Yesterday, I surprised myself. Between the buzz of Thursday night’s book talk, the hot weather and our resident demented pigeon, whose calls are amplified tenfold by the chimney, I hadn’t slept. Just to explain, I do not cope well without sleep. I get out of bed feeling like death warmed up and rapidly go downhill. Rather than write the day off as a bad lot, I decided to edit my current manuscript, finding places where descriptions of how it feels to be exhausted were required – because it’s difficult to recall the feeling that your eyelids are on inside out when you’re perky. Then I realised that the next chapter of the book was the beginning of a tired and emotional phase. There is no better time to write a tired and emotional scene than when you are feeling…you’ve got it, tired and emotional. The words may require a little editing but the feel will be right. I like the use of simple language when complex matters are being described and, as I use greater economy of words when I’m tired, this also seems to fit. I wrote three chapters, when sometimes I might only write one in a week. I have read them through this morning and, whilst they can be improved, they do the job. Try some method writing. You may be surprised.
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