I blame it all on Stephen King, his literary shoulders are broad enough to bear the burden. Three weeks ago, I went to Bangor, Maine to visit my friend and talented writer, Terrie Whitten. A native of Bangor, she immediately drove me by Stephen King’s house, complete with a wrought iron gate with all sorts of creepy things in black. That’s it. I was jinxed.
I was fooled into thinking everything would be fine by a couple days of sightseeing: Penobscot Bay and a whale and puffin tour out of Bar Harbor and the rest of the day at Acadia National Park. But that night, I got sick and 24 hours later, I was in the ER with a severe, acute gall bladder problem, which resulted in surgery. Gee, thanks, Stephen King.
When I finally got home, we took another trip to Denver to see my daughter’s new house, where the bathroom was stripped to the studs and my husband helped rebuild it, while I sat in a corner and pretended to write. Instead, I took multiple naps and just fiddled around.
And today, I am back at the office, ready to go! But my novel seems to have slipped a bit in my mind. What was it I was writing? Who is that character?
I asked for advice on the Fiction Notes Facebook Group on how to get back into the story and you can read their great advice here. If you’re not a member, just ask to join and I’ll click you through!
Coming this fall: 30 Days to a More Vibrant Character and Random Acts of Publicity Week.
This looks like his house in Bangor too. But the fence had the shape of a bat in ’97 when I lived there. I never had a Steven King sighting while I lived there, but everyone said that I probably did see him, but he looks so “regular”. I had my gall bladder out 3 weeks ago too. I was on vacation in FL, when the pain hit the last day. I flew back to WI, and went straight to the ER and moved to surgery in the morning. It was an ordeal, but I am much better. I hope you are too. Now, that I am better, I am having an easier time writing, but just bits and pieces and not in any kind of order. It is like a film reel and dialogue playing in my head and me trying to get it out of there. I hope you are fully recovered.
I assure you, this picture was taken three weeks ago!
So, I left a bit of myself in ME and you left a bit of yourself in FL.
Feel better!
Darcy
Thanks, Darcy. I actually made it to WI from FL because I didn’t want to have surgery there. I agonized for 16 hours of pain. I am crazy. Feel better too.