Some days, I find flow in writing by listening to particular kinds of music. I don't know enough about the technicalities of it to say why it works, but this much I know: that some stories need a violin concerto to set their tone, others want jazz guitar to find their way, and some need a quick hit of classic rock. I couldn't tell you the first thing about scales or notes, or why today's inspirational soundtrack was yesterday's distracting noise.
The story I'm writing now has been especially rough, tweaking and scratching and re-beginning fifty times without knowing if I'm getting anywhere. If these were days of paper and ink, this is the part where I'd be surrounded by a mountain of crumples. After 3 days of this, I realize now this isn't a story that can be fixed with the right inspiration. It needs rolled up sleeves and a worker who knows how to build from scratch, the way I do with art. Sketch with the pencil, quick outlines. Work in values, light and dark. Mark up shapes, just the rough edges. And slowly, with brush strokes a hairs-width wide, figure out the details. Make each stroke matter. Keep it lively. Step back often to look at the big picture. What is this focus of this story/ painting? This is craft, not art. It doesn't take genius, just hours of neck-cricking work. And that's a note to remember for other times, for they're sure to come.
