Rebecca’s Reflections
The Pond
October 11, 2012, Thursday As my writer retreat wears on, I’ve developed a routine. I rise early and take a quick walk around the mountain ridge with my dog Wilson. And then return to the cabin to let the morning mists dissipate. (In the mists, all stumps look like...
The Magic of Twilight, the Suspense of Dawn
Mid-morning. I’ve been in my writing retreat now for a week, plotting my novel, dreaming my characters, imagining murders and mystery. Unexpectedly, I’ve become embroiled in a mystery of my own, terrified of the bear sightings my neighbor Earl has recounted to me. I...
The Secret of Fire Lighting
October 9, 2012, Tuesday The ninth day of my writer’s retreat. The cabin is growing more comfortable. I am almost used to the noises that the woods make. Each leaf that falls creates a sound—some louder than others. As I type this I hear a strange, irregular drumming...
Running into Plot
On social media some writers set store by whether someone is a “plotter” or a “pantser.” Do you try to outline your story first, charting the direction of the plot and planning the different characters? Or, do you just “fly by the seat of your pants,” letting the...
Backing into a Story—an Encounter with “The Bleaks”
Never having written a mystery novel, or any novel, I didn’t know where to start. A man I had been dating—an architect and not a writer—told me to write the backstories to my characters. It was great advice! And so I spent the early days of my writer’s...
Equalizing Fear
Friday, October 5, 2012 The fifth day of my writer’s retreat. I’ve cleaned the cabin thoroughly now, disposing of the mice nests, the ruined clothes, my father’s hats, and my mother’s toiletries. I need to take one more run to the recycling center to get rid of...