In Others’ Words: When Not Writing is Writing

“What no wife of a writer can ever understand is that a writer is working when he’s staring out of the window.” ~ Burton Rascoe (1892-1957), American journalist & editor

My husband Rob would most likely change today’s quote just a tad so that it reads “What no husband of a writer can ever understand … ”

I’m a writer.

I write.

But sometimes the writing process is more about pondering than it is about producing words. And for me, “sometimes” is now.

It’s not that I haven’t written anything. If you were sitting here, I could pull up the Word document of a partial synopsis that screeches to a halt about 700 words in because, well, I don’t know what happens next. I could also show you the thoughts I’ve plotted out in The Book Buddy and Kiss and Tell: How to Write a Romance, both excellent work-texts for mapping out a romance novel — and both written by best-selling author Susan May Warren. And I could then show you the path I’ve worn out as I’ve paced from my office to my ‘fridge to my laundry room back to my office and repeat … repeat … repeat … all the while mulling over my story.

And yes, sometimes I stare out my office window. Good thing I moved my desk so that it doesn’t face the wall anymore.

What I have to remind myself when I have days like today and yesterday and the day before that is that writing is a process. I’m all about showing up each day ready to write — but that doesn’t guarantee that the story is ready to be written.

In Your Words: Readers, is what I described how you imagined the writing life? Writers, what do you do when work involves staring out the window?