One of my shortest scenes involves a magical character speaking with a second character who doesn’t know she has the capacity for magic. And I had to laugh.

A: Are you telling me you’ve never learned to walk through walls?

B (angry): No. I have it on my list right after learning to fly, so haven’t been able to get to it yet.

A: You are too rigid, child. You need to work out of order.

~ ~ ~

A week ago I made a list of the scenes I needed to round out the storyline for this longer version of the story.

Then, as I mentioned somewhere on-line, I cut two of those scenes before I ever wrote them.  I hacked away at the next one in line, and made a character-history discovery that was very meaningful.

From that discovery two nights ago– along with the timing I gathered from the map-making last night– I was able to discover motivation and reaction for one of the cut scenes and actually got it written tonight– over 1300 words.

I returned because I recognized my initial “math” was correct and I needed those scenes.

It was Tanith’s voice in my head when I realized I’d finished that “impossible” scene.  You’re too rigid, child.  You need to work out of order.” And now I have a new de-blocking technique when working with new material.

Much of my writing is adaptation and expansion.  Untangling, if you will.

When it comes down to creating utterly knew stuff out of me, I find myself freezing up.  This expansion is good for me (along with all the other things, like organization, it’s teaching me) because it’s giving me a section of the book that is founded on nothing but my own imagination.  And I need the exercise.

~ ~ ~

I’ve read enough accounts from “established” authors to know writing never gets “easy.”

Though I have to dispute this on some level: there are definitely times when this is easy– or I’d never have gotten started.  I’m not so dedicated and “believing in myself” or my story that I’d do this out of grit.

But even knowing that, anybody who’s been following my process any length of time can tell this novel has been a tremendous learning experience— and I have to imagine the next round will be easier somehow because of these bits and pieces I’m learning as I go along.