Time Passes Fast, Thinks Madeleine

Yes, readers, I am back finally.

I have been meaning to..., I have been wanting to..., etc.

I am still on Story #2, still writing my quick loose first draft. And I am enjoying it, even though I wish I had finished it already.

When I wrote in my old way--slowly, deliberately--I ended up spending so much time on the beginning of the story, making it as perfect as can be, and then spending relatively little time on the end of the story. That is probably why I am always disappointed by the endings of my stories--but I love the beginnings! The beginnings are great!

With my new process, I am falling into the same old pattern--that is to say, even though I am writing quickly, I am still spending a lot of time on the beginning of the story, not writing the same paragraph, the same sentences, over and over again, but writing many many paragraphs at the beginning of the story, and now rushing to the end.

More on this later. Or if any readers wish to comment, please do.

But here's some hopeful news: I am beginning to feel, and feel it every day--maybe I should say "believe" instead of "feel"--that I will be able to finish these stories, that I could write a novel, that, really, I can do it. I've felt this at various times in my life when I'm working, but now I feel it every day. A consistent feeling. Maybe I shouldn't have written about it; maybe now I won't feel it tomorrow.

Actually, I think I will.