Mindless Tasks

Mindless tasks are my friend. I've had some of my best plot breakthroughs while doing dishes, taking a shower, drying my hair or vacuuming (a particular favorite). Today, it was raking leaves. I hardly ever do yard work. That tends to be Cliff Claven's department, but I needed to trash my dying impatiens, and it was a perfect day for getting outside. As I worked, I puzzled some plot issues I've been having with my WIP.

True to my process, whenever the plot stops coming, I read the book from the beginning. I did that this weekend, and as usual, it got the juices flowing again. After I was done reading, I sat in a quiet room for a while and thought my way through the remainder of the book. I made a mental list of things that need to happen. I thought about the romance between my hero and heroine and how I wanted it to progress in book 2 of their series. Today, while raking leaves, I came up with the absolute perfect ending for this book. Now I can't wait to write it.

In the great debate of plotters vs. seat-of-the-pantsers (that's me), my friend Kristan Higgins recently made a great point. Everyone plots. Some do it on paper, some do it with storyboards, and others, like me, do it in their head. As I pulled plants and raked leaves, I was plotting. I didn't realize it until I got back to the computer and the words were just there, to the tune of 3,000 words for the day. The end is in sight. I've got my mojo back. Oh, and the front yard is temporarily free of leaves. Two birds, one stone.