I wait until there’s silence. Everyone else sound asleep. The hum of the heater and the quiet cadence of the dog’s snoring summon my muse. Just me. Alone with my thoughts and the blank page. It’s taken me almost 100,000 words to realize that this is when I create effectively. I need these moments of solitude to release the words that have piled up in my head all day. While filling a sippy cup or making a sandwich, a bit of dialog trickles in. Cleaning up a mess allows a future scene to arrive … a goal for me to write toward, an idea I hadn’t thought to include before …
I write because it is my gift. These words are meant to be wrangled.
I’ve tried to avoid it. Let’s be real, it’s far easier to chase status updates and scroll mindlessly through trending bits of data then it is to scratch out three hundred, five hundred or even a thousand words.
But if I don’t write, the scene still plays on. Like a muted film, begging for an audience. Then the laundry piles up and the fridge becomes barren. So I meet the needs of my real life people, while quietly longing for that glorious silence in which I can write once more.
I’m linking up with Lisa Jo Baker and the wonderful community of writers who gather every Friday to write for five minutes. Today’s prompt is ‘write’. Will you join us? Details available here.
Oh, those status updates! Draining away the life and inspiration that *could* become a thousand words, and wasting them in 140 character increments…
Your words convicted me – thank you!
Joining you from Five Minute Friday — Sarah Jo
Sarah, I’m feeling quite convicted myself. And I wrote this post. 😉 Thanks for stopping by. Here’s to more writing the stories that matter.
I cannot wrangle a horse – but wrangle words? ideas? love to do that! I’m learning the story, though, is in the laundry, in the cups piled high in the kitchen – and stinky shoes the boys take off – without the daily there’s no story.
Absolute truth, right there. Those wearers of stinky shoes make the best stories, right? Keep on wrangling those words … and those boys, too. Thanks for stopping by.
This is beautiful, Heidi! “These words are meant to be wrangled.” I love that sentence.
Thank you so much, Emily! I love the imagery of a writer as a wrangler of words. Blessings to you and yours this fine Friday.
Oh girl I am so glad you write, it is your gift and I am always blessed by your words.
Heidi,
I so identify with you. I write in the quiet of night too. I am writing now at 10:30 just thinking over your words that you typed. I find myself throughout the day with words swirling in my head too just waiting to the quiet of night to put them down. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, Mary. So glad to find a kindred spirit. Thank you for connecting with me and leaving a comment. Blessings!