Bright & Dark

If you’re not reading Dean Wesley Smith’s posts on motivation in writing, you should be.

Happy New Year’s Eve Eve. It’s been exactly a month since I last posted, and that’s too long. December has been a whirlwind of day job (office hours ’til 3 AM, oh boy), holiday shopping, holiday baking, and writing. I’m *this close* to writing THE END on the novel I started in July, after which there will be more whirlwind of getting it to my Trusted First Reader (TM) and then out to workshop for the February novel workshop on the Oregon coast. The story has launched its typical light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel takeoff. I’m having to force myself to write only scenes at this point, and to focus, and not to rush toward the ending. Not to mention that my morning sitting meditation today found itself interrupted by potential upcoming plot points. I can live with that, and breathe with it to.

Breathe in . . . breathe out . . . BUT WHAT IF X HAPPENS? . . . Breathe in . . . breathe out . . . THEN Y!?!

and so on.

I’ve had a lovely Yule season, and I hope you have, too. There have been some amazing gifts of the material kind and more valuable ones of the not-so-material kind. I am reminded to be grateful for all the people in my life, and for all the love. And also for movies that knock my socks off. I’m not so enterprising (nor do I have so much time; see above re: *almost* end, and the need to actually write it) as to attempt a 2009 gratitude list at this point. And I’ve occasionally written these sorts of lists at other times of the year. So to prevent a case of supreme redundancy and time eating, here’s today’s top eleven list.

1. The people in my life who I happen to know. I love you. You know who you are.

2. The people in my life who I have yet to meet. Same goes.

3. This morning’s walk in the cold rain with the Doggie Ranger, replete with morning prayers and connectedness.

4. An awesome wiki article on Kabbalah that I actually had time to read.

5. Avatar. Still heavily on my mind since I saw it on Sunday morning. I’m going to have to catch it again, this time preferably at the IMAX which will NOT be sold out the next time I want to go.

6. Tea. Preferably Barry’s Irish, Gold Blend.

7. Blueberries, fresh and huge and bursting with juicy flavor.

8. Surprises.

9. Calvin and Hobbes.

10. Plenty of time to write.

11. That I get to take my lunch hour at 9:15 tomorrow morning to go to Nia. There will be dancing! And Queen Latifah!

Best wishes, everyone.