Last Class

Had my last first writing class Tuesday night and we talked a little bit about how people get unstuck from writing--like how you might write yourself into "a pickle," as the teacher put it. Someone suggested writing dialogue; someone else said to go back to description. I did a little writing this morning (revisions of the story are due next week) and realized that when I get stuck (at least during revision), I tend to go back into the story and find a specific paragraph that needs work and go with that. Or write something ridiculous. Or write a different ending. But the truth is that I'm so rusty with writing that I'm not quite sure what it is that works best. I think I've found a different ending to the story I'm working on--one that doesn't tie up so neatly, but gets closer to the core of the matter, I hope.

I had a moment the other day where I was walking on this really windy day and I had left the house feeling relatively cute, but then a huge gust of wind blew up and turned my umbrella inside out and made my hair fly straight into the air like this:*

I couldn't help but thinking at that moment that it would be a great thing to put in a story--girl showing up for a blind date, about to arrive at the restaurant and a blast of wind totally decimates her look and the guy she's supposed to meet sees it happen through the window and leaves. And she can't blame him.

*Thanks to Leigh Ann at Cats in Baths for the inspiration to add drawings to my blog.