The Way to Patience (Part III)
I returned home 10 days after purchasing Jane Harris’, The Observations. I had begun to read it–was about 100 pages into it. Three days later I left for vacation on Maui. During the 72 hours between I didn’t open the book. Everything was crazy with the children and trying to pack–impossible to read.
Reaching the resort and settling in, I set about to work some more on the publicity of my book, Keeper of Secrets…Translations of an Incident, communicating daily with my publisher about ongoing publicity projects.
In short I was busy. Upon lying down at night I couldn’t get into The Observations as I had in Bilbao, Spain and London. I was tired. Also I had yet to reach the part of the story where things begin to happen, and I the reader, clicked in, and am committed to the full ride.
This point is much the same as when writing a novel, or learning a new piece of music, or reaching that part in the painting when you are tired, bored—no stroke seems to contribute to the painting. You want to give up.
Reaching this part is much like arriving at the point in a painting where despite the possibility of not being totally pleased with the work, one has to see it through to the end.
And then you add a smattering of a mix of colors, or a flat out mistake happens—one that you don’t correct. A drop of that new color falls onto a place in the painting you would never intentionally place it. The painting comes alive and the path you are to take appears before you.
