A man walked into a bar. “Writing a novel is easy, right?” he asked. “I have this story I want to write. Tell me where to start?” Okay, maybe it wasn’t a bar, but a table at a book fair. I gave him the advice I heard from someone once. “The beginning is easy. What comes next is hard,” I said. “Huh,” he said. “First, you need to get a license. Do you have one?” “I had no idea,” he said. “Where do I get one.” “The Department of Creative Writing,” I told him. “Each state capital has one, or province if you live in Canada. You have to pass a test. The written part is the hardest,” I added. “I had no idea,” he said again, starting to sound repetitious. I’m sure he didn’t get my joke about the written part. OK, the conversation didn’t go exactly like that. Still, we’ve all had one close to that. We’ve been asked where we get our ideas. Is it hard? How long does it take to write a novel? I did have a woman tell me she would like to write but didn’t have an imagination. I would be…
A PERFECT PLACE FOR WRITING
I sometimes wonder, do most writers have a favorite place to write? A time? Should a writing place be free of distractions, soft music playing in the background? 6 am is the sweet time for me. The sun is trying to make an appearance. It’s quiet and soft sounds of jazz make the mood complete. Sitting at my desk, I have the perfect setting to enjoy my coffee while engaging in all the delaying tactics I can think of. Sharpen pencils, check. Although I haven’t used sharpened pencils in years, if not decades. And I just have to dust and clean the desk. Organize files, check. Hah, like that will ever happen. The list of delaying tactics can get quite lengthy. I doubt if there’s a perfect time or place for writing. Just saying. If the words are coming it doesn’t matter the time or place. Computer, typewrite or pencil to paper, it’s magic when the character(s) come to life. Sometimes it helps to change, to get out of my comfort zone. That’s what I decided to do for July and August. Off to Jetty Park campground in Port Canaveral. I can write in an RV just as well as…