listen to music while they write, choosing mood music for the scenes they are writing. I've tried it, but I wind up humming or singing along. Not a good thing to keep me focused. I do have CDs which are supposed to tap into the creative brain...not sure if they do that, but they create a "white noise" when I'm writing, which is not intrusive, but helps to cover the sound of creaking floor boards and slamming doors.

I create best in a quiet vacuum where I can become a part of the story I'm writing and be the characters. I view the scene in my mind as it unfolds, much like watching a movie. My fingers are typing, but my mind is showing my fingers what to do.

So, dear readers, I'm moving back into my cave. Have a wonderful day and I'll see you along the road of life at a later time. Shhhh! Silence, please.

Over or Under?

Sometimes life just gets in the way. Yesterday, I forgot to blog. No excuses, just plain forgot.

I should have started your day with a smile. Maybe you did smile when you realized there was no Wednesday blog!  Those who follow me know I have three cats who keep me entertained. A few days ago, I uncovered a video for cats, which our cat Sarah, now gone to Rainbow Bridge, used to love. Let me tell you, putting in a video meant to entertain cats is a sure-fire way to keep them in one spot for a long period of time. The only problem is they become television buffs. Templeton now bats at anything on the screen that moves or flashes. The good news is it doesn't keep his attention for long. I thought I'd share these pics I took of Wilbur and Templeton watching their movie.

Aren't they cute? Charlotte didn't discover the movie until yesterday. And, to make them comfortable, I move two kitchen chairs in front of "their" television. I wouldn't dare play it in the family room on the flat screen!

But, now it's Thursday and I usually share a view from my window with you. I can tell you that most of the snow melted and the icicles are gone. But, unfortunately, we are getting snow flurries now. There is a dusting of snow covering the road and the sidewalks...and my car. Ugh.

The poor knock out rose bush outside the window looks so beaten. I sure hope it pulls through this nasty winter. I keep telling myself that in less than two months it will be April. I'm ready for spring. I need to see green and pretty splashes of color.

I'll leave you with one more amusing thing. A lot of writers tell me that they have "dreams" of scenes for their manuscripts. I've never had that kind of thing happen. For me, I just have to sit and get into a different zone and then my characters "talk" to me. So, this morning I was sitting in a quiet room and reading when I suddenly went into this zone. I could visualize my two characters in an already written scene, but they said totally different things than I had written. Their responses were passionate, heated, and very real. I plan to write that scene later today. Where was I sitting, you ask? Um, well, I'll just leave you with a question. Does your toilet paper roll over or under?

Thanks for stopping by!