Well, it’s no secret that Jayne and I love to write. And that we love to write together, hence our little writing retreats to those dreamy small towns.
It’s once we’re back in the city that things get a little more difficult to orchestrate. There are errands, work schedules, and all kinds of other adult stuff to manage. We barely make time for our boba trips, you guys.
But on the rare occasion that we can make time to write together, it’s like magic.
First of all, there’s food involved (who’s surprised? Show of hands!), because we know that you can’t work on an empty stomach.
In this case, Jayne prepared a delightful breakfast, thoughtfully taking into account my Passover eating restrictions (alas, no French toast for me this time). I’d like to point out that Jayne is pretty much always aware of any dietary restrictions I have and makes sure to account for them, like a sweet grandmother doting on her spoiled, fat grandchild. Like, “Oh, no, he mustn’t have dairy, it upsets his little tummy.”
Anyway, no good writing happens without good fuel, so Jayne has that covered.
Then, we break down our notes and discuss everything that needs explaining, developing, clarifying, or removing entirely from our writing.
This time, it took about 6 hours to get through it all. Six hours of us going into the exact minute wording of things or laughing about how much we still enjoy a particular scene. The most daunting part is when we discuss what major parts need to be rewritten or added. It’s overwhelming, imagining how long it’ll take to do something like that, considering how hard it is for us to find time to write at all.
But when I get home, my head is still buzzing with ideas, and when I sit down to write, I realize that everything Jayne pointed out, every omission and every undeveloped moment, is a goldmine of ideas. So when I begin writing, I am seeing things I never noticed and writing scenes that add layers and layers to our characters, because of Jayne’s insight and explanations.
Plus, judging by the fact that Jayne is currently telling me she’s excited to explore our characters more, I like to think our muse-ship is mutual.
And that kind of inspiration is the sign of a good writing dynamic. So, here’s hoping this duo has more time to make magic this year!
–T
Lady Bromance 