Ice and Writing

I woke up this morning to see a good half inch of ice coating the ten inches of snow that fell yesterday. If there’s one thing I like worse than shoveling, it’s chipping at ice. That’s why I didn’t shovel yesterday. Much easier to pry the ice off if it’s resting on a blanket of snow. I also went snow shoeing for the first time today as I traipsed around my house and got the snow off the roof with a roof rake. Snow shoeing could be quite fun once I figure it out. At first, I didn’t think the snow shoes were doing that much. I mean, I was still sinking down into the snow past my ankles. Maybe I’m just too fat to snow shoe. Then one of the shoes came off without my knowledge–and I sank down to my waist. So now I appreciate snow shoes a lot more, and I don’t think I’m too fat, either. In fact, maybe I’ll have another Valentine cookie. (Decorated yesterday)

Baby is doing well. She seems to be sleeping a lot more than my son did at her age. Then again, maybe she’s just gearing up for a lot of no sleeping. Who knows? I do know that she’s eating better, and that’s a big plus.

Now, if only my writing would go better. I’ve been plotting this latest book for what feels like forever. I have the first two thirds basically plotted, and I know generally what will happen in the last third. But now I’m trying to write it chapter by chapter, plotting each chapter out before I write. This is proving more difficult than I anticipated. The trouble is that all three of the viewpoint characters I’m using have complex plots that require a lot of thought. For example, the chapter I’m plotting right now features a heist scene. But I don’t want it to be just any heist scene. I want it to be a really cool heist scene. This involves figuring out a lot of things before I write the scene itself. I just have to keep reminding myself that the end product will be wicked good. (Wicked’s a slang word they use up here in Maine. I’m trying to blend in.)

Still, I suppose I should pat myself on the back just for trying to write. I haven’t been sleeping well, and frankly I’m pretty stressed out about the whole new baby thing. Keeping track of how everyone is doing in my family–wife, son and daughter–is growing increasingly complex. Oh well. At least my job is letting me take some time off. I don’t know what I’d be doing if I was working in addition to everything else. Yikes.