Writers often talk about where they write, what type of esthetic is most conducive for their writing, do they write every day and when they do write, do they do so in large chunks of time or brief periods as inspiration strikes.
I have been in Dallas for what will be ten days this Friday. I’m staying at my sister’s home caring for their animals and visiting with our 93 year old mother each afternoon. And my mornings have all been spent in research and writing. I’m finishing the manuscript for my next novel and knew being mostly alone in Dallas would provide the solitude needed to finish up this first draft.
Yes, I write in solitude which to me means no noise and clean spaces. Nothing to interfere or distract me from the hours I set aside to travel to another place and time and write about what I find there. I can write anywhere as long as there is still quiet.
Today I am continuing my research on nursing school curriculums in France in the early 1920’s. Tomorrow I will look at videos and read about the Jewish observance of Shabbot. After I glean as much information as possible that is relevant to my story, I begin to write, allowing the characters to tell their own tales through the events of their lives.
Solitude allows us to create, edit, refine, check for truth, change directions and move forward. And that is the beauty of solitude. It allows us to reflect on the events of our lives as day by day we live out our individual and unique stories.
