Time and Bitty

It's Fall. I love this season - allergies and all. But this year it's especially poignant because I'm privileged to be in charge of the last grandchild not yet in school. Yes, I'm that old, but don't tell my inner child, she thinks we're still in our teens.

Bitty is three. He wants to go to school like his Mama, the teacher, and his two big brothers and big sister. On the other hand, he loves being the only one let out of the car at Audie's house in the cool-dark of predawn each weekday morning. Makes him feel oo-oo special (that's super-special in Bitty speak).

He has a slight speech imperfection if you hadn't noticed. We think he's simply imitating his older brother, Dawson, who has a major speech imperfection. They both call their Grandpa, Ah-ha. Do you see the pattern? Audie is Granny, Ah-ha is Grandpa. There is a technical name for this problem, leaving off the front sounds of words, I believe it's called Apraxia. It seems to be inherited. We'll blame it on Ah-ha.

I can't believe time has gone by so quickly that out of the four grandchildren who live nearby, this is going to be my last school year to keep one at home. Technically, he could go to preschool, he actually attends a speech class there twice a week, but I'm going to be selfish. I'm going to keep him with me so we can play and take walks and gather acorns and pine cones, read books and collect tiny black beetles and have paper airplane wars. It may be our last chance to act like children before the world gets us in its immutable grasp.

Afterthought: Thank goodness he's such a good napper. I wrote this while he was sleeping. Now, on to my book.

I Don't Want to Wait ...

          While out for an evening walk with my hubby, Dude, a song came on my iPhone that reminded me of something I recently discovered about myself as a writer.  The song was "I Don't Want to Wait," by Paula Cole.  Many of you will remember it as the theme song for the teen-angst TV series, Dawson's Creek.  

          Why would that song make me think of writing?  Because when I'm writing a new book or even a short story, I don't wanna wait to get to the big scene.  If there's going to be an encounter with a phantom, I want it to happen right away.  If there will be an important interaction between lovers, ditto.  I want it to happen immediately.  Of course, that isn't always feasible.  It's great to start off with a bang, true.  But there has to be some foundation laid that will lead up to the big scenes.  In other words, to get to point B, there needs to be a point A. 


          But it's okay, I finally realized that there are no rules saying I have to write the scenes in the order in which they occur.  I DON'T HAVE TO WAIT!  Thank goodness . . . because I'm finding it much easier (and more enjoyable) to write out my favorite scenes FIRST.  They usually account for the genesis of the story anyway, so naturally I want to get them down before I lose them.  


          After that, it's sort of like connecting the dots.  In fact, once the major scenes are written, the rest of the tale  almost leaps onto the page.  It's simply a matter of following the story-map logically from point A to B to C and so on.


          So there ya go.  I don't want to wait, and since I'm the author, I don't have to!


          Afterthought:  I think I'll name my next female character Patience   =)