Friday, September 20, 2013

Storyteller's Journey

Public Domain Photo

Fall's Fresh Start

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall."
F. Scott Fitzgerald.

You might think that living in the cold and rainy Pacific Northwest that I would look forward to the warmer seasons of spring and summer. You'd be wrong. Maybe it's because I've lived here nearly all of my life that autumn is, without a doubt, the time of year when I feel nature mirrors back to me my own soul. Writing, reading, walking in the woods, and visiting the stormy Pacific Ocean, are just a few of the things I love to do in the fall, but there are many more.

In addition to that, being a student at heart, I always start a new project in the fall. There's just something about September that calls to me for a time of fresh learning and creating. This year is no exception. After completing a rewrite of The Tale of Willaby Creek, and sending out another query letter for Livvi Biddle ~ The Secret of Stonehenge, I have decided to proceed with Book II in the series: Livvi Biddle ~ A Garden in Giverny.  Learning more about France, Paris, and Claude Monet and his garden in Giverny, has kept me busy for the last three weeks. Although I've been a long-time fan of the art of Monet, it was essential that I learn the details of the master's life (like the name of his gardener; and when he had eye surgery) to create a believable tale.

For me, fall is truly the time when I return to "the cauldron of creativity."
So, while the school buses rumble up and down the nearby country road, and the Seattle Seahawks make their bid for a Super Bowl slot, I'll be lost in the whimsical world of Wordlandia inside my studio!

Have you started a new project recently? What's your favorite season?