Well yes, I've written in public any number of times, going back a great many years to journaling and poetry and more recently finishing Mamm of Iona partly in the Fortune Club (soda shop) in Victor, CO - and The Aspen Mine in Cripple Creek, CO - and about a third of the way down Phantom Canyon of that area.
So when it came to writing the most recent of the kid series I'm working on it didn't phase me to patter away at my keyboard between visitors at Close to Home in this Small Town USA.
But it is a little different.
For one thing, the writing is not my primary purpose when I'm at our little shop; having frequent visitors fragments the writing process somewhat so we'll see what, if any, difference that makes in the final draft of the story.
The visitors also provide me with a diversion during my writing time in the sense of making me take breaks (sometimes much-needed) from it.
I have to grin a little here because they also serve as 'sounding boards' for whatever scene I happen to be on at the time.
Like this afternoon and evening I was writing about the Younglings of Dunnottar being at the fishing village of South as part of their tour of the area. It's an educational tour for them, mainly, so they can watch and participate in the different specialties the different communities excel at. It's a chance for them to get to know the people and try their hand at the different skills their friends are so adept at ... and to explore the possibility of perhaps finding out what it is they might be called to do with their lives.
At any rate, little five-year redheaded Rua with the attitude climbs to the top of the mast of a boat that's being built at South - and she won't come back down.
Trying to figure out how in the heck to get her down from there naturally (for me) entered into the conversations I had as the hours passed and the visitors came and went and came back again.
Several of them were curious as to whether or not Rua had gotten down from the mast of that boat yet.
Thinking about it, I realize that there's a positive thing in this whole situation.
Yes my writing time is more fragmented than at any other time.
Yes I have to try to pick up where I left off without losing the stream of the story line.
But one of the side effects is generating interest and curiosity about the Characters of the books, in this case little Rua.
Wondering aloud to the customers how in the world I was going to get her down from there, and frustrated with her because she went up there in the first dang place gave me a topic of conversation to help break the ice for me.
Being as I'm generally not one to engage in small talk or chit chat, having my OWN bit of an opening line makes me feel at least a little less awkward.
And yes, Rua did come back down, but only to make way for Merri to climb up there to take her place. The rest of the Dunnottar Younglings climbed up too, and there I was stuck with a vision in my head of all six of them one above the other, arms and legs wrapped around that mast, and wondering what the heck they thought they were doing up there.
Turns out ... ach, never mind; I'm not going to rewrite the whole thing here - I'm not even done with the FIRST writing of it!
The point is that writing in a public place can mean creating some curiosity about whatever it is that you're writing, and if (as is the case here) the people are liable to be regular visitors there's the possibility they'll eventually buy the book to find out for themselves how come Rua was clear up at the top of that mast and what happened.
Because, you see, I'm not going to tell my visitors the whole story (else why in the world would they buy the book when it comes out, right?) but just whatever situation might be occurring in the story line when they happen to walk themselves right into it. By the time I see them again, the story will be finished and the next one in progress for them to hear a bit about.
Continuing to patter with a bit more concentration after hours led to more visitors than you would think possible in this Small Town USA. They see the light on and me in there, so in they pop, which is fine by me.
Mostly they just chat for a bit and off they go.
Once in a while someone will stick around and have a real conversation about things that are of more import (to me) than the news, weather, and sports ... so to speak.
This evening one visitor stayed over an hour doing exactly that and as an INFJ/P personality type I have to say that it was a wonderful hour. We talked about religion and about spirituality and about the nature of the Holy Trinity ... retracing in many ways the earliest times of Christianity when everything wasn't as cut and dried as it now is and there were all kinds of differing views on the whole thing. I wish that I had thought to turn my recorder on to save that conversation for further thought. On the other hand my visitor is a local person so no doubt there will be more discussions. I look forward to that.
Some people come in just about every time I'm there.
For me, it creates an opening to become more visible in this little community, which truthfully I've kind of avoided for many years. Not because I'm anti-social but because I'm not a 'natural' at most of the social skills of Small Town USA and have always been a loner for the most part. A lot of the older people in town know who I am and most of my family, but us 'locals' are becoming a minority in this neck of the woods and most people who now live in town have no idea in this world who I am.
And, for the sake of the Characters (and my own in a strange sort of way), I'm ready, willing, and able to step out from my solitude in order to share with any who are interested the words that belong to the SONG of the Mamm Books. It's no doubt good for me, and might well be good for the Characters as well - because they too want to share that SONG ... and whose Voice can they use but mine, for the time being?
Not that I go to talking about the underlying aspects of the story until/unless someone opens that door - but if/when they do ask words will surely be put into their ears.
There are times I'm quite very grateful for guidance because there are times I'm not altogether sure ahead of time exactly what words will find their way out of my mouth. It's one of those Faith things.
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