JP McLean

Writing Addictive Fiction

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Battling Weeds and Plot Holes

April 25, 2017 By JPMcLean 18 Comments

A dwarf apple tree in JP's yard before the weeding on Denman IslandYesterday, I gathered my knee pad, gloves, and garden tools and set out to dig in the dirt. With a mind to battling weeds and plot holes, I crawled under one of the dwarf apple trees. A regiment of weeds had settled in during the winter.

Weeding is one of those chores I do on autopilot, which frees up my mind to wander where it may. Normally, it wanders into the book I’m writing and combs through plot and character tangles.

A dwarf apple tree in JP's yard after the weeding on Denman IslandYesterday, however, it didn’t wander that far. Across the road I heard the bleat of new lambs, the drone of a neighbour’s lawnmower, the sputter of a chainsaw. Overhead, birdsong competed with the distant clang of metal as someone worked on farm machinery.

These are sounds I hadn’t missed until I heard them again—sounds of spring and the promise of summer. It reminded me how fortunate I am to live in the countryside. I’m grateful I’m able to enjoy it.

Photo of a rainbow from Denman Island vantage pointAfter a few hours of weeding, I felt refreshed, recharged. I’m now ready to tackle James, a character who is causing no end of trouble in the next Gift Legacy installment.

Is anyone else hearing the sound of spring?

Now . . . back to writing!

Pick up your weed-free digital copy of the book that started it all: Get Secret Sky from your favourite retailer right here! Or click on the image for more purchase options.
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