Mission Accomplished

Saturday, January 19, 2008


If books are the puzzles we authors give to ourselves to solve, then today I finally solved a puzzle of my own, rising at three to finish the final draft of NOTHING BUT GHOSTS. I wasn't going to let myself get away with another day of not pushing through the final gate, was going to let myself stew, if I had to stew, until the pieces fell into place.

Everything seemed to turn on a single sentence; is that possible? If I could get that to work—if this one scrap of dialogue could tell me something deeper about this story—then all would be well. Oh, how I wanted all to be well.

I wrote that dialogue scrap a dozen times, two dozen times. I stewed my way through time 25, and finally something happened. The big ah-ha, where forces definitely beyond myself conspired, as if to say, All right, you weak-minded sister, you. If you can't figure this out for yourself, I'll give you a hint.

I took the hint.

I ran with it.

I finished the book.

Oh my.

Company is coming for lunch—dancers of the most extraordinary kind. The kitchen awaits me. I must rise and work my way toward normal.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on the newest addition to your literary family! ;)

Shawn Lea
http://everythingandnothing.typepad.com

grete said...

Beth -

“All right, you weak-minded sister, you. If you can't figure this out for yourself, I'll give you a hint.” : CONGRATULATION! you STRONG-minded sister, you.

Another hint. For the now: The warmth of a duvet at night. Mornings with faint sounds of car tyres. Peoples feet on the pavement. Rushing to work. While you linger somewhere between heaven and earth, dreams still a set of whispering echoes.

While the Baby Book is put in its cradle. Still needing the nurturing, but love of another kind. Not the labour of the night. But the caring thoughts, the rocking, the intimate conversations. The smiles.

Then one day....

But that is......another day. For the now: A Happy Birthday to a new creation!

Grete

Beth Kephart said...

Hey, and thank you, Shawn Lea.

And dear Grete—well, and thank you! I plunge back into the world of work for a spell here—the hectic season of annual reports, corporate magazines, commemorative projects. It's a funny life, but then again: Every time I return to my writing life, it all feels brand new, tremulous.

b

QuietCypher said...
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QuietCypher said...
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