I have found it is absolutely impossible to be either sad or uncreative while bouncing on a trampoline. If also playing the maracas (I'm dogsitting for a couple who are both musicians, so yes. there are instruments all over the place.)the effect is doubled, and if bouncing, maraca-ing and rewriting the end of a book I gave up on reading because I had a feeling the ending was going to go a certain way, and that's one of my pet bugaboos, the effect is positively exhilirating. Must get mini trampoline for own home. Maracas optional. Though we do need dogs as soon as we are in a place big enough for one. Actually, make that two. Dogs are pack animals, so must have at least two for a pack.

But anyway. There I am, bouncing, maraca-ing, watching Jazz doggy snooze through the whole mess in the corner, mulling over in my mind where I would have taken the right turn at Albequerque (apologies for anyone who may have seen me misspell your home town) and get the giant message that yes, this is what I'm supposed to be doing. I'd forgotten how good it feels to get the body moving to free the creative centre in the brain. Add must get bike to list of future purchases. Spurred, naturally, by the fact that my critique partner, friend, and collaborator on the big historical epic, Elise, is now the proud owner of both bike and laptop (the other thing on the top of the list) Not jealousy, but direction. I love seeing how other writers do things, and get ideas to incorporate into my own process.

Have not actually written, except emails, blog entries, and letters, this weekend, but I planned it that way. My weekend with the girls before they go to their new homes, so they get my attention. (Though if the new owners need a dogsitter, I am available.) But that hunger. that desire to not only follow my characters around, but climb inside their skins, and take a look through their eyes (cue Phil Collins) is there in full force.

I figured out over the past week that one of the things I haven't been doing lately that I was doing in my ten to twenty pages a day days, was consistently reading excellent historical romances. Meaning the stuff that resonates with me, the larger than life, broad sweeps across continents and years, heroes and heroines who are alphas both, with the requisite clash before they fit. Not "I hate you, let's boink" but two individuals who have to smooth out a few things before they can fully trust and commit to another person. Which always makes for a good story in my book. Pun intended.

I do have notes I made during the Wednesday night critique group meeting, and my assignment for the week. One scene that gets Simon and Jonnet to Breda, Holland. Can be two pages, or twenty pages, or anything in between, but the scene must be complete. I have a list of things I need to explore by that point in their relationship and journey, and am looking forward to the actual writing. Need to crawl the library for some research stuff, so can probably do that while laundry is spinning tomorrow. But first, dogs need a long walk.