"Hard" writing versus "soft" writing

Window to another world

900-year-old cliff dwelling at Mesa Verde

I'm back from family vacation, and as predicted, I returned with a clear head and renewed creative energy.

Unfortunately, finding time to write during our trip was all but impossible. Days were spent driving to destinations, setting up and taking down campsites, cooking, cleaning, soaking up the natural world, and getting back in touch with my family.

I suppose I shouldn't be disappointed in my output during the trip. It was a vacation, after all. The break was regenerative both for my family and for me, so it served its purpose well.

Through our travels, I rediscovered the beauty and diversity of the Colorado landscape. From the remote solitude of the Flat Tops Wilderness to the jagged 14,000-foot peaks along the San Juan Skyway, from the shops wedged against the cliffs of Telluride to the 700-foot dunes in the Great Sand Dunes National Park, I was amazed (again) at what lies in my backyard. We visited half a dozen places I would feel comfortable calling home some day.

But it was Mesa Verde that left the most lasting impression. I visited the park as a nine year old and wanted to return primarily for the benefit of my children. It was a surprise that I was the one who couldn't stop blathering about how incredibly cool the park and its ruins are.

More than once, I pictured myself in the yucca sandals of the Anasazi Indians. I scaled the canyon cliffs and subsisted on venison and pinon nuts. I experienced the dangers of a life with predators and disease and perpetual drought. I lived a life of practical beauty through the artifacts left behind: arrows, sleeping mats, impressive masonry and pottery - all preserved in the dry mountain air and the cliff dwellings themselves.

Corny? Probably. But the place affected me. Perhaps as a kid I hadn't yet developed the imagination necessary to fully appreciate a place so rich in history.

The photos and the memories and the time with family are treasures that will last.

As for the writing? I don't feel that the lack of words typed equates to a lack of progress. I found that my downtime was just as valuable as sitting in the chair.

Writers talk of "hard" and "soft" writing time. Hard writing time consists of sitting at a desk and banging out words. But writing a novel requires time away from the computer as well. It is during those "soft" times - those quiet moments of reflection - that breakthroughs are often made.

Some of my better ideas have come when away from my desk. I might be walking along the river, doing yard work, or staring into a campfire. It is during these moments that unlikely connections are drawn, plot ideas come together and characters take shape. It's all part of the process.

I returned to writing Monday with a voice I didn't know I had. I pulled adverbs and adjectives from my draft and stripped sentences bare. The remaining skeleton told a story that was previously buried in excess verbage. The few descriptions I left cut through the clutter and stood tall. And the words flowed. I re-wrote Chapter 1 and tied it into Chapters 2 and 3. I outlined future scenes and made a plan for going forward.

On Thursday I submitted a draft of Chpater 1 to my online writing classmates. I've only received a few comments so far, and the criticism is on the mark. I need to be clearer when I'm entering flashbacks and I need to expand some of my background concerning characters' relationships. When living a story night and day, it is easy to forget that readers are not privy to what is in my head. As a result, I was lean on details in a few places.

But there were comments from readers that encouraged me as well. My imagery seems to be effective. I have painted a believable picture of the mental state of my principal character. Descriptions of scene are working. I find all of this very helpful, since I have not previously shown my writing to anyone.

In summary: from a writing perspective, my vacation was a success. I made progress on my novel without having to type a word. Now it's time translate that progress into sentences. I intend to submit Chapters 2 and 3 to my class in two weeks, so I have plenty of incentive to get on with things.

Write on.