I’m on the verge of starting to write something new. The opening scene has been playing out in my head in different variations, and the one that hit me last night as I was falling asleep feels like it’s the right one. That led to seeing the second scene, and that means that the characters are pretty solid in my head and I’m seeing the movie of this book in my mind. That’s when it gets exciting and fun.

It’s a cold day and I still have a bit of a cold, so spending a day playing in an imaginary land sounds like the way to go. I’ve got my adjustable bed in what I call “recliner mode” so that it works like a chair, I’ve got the electric blanket, and I’ve got a pot of hot tea in the thermos. I’m all set.

Now watch me sputter out after an hour of writing, and I’ll know that there’s more work to do or maybe the idea isn’t viable. That’s why this is a fun/scary/exciting phase of writing, when that perfect, wonderful story in my head crashes into reality and I see what it really looks like.

Fortunately, the cold weather isn’t supposed to stick around long, but it’s been below freezing enough to kill off the mosquitoes, so I’ll be able to enjoy the outdoors even more. Now let’s just hope my cold goes away that quickly.