White Space

In book design as in graphic arts generally, there is a place for ‘white space’ to allow the reader or viewer a pause, a respite, a small contemplative region on the page or canvas. I am currently in a personal ‘white space’ and have turned to a bit of self observation to figure out its significance, if any.

This blog has been, and continues to be, about lessons derived from my late-blooming plunge into writing. I have learned and reported on many of those experiences from gaining inspiration to character development to development of personal process to pacing and so forth and so on. When I began writing – at the urging of my beloved muse/editor/wifemate, Barbara – I had a minor explosion of output; eight or ten novellas during the first eight months followed by a long novella and an almost-novel-length work. All told, there are now 22 pieces on Amazon and a few not yet posted in my three year run. So, this ‘white space’ has come as somewhat of a surprise. I don’t think of it as ‘block’, the horrid and sinister block that writers fear is a sure sign that they are finished. No, it doesn’t feel that way at all and yet, I am currently not move to write. Ergo, I have come up with the term ‘white space’ in the absence of something snappier.

I have an inventory of plotlines recorded but, for whatever reason, they just don’t grab me at the moment. My best guess is that I am in a ‘reloading’ stage, doing a lot of reading and observing and not at all panicked into a puddle of guilt at not being bent over the keyboard or having the 1000 yard inspirational stare out the window between fevered paragraphs that leave the computer’s working memory hot and smoking. No, this is a new part of the process and one that I refuse to read as negative.

Of course, I could just be finished and not yet know it. We’ll see….