Writing Practice

A few days ago Susan at comingeast wrote a blog commenting that she had read an article that nobody wanted to read another blog about writing.  Well, perhaps not, but it’s Wednesday and I have to leave soon and wanted to share some thoughts with you.

Some years ago I bought this kit and as so often happens it mouldered away in a bookcase for ages and only came to the fore when I recently cleared a lot of books to give to the hospice shop.

This is an interesting and unusual kit in that it not only has a book with Prompts and Practices for each day of the year, it also has a series of cards giving great advice.  Those on the top of the pile today are:

• Don’t judge your writing
• Let go of expectations
• Trust your pen and
• Pay attention

Today is November 2 and the prompt for today is “I dreamed..”

So – I dreamed I was in a different place.  A place I had never visited.  The old house was quite scary.  It creaked and rattled and I was all alone in it.

But I wasn’t alone.  I could hear something breathing heavily and footsteps seemed to be coming towards me.  I didn’t know the house so had no idea where he/she/it was coming from or where I could go to hide.  There appeared to be no lights in the house but there suddenly appeared a candle on a table that hadn’t been there before.

My heart was beating rapidly as I picked up the candle and made my way towards a door.  This door opened into a long, dark hallway lit only by my feeble candle which in turn threw shadows of unknown things onto the walls.

I could still hear whoever/whatever was in the house and now it seemed to be following me.  Where to go from here?  Forward along the hallway or back the way I had come?  But where was the person/thing?  I had to get away but how and to where?  Questions, questions but no answers.

And then I felt something pushing close to me and breathing in my face.  I was really scared and jerked awake to be faced by my faithful companion Lotte, who must have been disturbed by my moving around while dreaming.  I was pleased to be awakened and out of that scary place.  I guess all the talk of Halloween and its attendant ghost stories had stayed in my mind and resurfaced in this dream.

“From ghoulies and ghosties
and long leggettie beasties
and things that go bump in the night
Good Lord deliver us”.
Old Scottish prayer sometimes
attributed to Robert Burns

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