Getting Past the Wall

Sooner or later every author hits that proverbial wall and gets stuck with their writing. Lately, I've been stuck on a plot and nothing seems to work to get it moving again. The solution? Find something to do that is far from writing so you can go back to it with a fresh look.

I've been workin on a baby afghan and finally got it finished up with another project in mind. There's a new pattern (new to me at least, but the technique isn't new) I've been dying to try out. So last night I got out a pair of knitting needles and a skein of yarn that was only good for practicing on, and I set to work.

(My fictional hero is giving me the silent treatment.)

One thing I don't like about knitting in rows is having to turn the work every time you get to the end of the row. It's especially a pain if you're working with more than one skein because every time you turn the work, the yarns get twisted. I'd heard about a way to purl stitches so you don't have to keep turning your work. It was frustrating at first since I couldn't follow the video (it was on my laptop) and I finally gave up on it. I put the work aside and picked up the book I've been reading. Suddenly I had one of those 'aha' moments and went back to the knitting. The purl stitches were so easy I wondered how I could have been so dim-witted and unable to figure it out earlier. But figure it out I did and managed to get a few rows done.

(In my eyes, said hero isn't looking quite so heroic with his attitude. He's still ignoring me for whatever reason. I can do the same.)

When I was satisfied I had the 'reverse' purl down pat, I turned my attention to the other stitch I wanted to learn. The pattern is called 'entrelac' and looking at the instructional chapter of the book I was using, I was amazed at all the different ways it could be done. I'd only seen it done in knit/purl. It looks something like a basketweave but is done differently. Craft directions don't always make sense to me so I have to read it, one stitch at a time until I see the results.

The sample called for twenty-four stitches but I added on a few more and made it thirty-two. All the better to see how it shapes up. The first directions are for setting up the triangles for the bottom edge. Because of the way it's done it's bunched up and you don't get a really good look but it's enough to know if you've succeeded. The corner triangle was a wee bit more challenging but I had to give myself a pat on the back for getting that done as well. 

Wow!  Two techniques in one night. That's a record for me.

As to the writing... Have I figured out yet what's wrong with the current plot? Nope. The hero's still refusing to say anything. I suppose I can either stand in front of this wall and wait for him to express himself, to discuss his problems.  Or I can ignore it and him in favor of working on something else entirely.

All I can say is, he'd better start talking soon or he's going to find himself being replaced by a more co-operative hero.

Meet Pauline Holyoak

 Meet, award - winning, Canadian author, Pauline Holyoak 

Read about her, “spine-chilling trilogy.” It was inspired by her own experiences at a remote little cottage near Stonehenge. Merryweather Lodge

 

“This author paints each page with fantasy, colorful characters, and haunting events that would light up a movie screen.”

           

 I grew in Southeast England, in a coal mining village lovingly nicknamed, “The place that time forgot.” Go to my website, click on ‘Articles’ and find out why.  I immigrated to Canada when I was 21 in search of adventure and a new life.  I currently live in Alberta with my sports crazy husband, adorable sheltie dog and cantankerous ginger cat. I am the proud mother of two grown children and one adorable grandchild.

I immigrated to Canada, when I was 21. I came in search of adventure and a new life.

 

     As far back as I can remember the pen and paper have been my faithful companions and story telling my forte. As a child I would sneak away from the mundane adult world, find a private retreat (usually behind the garden shed) and imagine. There in my own little sanctuary I'd conjure up all kinds of intriguing tales and colorful characters. In my teen years my journal became my confident, revealing all my hidden secrets, private fantasies and wild notions within its pages. Later I started to write poems, articles and short stories, and pondered the thought of becoming a writer.
     When I moved to Canada I buried my dreams under layers of real life clutter. I chose a safe and practical career in child care, married and raised a family. But my creative spirit kept trying to dig its way out. I was asked to write articles and editorials for our local church. I taught a story time class at the school, which lead me to writing a children's book. I wrote an article about my husbands' prestigious grandfather and sent it to our local newspaper. They printed it. I kept sending them articles, they kept printing them. I was surprised by the compliments I received from the editor and readers. It was evident to me then that I had excavated my creative spirit.
      I decided to take a comprehensive writing course to improve my technique. With help from a proficient and supportive tutor, who told me I had a gift, I began to cultivate my skill. My articles started to sell and I received an assignment from a major Canadian magazine.

           

      The first book in my Merryweather Lodge trilogy was the Readers Favorite 2011 Silver Award Winner for paranormal fiction. I have also written two children’s books and had twenty five articles and editorials published.

 

I often get asked. “What inspired you to write this trilogy?”…

 

      Every summer, when I was a child, we would visit my aunt and uncle at their quaint little cottage on Salisbury Plain. It was called Scotland Lodge and was situated not far from the historical Stonehenge. My uncle worked as a farm hand for the local squire. My aunt tended the manor house. It was there as I roamed free, deep within the English countryside, that I experienced joy, enchantment and some very strange and frightening occurrences. It was like a fairytale kingdom with a sinister twist. The memories of my summers at Scotland Lodge stayed with me, as a sort of nagging unsolved mystery all my life. A few years ago I revisited my childhood wonderland (the old place still emanates a strange and eerie essence) and was led by some mysterious force into concocting this story and writing this trilogy. It is from my mystifying experiences at Scotland Lodge that this story has emerged.

 

Blurb: It’s Christmastime at Merryweather Lodge. Emily has returned to the old cottage from her home in Canada; after the untimely death of someone she loved. Will she be able to celebrate a traditional English Christmas in her aunts enchanting little cottage or will she be tormented by the hideous creature, again? Was Emily’s attempt to banish her unearthly adversary successful? Will her aunt disclose the secrets she has been concealing for so many years? What will happen when Emily’s best friend comes to visit her? What secrets will she reveal? Will Emily ever get to make love to the man of her dreams?  A chilling tale of love, passion, sorcery and sacrifice; laced with mystery and tied with humor.

 

 Excerpt: I heard voices, lots of voices, some in a language I didn’t understand. “Find her you imbeciles. She has come back and she cannot escape. There is nowhere for her to go.” I recognized that voice but - could be - ? Shadows of screaming vultures circled overhead. The air was crisp and biting.  I moved back from the stone and gazed around the area. The ancient monoliths were smooth and uniform, in a perfect circle. Fires inside the circle lit the sky and the air reeked of wood smoke, sweet herbs, and death. I rose from the ground and peeked around the blue stone. There were clusters of people - some in long white robes, others wore dark hooded cloaks.  One of the groups closest to me was performing some sort of slaughtering ceremony. I cringed at the gruesome site. 

 

      Merryweather Lodge – A quaint little cottage, steeped in history, shrouded in secrets, its aura a paradoxical essence of heaven and hell. Come with me to the West Country in England and experience my protagonist’s strange and eerie journey there.

Merryweather Lodge – Ancient Revenge and Merryweather Lodge – Malevolent Spirit

Available at  www.whiskeycreekpress.com – www.amazon.com – www.amazon.co.uk

Visit Pauline at her website www.paulineholyoak.com Book three coming soon…