Community Story part 4 and A Need to Write

I talk a lot about the importance of writing every day and for some, I understand that it’s not the way they work. But for me, I can tell you, I need it. Writing is like a drug, and I feel as though I’ve been jonesing for a fix for the last few weeks.

A few weeks ago, I finished the revision of my novel and made a new goal: finish reviewing my friend’s novel, then finish our taxes, then start polishing my novel from the beginning again. It was a good idea to give myself a break from the novel, so that when I start again, I’ll have a new perspective and be able to see more than if I had gone straight to through it after I’d just finished. And it was a necessary goal, because, as with all of us, I always have way too much on my plate and I needed to get a couple things off.

But last week, as I was feeling stressed (my day-job has been crazy too), I suddenly realized why I was feeling out of sorts — I wasn’t writing. I confessed to my husband, who said, “Get back to it!”

I’m happy to say that I did finish my friend’s novel and our taxes, so I will be getting back to 5am wake up times as soon as I get over this cold (uggg). But this taught me something, a lesson I’ve actually learned a number of times and am always surprised when I learn it again. I need to write. It’s as simple as that. When I’m writing, no matter what else is happening in my life, no matter how tired I am from my 5am wake ups, I can get through anything. Writing seems to center me and put everything else in my life in perspective, so I can better handle the stress.

We all need outlets of some kind. For us writers, writing is that outlet, and whether we’re doing it for profit or for fun, the need to do it is the same.

Although I needed the time off to do my friend’s novel and our taxes, next time I’m in this situation, I will change my goal. I’ll still give myself time to let a project sit between revisions — it can help enormously — but during that time, I’ll write something else.

So, on to some writing, of the community kind. Still no takers on the Community Story, but there are readers, so we’ll continue. Who will be the first to add a sentence or paragraph? Come on, don’t be shy.

Here’s what we have so far, plus my addition for this week. Post your addition in the comments and they’ll be listed next Monday.

Bonnie’s eyes flickered open as she laid on her back looking up at the sky. She caught a brief glimpse of a person moving away from a ledge 30 feet above her. Slightly dazed, she was not sure if she had fallen or been pushed, but what she did know was that her back was hurt and her head was throbbing from her fall. She lifted her right hand to her head. Wet. She was bleeding, and it didn’t feel like a cut that could be patched up with a Band Aid. It would have to wait, though. She could hear footsteps, and they were getting closer and more urgent.

Wincing against the pain that now radiated from her back as well as her head, Bonnie eased herself up to a sitting position and surveyed her surroundings. She had landed on a patch of soft grass nestled between two rock faces, and to her right was what looked like a drop off. She tried to stand, careful not to make any noise. But as her elbow buckled in pain, her hand knocked a small rock over the edge. She froze, waiting for the sound of the crash to alert the other people. But when no noise came, she looked over the edge and her head began to spin. The drop off was at least a hundred feet, ending in white caps of a rushing river.

Something hit the back of Bonnie’s head and she looked up. A rope had been thrown down from the ledge above her and a head was peering over the side. Panic rushed into Bonnie’s mind. “Climb up!” The head from above was shouting at her. But Bonnie didn’t know what to do. Was the head friend or foe? And really, what other choices did she have?

That last paragraph is this week’s addition. Post your additions in the comments and we’ll see where the story goes. Enjoy!

Write On!