Writing in space
I've probably written too much already about cleaning my house, but for me,it's a first step to any writing day. My office has papers, pads, books and pens everywhere, but I try to at least have everything in piles with loose physical boundaries when I stop work at night and when I begin each morning.
Sometimes I wonder if it's not sheer terror that keeps me busy with organizing, sweeping and dishes. When I actually sit down, especially when I'm working on the novel, I find the sudden void in front of me a little scary. A blank sheet of paper is "the square white judge." A computer screen is even worse.
Sometimes, though, if I can just make myself sit still long enough, the images and thoughts will begin and I'm lost in them. Soon it's several hundred words later and I've managed to describe something that may, after several revisions, be worth reading for someone.
Other times, I manage to write one or two sentences that seem to have no life. Those are days when I'd rather wash windows for a living.
