Time Travel
The past few months have been a whirlwind and I honestly can say that I am amazed that it is June. Though I would like to have a handy dandy box to climb into and go to any time I want (or just make it stop for a little while), my reference to time travel is really about something different. I am referring to the ability to transcend time and place immersed in a good book.
One of my favorite genres is historical fiction. The past few summers, I have indulged in traveling back to the 1400s, to the court of King Henry and his daughter, Queen Elizabeth and their contemporaries. I am fascinated by the many characters living in this time period. I am also interested in writing historical fiction, but think that this era already has enough (I have 3 or 4 books ready for this summer as well, and have still just scratched the surface of what is available).
Instead, I am currently immersed in a time just a little over 100 years ago, doing research that covers a span of just days – the maiden voyage of the ship Titanic. I have long been percolating a book about the story and have decided that now is the time to complete it (or at least enough of it to send it off to try to find a publisher while I keep working on it).
I have a few other ideas for historical fiction, but this is the one I am currently most passionate about and have the most research complete for, so this is the direction I will take. Unfortunately, other ideas keep popping up, so I have to take some quick notes and file them away for later. My other delay is that life has a way of getting in the way. Fortunately, I knew that May was going to be a busy month and reduced my expectations (though I have been able to immerse myself in 1912 sitting in waiting rooms and in the car waiting for my daughter). Questions and answers are coming unbidden into my mind, and I have changed direction a few times, but I think I am just about at a place where I can sit and write and have it all pour out (with some interruptions for new questions, then research to find answers, etc). With the school year coming to a close, I think I will have some time in the coming month to lose myself (or lock myself in the study) and become immersed in the writing process.
I think I am going to have to get tough and set some rules though. The internet and phones are very real distractions. I don’t think I need to go cold turkey, but think I can limit access to certain times each day (while still being available to my family). There is also the very real problem that everyone needs to eat. (This is a problem, because when I get started, I don’t always think about food – hmmm, this may be good for my waistline.) I haven’t figured that one out yet. The crock pot will work some days, but I don’t know about a couple weeks worth of crock pot meals. The problem: I hate schedules and routines and the muse doesn’t always appear on schedule. The reality: I actually work pretty well with schedules and LOVE lists (especially the crossing out part). I guess I’ve got the first step accomplished – I’ve figured out what I need to do. Now it’s time to find a way to implement it.