Pam Bustin
creator, editor, story tender
Shake and Bake 47: The Tender Edition
Tis time… tis time… to dive in once again to the wonderful madness that is the 3-day Novel Contest.
Last week at this time… I had a plan. The plan has changed entirely.
That’s cool.
For me, The 3 Day has become all about embracing the random risings of my soul.
The Tale demanding it’s spot in the sun this weekend has been brewing for a long long time. Back before the days of Bean and Goose… Back and back and back into a way-back day sitting on the shores of the Kesquashashing River and dreaming of … a future time.
A time…
…past The Troubles.
…past the ApoCollapse
A time after … a major shift in life as we know it on this planet.
I dreamed a little dream of the people who would still be roaming the planet… after.
And The Tenders came to me.
There have always been those who Tend the Land, the Earth, their fellow Beings. And there have always been those who… in their fear (often shown as greed) would rape and pillage EVERYTHING and EVERYONE.
So it goes… I suppose.
I took a stab – years and years ago – at a Short Story set in this world. It was … clumsy…
To be kind, it was the first short story I’d tried my hand at since… well since never managing to really finish one in writing classes at Uni. I do credit this … blundered attempt… at opening the door to Fiction for me. It is where I began to slide over into a different kind of story telling. From plays to… writing my first novel, Mostly Happy.
This weekend, I’m taking a stab at … another tale from that world I glimpsed so long ago. I’ve got a few characters to keep me company — and we’ll see where we end up.
Wish us well.
As to the week….
The Quick Chicken (The Doings that help me with the Being):
- Scribble: 7/7
- Walk: 4/7
- Yoga: 3/7
- Meditation: 7/7
…and…
- Writing Hours: 7/7
See…. told ya I’d start tracking again. I do still want to learn to play guitar… but for now – these are the FIVE things I truly aim to do each day…
What Worked:
Fantastic week of letting myself wander about… gathering my thoughts, images, ideas… Scribbling and scribbling and scribbling…. ahhh.
What I would do Next Time:
Not PANIC when, the week before the contest I realize I want to totally SWITCH HORSES.
That story isn’t LOST… it will go in the file… and grow in the dark. Like they all do.
THE HARD:
- Hard? Whuzzat? HA!
- Oh yeah… The PANIC early in the week as I realized I was switching my focus RADICALLY for the contest.
- The PANIC of actually trying to create this story… this huge IDEA has been in my head for years and … this will be… trying to actually BRING IT into reality. gulp
THE good BITS:
- The ideas…the questions rising up… as soon as I turned my head to look their way.
- The warmth of friends… friends from the way-back and friends I’ve YET to meet in person.
- The time the time the TIME to do this. To stare and dream and scribble and rethink. To walk and talk. To sit and type this missive.
- The tech that lets me send this out… and lets me connect to people far and wide who are in this Contest with me… in this WRITING THING with me.
- The Sweetest Raggedy Man on EARTH who cheers me on, and cheers me UP. Who feeds me when I forget to eat, and stands such fierce guard over my Solitude. He is truly my BOONyest companion.
- The most glorious show of… solidarity and support and… Kindness over on the ChatZone. A writer doubting herself after a year BARREN of writing. Another writer lending her courage, support and a hand up with such beautiful words. I have saved the words… for myself when I’m down… and for the one who wrote them. Next time I see her slip her into the dark, I shall send them to her. For Courage and so she doesn’t forget who she really is.
The Thing that needs Baking In MOST:
How FUN has this week been? How ALIVE do you feel?
Tis good. This writing thing. Tis very very good.
Next Week’s Playful INTENTION…
Well lordy… let’s just focus on the weekend THIS TIME …
…how about we have us fun?…
Okay…my chicken lovers… That’s it for me. I’m off to putter about.
There’s food to prep. And I could work on that outline just a LITTLE bit more…
Ha.
~~~~
Vaya con Dios, Mi amigas.
go easy ~p
In homage to Havi’s Friday Chickens over on the The Fluent Self — This is the place I review my week – in an attempt to track some things – like progress on my novel and… living intentionally. I shake out my week and lay it out. Let the hard burn off and the good sink in. Call it an experiment in paying attention.
Comments are cherished here. Discussion is adored. If you’d rather talk in private – drop me a line.
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Pam Bustin 