My
wrist is wrapped right now after I strained it. The ultimate writer's
cramp?
My
repetitive injury isn't from typing or writing, but from pulling
weeds. Nearly every morning this summer, I've been focusing my energy
on smallish sections of my yard to try to reclaim order and beauty.
Nature really is wild! I've collected bags and bags of dead twigs,
old leaves, bind weed, grass growing where it isn't allowed, even
trash to help tame my gardens. I've also attacked the euonymus,
spirea, and sumac with clippers, pruning, in some instances, nearly
half the foliage as I attempt to tidy my portion of the outdoors. The
work is hard (and itchy), but it really is paying off! When I step
back, I can see in full how improved my yard is.
In
the afternoon, when the day is hotter, I retreat into the cool of my
house to force myself to do even more weeding. Opening up a window, I
focus on smallish sections. While it may initially appear that my
story is organized and beautiful, I realize I haven't fully
controlled the plot, character development, setting or climax. My
mind really is wild! I've edited superfluous words, switched around
dialogue, chopped out first paragraphs because my story started not
once, but three times. The work is hard (thankfully not itchy!) and
it really is paying off. When I step back, I can see in full how
improved my story is.
Weeding
is essential for both my yard and my writing. It requires a lot of
labor to achieve the desired results: a yard that is inviting to me
and visitors and a story that is inviting to me and readers
(including that publishing house editor!).
I've
got to get back to weeding. (I suspect my wrist may be wrapped for
the duration of summer.)
“Many
gardeners will agree that hand-weeding is not the terrible drudgery
that it is often made out to be. Some people find in it a kind of
soothing monotony. It leaves their minds free to develop the plot for
their next novel . . .” ~ Christopher Lloyd,The
Well-Tempered Garden
