I’ve been away for a while, missing in action. First, there was the week I had family in town and six house guests. Before they arrived, I cleaned the house, refreshed linens, planned menus and shopped.

Our guests left on Monday and we departed for vacation a couple hours later. My characters danced in my head while we were gone, but I never sat down to write. We golfed, we hiked, we played and I worked on my coloring book, a blessedly mindless activity.

When we returned, it was a typical first week back from vacation. Plus I did laundry and all the tasks you do after guests leave. And besides that, my calendar was full of commitments. (This post is not just excuses, really.)

When I sat down in the coffee shop yesterday to write, I was stuck. I didn’t know where to begin. I stared at the blank screen, considering what needed to be done. I decided to read back a few scenes, just to get my feet wet.

Doing so, I got reconnected  with my characters and caught up on what they were up to. It’s like when you get together with a friend you haven’t seen for a long time. In the beginning, it’s a little awkward until you get back into sync. And then before long, you’re finishing each other’s sentences.

Once I started, the scene flowed smoothly. It did go a different way than I expected. Sometimes characters do that, they take the story or scene in a new direction.

That’s what happened yesterday. Maybe they took over because they knew I was having trouble getting started. Then again, maybe they would have done it anyway.

I’m happy with where they went. At least it’s consistent with my bigger plan so I don’t need to re-work other parts of the story. Considerate of them!
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