Dan rocks!

Here is what happened:

Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2009 3:56 PM
To:
Wheeler, Maggie
Attachments:
What's up, Maggie? You want to talk on the phone. I'm in my office for
the next 40 minutes -- XXX-XXXX -- give me a call.

Dan

On Sep 17, 2009, at 3:52 PM, Wheeler, Maggie wrote:

> at 3:52. Not having a productive day. I'll try again later.

So I did and I'm SO glad that I did! Here is my task:

"Why I Can't Write My Novel"

My assignment from Dan is to put what I told him in writing. Why I gave up today was because I am having a bad day. I'm emotional, my head hurts, and I still haven't gotten over my sinus infection. But really, the problem I've been having, today and in the past is that I have viewed writing as an emotional process, so therefore, if I am having a hard time, the last thing I want to do is deal with those emotions and if I'm writing, that's what I'm doing. So if I'm upset, the last thing I want to do is work on something that upsets me, right? What I need to do is make it simply about putting words on the screen and divorce my own emotional needs from the process. Perhaps I need to view writing as an escape as I do with reading! Wow! that just really hit me just now as I was writing that! If we all viewed writing as a fun escape from reality, what a huge difference that would make! Hot damn!

The other thing that I got clarification on is the whole idea of conflict. I've been worried that in discussion I've been wrong in the things I've said. I feel like I've been grasping for profound crap to say and trying to sound like I have found the Holy Grail for fixing everything. But when it comes to both the writing and the discussion the main thing is conflict. And if that exists in the story, it doesn't matter if it needs more of something or less of something. Conflict is the stone, the ripples are everything else. BAM! What a freaking AH HA phone call!

So I guess, now, I really can write my novel now! :-) Thanks Dan!