Richard Pierce

Richard Pierce – author, poet, painter

Life, Writing

Day 54

I must admit that yesterday’s post was a struggle to put together – and Aggie’s chapter. It took me almost 2 hours. The words just weren’t there, and visualising the cathedral, although I’ve been there, was almost impossible. Tired body, tired mind, I suppose. And I’d gone to sleep with a phrase in my head I was too tired to get up to write down (and I didn’t want to wake up M), and was determined I’d remember – needless to say I didn’t. It was something that seemed to wrap the value of marriage into four words. I’ve scribbled three of them down, but the second one is missing and remains a question mark.

Yesterday’s big surprise was that I didn’t have to pay for my sight test. Because of my age. Uplifting on the one hand. Yet another reminder of it on the other. Covid-19 protocols in full force, and rightly so. The crinkle of plastic, masks and gloves. I was told to take my mask off during the test to ensure the lenses didn’t mist up and skew the test. Apparently I have very good vision for someone my age with such a strong prescription. Which hasn’t really changed in the three years since I had my last test, surprisingly. I usually had a test every year because I do so much screen work, but covid…

Writing two novels at the same time is quite an unsettling experience. Changes of pace, changes of voice, change of locations, two plots (if I can ever be said to have conscious plots in my mind when I just let the characters drive the action, let them do what they want, follow them rather than them following me). In The Mortality Code, I’m just halfway through a scene where two amateurs are performing what they hope will be a life-saving medical procedure on someone else. I know. Outcome unknown. And I’m still searching for a suitable soundscape for Aggie; she’s doing everything she does either to absolute silence in this writing room, or to the radio (which has too much talking in it too often to lend itself to quick words). I do have a partial playlist for her, but I’m not convinced, and part of me thinks classical music/instrumentals might be better for her.

Absolutely still here this morning, and the sun is shining. Perhaps it’s a good omen. The fact that I really struggled to get my left sock on this morning didn’t augur quite so well. That was a case of third time lucky. Small victories, they say.

Since I wrote that, the wind has come up. So much for that.

 

AGGIE’S ART OF HAPPINESS – CHAPTER 11

 

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2 Comments

  1. Ren Powell

    23rd February 2022 at 13:11

    I hope the wind dies down and the words come.
    I love the surprising turns in the fiction, too. What if that’s the price you pay?

    1. Richard Pierce

      23rd February 2022 at 13:41

      What price and for what? Struggling for words and being unsettled at trying to create two works of fiction at the same time? If so, I think it’s probably a price worth paying. Aggie ran away from me today, and I let her run, because she feels free now, and the plot is working itself out in her head, not mine. 🙂

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