Refilled

I have been on break from my book these past two weeks. When I finished up Chapter 12, it just felt like I was empty. It felt like a natural place to stop and come up for air. Take a look around me and get back to my life. Clean the house and do more with the kids. Watch some movies, read some books, and fill up again.

Not only is it good to take a break once in a while, it is good to step back from the writing and look at it later, with fresher eyes. This way I can tell if what I have written is good, or if it needs more work. It's also kind of fun to read it later on when it's not so recent in my memory. I forget little things that I put in there, and it's fun to rediscover them.

I know what needs to happen next but I wasn't sure exactly how to go about it. Today I was working one-on-one with a student on his research paper and he was trying to avoid work by telling me stories that may or may not be true. It suddenly came to me what I needed to do, and I had to stop working, get my notebook, and write it all down. "What are you doing?" he said. "What are you writing? Let me see..."

When I told him, he said, "Are you gonna put me in your book?"

"Sure," I said. "I could have a character who is really tall, with red hair, glasses, and huge hands."

He hates it when I pick on him. But, Jesus, his hands are huge. Besides, he doesn't hold back when pointing out my flaws.

I think my break may be over.