The words aren't fitting together right. They aren't creating the feel, the tone, the mood I desire, setting the scene I desire. It's like when you kind of know the words to a song, but you're just a little off so they don't work with the music. The point gets carried across, but it makes you cringe.
So what have I been doing instead? Anything I could think of to make the words flow. One of those things was to step away from the computer a bit. I even completely shut it down one day. Another one of those things was to watch TV. "NCIS" mostly. I've loved the show for quite some time, but I've never watched them all in order. I'm over halfway through season one now. But the number one most important thing I've done? I turned to that one book that always inspires me.
You know which one I'm talking about. We all have one. That book we always come back to eventually. That book we've read so many times the binding has worn thin. That book that inspires the writerly fire within us. For me, that book is The School Story by Andrew Clements.
Then Zoe has a brilliant idea: Natalie can submit her manuscript under a pen name, with Zoe acting as her literary agent. But it's not easy for two sixth graders to put themselves over as grown-ups, even with some help from a couple of real group-ups who are supportive but skeptical. The next best-selling school story may be in their hands-but can Natalie and Zoe pull off their masquerade?
I don't remember exactly when I discovered this book, but I've loved it ever since. I probably don't have to tell you why. At the moment I'm about halfway through. And I'm feeling more and more up to writing. I mean, I wrote this post, didn't I?
What is your "book"? What do you do when the words won't fit?