A book like a biennial
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| Glorious Sweet Williams (and a bonus ladybird to boot!) |
Yesterday I finished the final read-through of The Possibility of What If, the first novel in my series entitled That Which Can Be Remembered. There's plenty to do before I release that initial part of the series and today I didn't manage anything related to writing. There were errands to run, groceries to purchase, laundry to wash.... Being a writer takes a fair amount of my time, but not all of it. Yet as I came inside this evening, having given my pumpkins one last inspection of the day, a sight stopped me, demanding my camera. A ladybird was perched on one of the few Sweet Williams not munched, bringing my attention to how my latest story came to be....
Some of my novels were instantaneous, but this series began in fits and starts two years ago this month. I can't recall how the characters wormed their ways into my brain, but trying to write during a pandemic was difficult, and ultimately I gave up before summer's end. Another plot kept me busy in autumn, but again I abandoned it, wondering if The Hawk would be my last completed work. However in January of 2021, I found myself needing something to do while waiting for the vaccine, so I picked up where I'd left off the previous summer, then suddenly found my authorial footing, which in itself was a major relief. Another year passed before I wrote THE END, but I never worried about hitting that milestone. And now it's about time to publish it, as though it was as simple as scattering seeds in the ground, waiting for them to sprout.
But not all plants are easy; my beloved Sweet Williams are their own saga, especially the few I have this year due to hungry deer, sigh. The ones above are planted where critters rarely roam, and that four different colours are represented is a blessing I don't ignore. Their origins were humble; a seed packet sent by a realtor wanting to represent us, although at the time we had no plans to sell. I tossed the missive but kept the seeds, scattering them in a sunny space in our small back yard. They came up quickly, then didn't do much of anything. In my ignorance, I had no idea they were biennials, but once I realized patience was required, I stopped examining them, wondering how they would do the following year.
They didn't disappoint, blooming spectacularly in late spring of 2021. A variety of shades made me fall in love with their long-stemmed beauty, great for cut flowers as well as admiring them in the garden. I saved their seeds, then we moved and I planted them in various places, not thinking the deer would bother them. Oh I was so wrong! But to my surprise in one spot four different hues are thriving, and I'll collect those seeds, planting them in that same area. My latest series is so similar, taking forever to get going but giving me great pleasure. And the ladybird is a cherry on top, much like how after all that writing, giving up, more writing, then editing now I have a book to release. Or three books, but let's take one at a time.
No matter what else comes my way, I find myself back at my computer, allowing characters, plots, scenes and sometimes great sentences onto virtual pages. I've been writing fiction for over fifteen years, having wished for that occupation even longer. The words aren't as plentiful as previously, but what matters is they still emerge, like my few Sweet Williams, making the process even more meaningful. How this series will blossom remains to be seen; it could be like giving a bouquet of gorgeous flowers. Or maybe like sending out random seed packets, assuming few, if any, responses. Either way, I'm grateful to still be spinning yarns, another couple of ideas already clamoring to be freed, lol!
