Soap and Inspiration

So, I have noticed a pattern in the way I think about my novel. Aside from the fact that I think about it ALL the time (that kind of goes without saying,) I've noticed that a significant portion of my key inspirations have come when I am in the shower.

I've wondered, why is that the case? Is it perhaps the hot water and relaxation? Or is it the lovely white noise of water drowning out the chaotic symphony of my two sweet children? I think it might be a bit of both.

In either case, I'm just glad that it keeps coming. It seems that this stage of the revision process could be an area in which many writers drop out of the race. I can't blame them. This is a tough stage. There is so much work ahead of me, so much that I see I need to do, and thus far, the process of going in and typing out those revisions is surprisingly more time consuming than I thought it would be. But, as if that were not hard enough, there is this lingering sense of resolution that makes it hard to hit the computer. Because, after all, I did finish the whole first draft. That's a real accomplishment. But, I can't think that way. I absolutely have to see my novel as being far from completed.

And so, I journey on.

I work on my novel and try to push myself to finish these revisions just as hard as I pushed myself to finish the first draft. And whenever I feel myself lacking the vision, I just run the hot water, grab my loofah, and scrub my way to inspiration.