In the Clouds When I Should Be Writing

If you ask my husband what he "sees" in the clouds, he will, every single time, tell you that he sees "a bunny." When I look at clouds, I see texture and shades of color and possibilities.

Thanks to my first grade teacher, the grandmotherly Mrs. Walker, who took us to the grassy playground, told us to lie on our backs, look up at the sky and describe the shapes we saw, I developed a passion for the sky and fell in love with clouds. However, when you move to the cornfields of Illinois and later the Gulf Coast, you quickly learn clouds aren't just bunnies and elephants and Abraham Lincoln's hat. They can be funnel clouds dipping to to the ground or the fury of a hurricane headed for land. They often revise your plan for the day.

Lately, I've been cloud-gazing again, and I'm convinced Texas clouds are the biggest and best-- probably the meanest and most dramatic, too. I've been snapping clouds pics for a few months now. From the car... in flight... through the branches of the trees around our house. I took the photo above when we were leaving the Grand Canyon. It's hard to believe there's a canyon nearby! The clouds below are Texas clouds. I took the photo from the car yesterday. It poured an hour later.

I write a lot in the car and on planes and, when I get stumped, a good long look at clouds is often just what I need to haul me over a rough spot. I'll allow my mind to wander just long enough to untangle an issue with my WIP or figure out what should come next...

What do YOU do to give yourself a short, creative break?

WIP Clue for the week is: Austin, Texas


Writing Tip of the Week is: Find a creative break that is not reading. Free your mind from words for a bit, and watch them flow when you return to your writing.

I guess that's all for now. Today, while I drink my first cup of coffee and write the next chapter, Annie and I will imagine our bags are packed, we're ready to go... to Washington State! Scroll to the bottom of the page for a beautiful view that will explain WHY Washington. We're so ready to feel a cool autumn breeze... Are you?




Sunrise over New Mexico or Arizona