Inspiration in the trees

15. Wednesday 15 January 2026

Does it count as having rewritten two chapters that I wrote chapter 8 and deleted chapter 9? Probably not, but I have written a few paragraphs of chapter 9, which was chapter 10 and chapter 10 is double figures so sounds like a leap in progress. What's wrong with my memory? I think I might have actually written two-maybe-three chapters. I think I started with chapter 7. Go me, if I did!

                Chapter 9, which was 10, requires a proper rewrite as it’s one character’s version of what happened to the victim in my story. From trying to write a crime novel, I have discovered it is extremely difficult to come up with a watertight version of what happened. Our lives are all complicated and there are infinite elements of back story to everything we think, say or do. I have also discovered that it is very difficult to kill off a character in an accident. The version of events I had initially written is far more flawed (based on other things I’ve written) than I realised because, despite having read that section numerous times, I still find errors or gaping holes. I figure it’s best to completely rewrite it rather than try to correct it. Fictional deaths, it would seem, are very complex.

In other news, sourdough interaction was minimal today (just a bit of folding this morning and it’s been in the fridge ever since). I got a big overwhelmed with what I was trying to write today. I had lunch, saw a suggestion of sunshine outside and decided to have a short walk even though I didn’t really want to go out as the wind chill was a few degrees below freezing. I’m very glad I did go for that walk, it woke me up and made me feel so much better. I kept wanting to walk off the road and into the woods, so I did. Not a single vehicle (or person) passed by while I was in the trees. The sound of wind blowing the tops of the trees but being sheltered and quiet on the forest floor was amazing. I will miss living here and writing here and having so much unspoilt space and clean air around me.

Today was only day four (I keep thinking I’ve been at this stage for at least a fortnight) and I’m already on chapter 10 (well, sort of 9) so I’m making more progress than I’ve given myself credit for. I have also finished class 1, which is probably the longest of the six classes in terms of what I feel needed to be written for each class. I would be happy to get through two chapters tomorrow, but writing a more watertight version of “what happened” could take a while. So long as I finish that section, I’ll be happy. But another chapter would, of course, be more satisfying.

And another thing. When I quickly reread this, I was reminded of the importance of editing and rewriting. I don't have time to properly go through these posts after I've written them, but it's more important to me to write and post them than it is to improve them and still post them every day. It should feel liberating in contrast to my fretting over individual words while editing my novel, yet I feel strangely fraudulent for "being able" to just write and publish this.

I'm on the cusp of ranting and rambling, so I will end here and transport myself to the peace and quiet of my tree bathing session (that sounds far more wanky than it was!).