Nothing is lost to the writer

My NaBlo posts are in the form of letters to my journal about my revision process. Along the way, I'll include Home-Made Revision Workshop posts, and my Friday Challenges.


Dear Journal,


Well, that's over with for another year. We had a lovely Thanksgiving Dinner, though not traditional. We had a big pork roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, carrots and parsnips, red cabbage and apples, huge salad, green beans and for dessert - pumpkin pie, red berry crumble, cheesecake and ice cream. Yay!  And you know what, dear journal? I made NOTHING. The dear guy with a bit of help from the step-dot did quite a bit; the step-dot's mum brought the crumble and the green beans, Gwen (who just arrived for writing Tuesday) brought a honking big salad and the red cabbage dish and dear guy's nephew brought a Sarah Lee cheesecake. Yay! I vacuumed, swept up mountainous dog hair and organized the moving of the giant dining room table (it is from an Air Force Mess). We added another smaller table and had room for twelve. 


As well, during the day, I revised one chapter. It was more than just turning it from 1st to 3rd - I guess they all are - but this one in particular. It was a small chapter but I made it smaller and considered throwing it out. The fact that I didn't means that I found its use and shined it up. 


Today, Gwen is here, and I will spend at least three hours on revisions. Today I plan to just mow through as many chapters as I can and also, maybe, talk to Gwen about some character enriching. I might look at some of my more descriptive chapters - the ones where my protagonist is walking in the prairie land of southwestern Alberta. I'm reading a very compelling book by Sharon Butala about the land she inhabits in southwestern Saskatchewan,  Wild Stone Heart, and it has given me some ideas! If you haven't read this writer - do! This book is a meditation on her part of the world, and it is comparable to Pilgrim at Pincher's Creek by Annie Dillard - especially the sensuousness of the writing and the bringing in of so much history and understanding of what a piece of land can teach us.


I guess, journal, that my learning for today will be that everything is of use to the writer. Experiences as a householder; the books we read for enjoyment, diversion, or learning; and the environment that we inhabit - all grist for the writer's mill.