I am in the thick of revising my memoir, which is messy. I changed a quote at the beginning of a chapter, which changed many things throughout the piece. I removed some stuff, put it elsewhere, and reworked the whole chapter.
Looking back, I asked myself if I had already discussed this. Something I took out is essential. Where else can it go?
After an hour of work, I decided to put it aside and come back to it later. It’s amazing how helpful that is—to get some distance from the writing.
The phone rang, and I picked it up because my friends and family only call if it’s crucial. Usually, they text. A friend was ill and needed to go to the ER. I dropped everything, was grateful I had spent the last hour writing, and went to pick her up. We had the day together as she got checked out, diagnosed, and was able to go home. She has pneumonia, but she is healthy, so she will heal.
Writing is all-consuming, so it is good to have interruptions like this to remind me I have friends and family. They might have to take precedence on occasion. I was glad to be able to help someone. She would have done the same for me.
Life happens every day. My writing is important, so I try to get to it first thing in the morning. But it is only one of many things I do. I am grateful to have a full, and interesting life.
Yes, I want to finish this book, so I am working hard to sort it all out. I wish I had been better at dating the revisions in the beginning, but I am getting better, and soon, all this paper in piles will be a book. I just know it!