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Nikolaustag
Dec. 6th, 2006 01:14 pmI live near a new housing development named after a former hospital for infectious diseases that once stood here (sorta like calling the place Plague Park). I can’t imagine why the city couldn’t find a new name for the area, but whatever, it’s not like I’m going to live her forever. The name must be contagious, though. Our house is one continual round of germs. Right now we’re sporting sudden high fevers. Ugh. (The German word for “contagious,” BTW, is “ansteckend,” or “it sticks on,” which I find delightfully appropriate.) Luckily I am now well (for the moment) and have been able to do some writing in between nursing shifts and waves of contagion.
I think I’m returning to my original way of writing, which means bag the whole outline idea, and just write. Things flow a whole lot better that way. I find ideas coming out of my mind as I’m in the physical process of recording the story, and I can also write like a reader—put in interesting details and questions that are as yet unresolved. It serves to hook my interest until I’m sufficiently invested that I can’t NOT finish. I’m kind of excited, because I’m not thinking anymore about my novel that I’m querying right now, and instead have managed to make friends with my new characters. They’re nice people. I’m also excited because I’ve finally found a plot for them. They’ve been in my head along with a setting for some time, waiting for something to set them off. Plus, since I live in that setting, I can take a walk “on set” to get ideas whenever I feel blocked. One of the better ways to avoid writers’ block.
Lastly, I feel I must mention Nikolaustag, or St. Nicholas Day. Someone comes dressed up as Santa to the school and brings little bags of treats for the kids. My daughter got a hollow chocolate wrapped in Santa foil, plus an orange and some peanuts, and the boys got chocolate and nuts. I think the parents are supposed to do something, too—opinions range from filling the kids’ shoes with chocolate (ick—foot-flavored candy) to leaving candy on a plate for the kids to find in the morning. We will probably just scatter chocolate to the populace and hope they don't know any better.
Back to playing Florence Nightingale now...
I think I’m returning to my original way of writing, which means bag the whole outline idea, and just write. Things flow a whole lot better that way. I find ideas coming out of my mind as I’m in the physical process of recording the story, and I can also write like a reader—put in interesting details and questions that are as yet unresolved. It serves to hook my interest until I’m sufficiently invested that I can’t NOT finish. I’m kind of excited, because I’m not thinking anymore about my novel that I’m querying right now, and instead have managed to make friends with my new characters. They’re nice people. I’m also excited because I’ve finally found a plot for them. They’ve been in my head along with a setting for some time, waiting for something to set them off. Plus, since I live in that setting, I can take a walk “on set” to get ideas whenever I feel blocked. One of the better ways to avoid writers’ block.
Lastly, I feel I must mention Nikolaustag, or St. Nicholas Day. Someone comes dressed up as Santa to the school and brings little bags of treats for the kids. My daughter got a hollow chocolate wrapped in Santa foil, plus an orange and some peanuts, and the boys got chocolate and nuts. I think the parents are supposed to do something, too—opinions range from filling the kids’ shoes with chocolate (ick—foot-flavored candy) to leaving candy on a plate for the kids to find in the morning. We will probably just scatter chocolate to the populace and hope they don't know any better.
Back to playing Florence Nightingale now...
