Sunday 29 July 2012

A Moment to Stop and Grow!


I love cactus plants and this beautiful flower appeared yesterday on one of the cactus in our garden. The flowers do not last for long, but to me they are always a surprise and I love their vibrant colours.

Cactus reminds me a little of writing. The plants vary in size: their colours can be vivid or pale, their spines can be like fine hairs or hypodermic needles that pierce the skin with pain! And then they surprise you with beautiful flowers. Writing can be a little like the cactus at time. The new book you’ve had racing around your head for so long begins to grow, a small seed that germinates and grows as words flow rapidly tumbling out faster than fingers can hit the keys or ink can scratch the paper, and then without warning, like a drought the flow stops. You look around and search manically for those droplets to feed your new plant, but nothing. The pain at the loss of word flow is a pain that grows and then when you thought you had nothing but spikes piercing you, tormenting you to keep searching, unexpectedly a flower emerges and opens: vivid and bright and suddenly there is a new flow of words. It seems that nature just needed a moment to show you, your mind needed a moment to stop, rest and grow.

My week has been like my beautiful cactus, a tad spiky at times, and yet a flower has emerged as I now have the working title for my latest book:
 The Summer of Sixty Five.

What happens in the summer of sixty five will change the lives of three families forever. Love and lies can destroy, but it will need love and forgiveness to rebuild shattered lives.

I’ve not yet managed to get to the point that I can type The End, but I’m closing in and I know when I do type those two words, it will be like the vivid flower on my cactus.

Thank you for stopping by and as always, sending sunny smiles from our steaming hot island!



14 comments:

Deedee said...

Oh I so cannot wait to read your new book! Sounds intriguing! XXXXXX

Francine Howarth said...

Hi,

The blue hue of your blog implies need for cool waters! ;)

Ah, The Summer of Sixty Five: Sounds like a Long Hot Saga... :o

best
F

Gilli Allan said...

When it blooms that flower will be a brilliant magenta.

It will open its petals soon! gx

Pauline Barclay said...

Hello Jontybabe, thank you so much. xx

Hi Francine, I love the blue background it is the reflection of the ocean I see each day. As for Summer of Sixy Five, it's another sage, hot a chilled! :)

Hello Gilli, the flower will stay yellow, though we have other cactus that have vivid magneta flowers, but they don't flower every year. xx

mohadoha said...

Titles are important... like a compass to point you where you're going. Glad the week ended on a good note!

Unknown said...

Your book sounds great Pauline! :)

Susan Russo Anderson said...

great post, never thought of writing as being like a cactus, but it's so true! and so love the comparison of writers block to the pain of "spikes piercing you" fantastic, Pauline!!

Suzy, The Grey Brunette said...

Pauline, even your posts are written beautifully!
I LOVE the new title... it certainly sounds extremely promising. But then that goes without saying with your books! Good luck getting it finished.
XX

Pauline Barclay said...

Hello Mohadoah, you are so right,a title points you in the direction you need to go.

Hi Harvey, thanks very much :)

Hello Susan, it feels like that sometimes when the words dry up and you are left with spikes needling you to find the words again!

Hi Suzy, I'm blushing, but thank you so much for your kind words. I'll get there, my characters won't allow me to sleep until I do... laugh!

Unknown said...

Love the title, Pauline. Will look forward to reading it!

A beautiful flower appeared on my cactus at the weekend too. I love the way they thrive on neglect. :)

Pauline Barclay said...

Hello Shirley, thanks, it took some getting there. I've not finished the first write, but the title has been a tough one! Glad to hear your cactus is flowering too.

jolambertwriter.blog said...

Hi Pauline, glad you've found a title. Sometimes it takes a little time and it so has to be right! Can't wait to read - as you know I love the sixties, as my trilogy is set there. A fabulous time to be young!

Kit Domino said...

Love the title, Pauline, and look forward to reading.

Pauline Barclay said...

Hello JO, it took some coming up with, I had several ideas and then this one popped into my head and I knew it was right.

Hi Kit, thank youn so much.