Hotdogs and Fireworks

The May 24th Victoria Day long weekend has finally arrived. This is the first holiday weekend of the year when Canadians can run around outside wearing shorts and T-shirts. It's time to take the cover off the air conditioner and clean the barbecue grill. Last night's fireworks were noisy and colourful and they went on a little too long. At least, I think 1:00 a.m. is too long and so did poor Little Bear who is terrified of anything that goes BANG! She does love playing in the sprinkler and it's a great way to keep her clean. No bathtub for this dog. The first time we tried to put her in the tub, she made a huge fuss. I was afraid the neighbours would think we were killing her, so no more indoor baths. In the winter she rolls around in the snow and during the hot months she plays with the hose or sprinkler.

I'm afraid my writing has taken the back burner for the past month. My bout of pneumonia took a long time to heal, partly because my doctor misdiagnosed me and the first week of meds didn't help at all. I have a little more energy now, just in time to start planting flowers, herbs and vegetables. There's a payoff to all the hard work. During the summer I love to sit outside on the deck and edit my manuscript while glancing up occasionally to admire the garden.

Since I haven't written for the past month, I'm reluctant to get back into my manuscript and I'm not far enough along to just pick up the pieces and continue. I've completed the prologue and two chapters, about fifty pages, and I'm ready to introduce the antagonist. This person is not bad, in fact, the protagonist is rather evil in his own curious way. The antagonist is a good cop with personal problems that make him vulnerable to the main character's wants and needs.

I spent most of last evening reviewing my first draft chapters. It's surprising how the characters are already taking on distinctive personalities and telling me what they should say and do. Of course I listen to them and follow through. Although I write long, detailed outlines, my finished novels rarely resemble the original concepts. I think this novel may be the exception. The outline has been sitting in a drawer since 1993. I've pulled it out once every year, hoping it would speak to me, but it wasn't until last December that I felt I was ready to tackle the four-book series. Details that had eluded me until now began to emerge. Characters, who had been bit players in the outline, have miraculously developed temperaments and egos. If I'm lucky, the novel might write itself.