A Stop in the Confessional Booth
by
Sharon Struth
"Writing is like
driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but
you can make the whole trip that way."
E. L. Doctorow
E. L. Doctorow
I’m pretty sure my family and friends think I walk around with my
head in the clouds. Well, here’s a little confession...
I actually do.
Ever since I started writing full-time, everything that goes on in
my mind seems to be about writing. I don’t mean to do it, but sometimes when a
noisy child in a public place begins to get under my skin, I think about how I
could write that sensation. Or when my eyes well up with tears at a commercial
and I try to hide my ridiculous over-emotion from my family, I grab onto each reaction
in my body so I can remember it for possible use in a future book scene.
Setting is a constant source of distraction for me, too. On a trip
to Seattle, I couldn’t help but notice how the weather was a far cry from the
conditions I’d left in my home state of Connecticut. My plane had landed
through droplets of cool rain at the Seattle-Tacoma airport. Throughout the
week I’d get an occasional peek at the sun, but clouds always quickly reappeared
and showers resumed. I admired the stunning, lush landscape of the region, a
fact that made the inconvenient weather worthwhile. But then I realized Seattle
was the setting for Fifty Shades of Grey.
I couldn’t recall once when Christian thought, “Oh dear, I hope Anna closed her
car windows in case it starts raining while she’s tied up.” Hmmm, did that
author think about setting? Maybe not.
And I hate to tell you where I do my best plotting, but I will. It’s
behind the wheel of my car. Don’t worry… I’m paying attention to the road. Yet
the fastest way for me to get beyond a stuck plot point is to run an errand or visit
the gym. For some reason, on the car ride over, the missing link to my story is
usually found.
Being a writer is an all-consuming affair of the mind. Even
off-duty, the brain never quits. As Isacc Asimov is quoted as saying, “Writing,
to me, is simply thinking through my fingers.”
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Share the Moon
Sometimes
trust is the toughest lesson to learn.
Sophie Shaw is days away
from signing a contract that will fulfill her dream of owning a vineyard. For
her, it’s a chance to restart her life and put past tragedies to rest. But
Duncan Jamieson’s counter offer blows hers out to sea.
Duncan still finds
Sophie as appealing as he had during boyhood vacations to the lake. Older and
wiser now, he has his own reasons for wanting the land. His offer, however,
hinges on a zoning change approval.
Bribery rumors threaten
the deal and make Sophie wary of Duncan, yet she cannot deny his appeal. When
her journalistic research uncovers a Jamieson family secret, trust becomes the
hardest lesson for them both.
"Heart-tugging
small town romance with real emotion. Struth is an author to watch!"
—Laura Drake, author of The
Sweet Spot.
Novelist Sharon Struth believes you’re never too old to pursue a dream. The
Hourglass, her debut novel, is a finalist in the National Readers' Choice
Awards for Best first Book. Her next release, SHARE THE MOON-Book one in the
Blue Moon Lake Novel Series-is published by Kensington Books/Lyrical Press.She writes from the friendliest place she’s ever lived, Bethel, Connecticut, along with her husband, two daughters and canine companions. For more information, including where to find her published essays, please visit http://www.sharonstruth.com or visit her blog, Musings from the Middle Ages & More atwww.sharonstruth.wordpress.com.
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