Books in some of the Brontë section of Keighley library

I haven’t touched my long ‘short story’ for several months, the writing urge being satisfied by a mixture of a daily journal on our summer trip to Romania, a couple of ‘fairy tales’ written specifically for ‘performances’ by our writers’ club and, more recently, posting almost daily on this blog. In the past few days I’ve felt an urge to resume the intertwined stories of Peter and Miranda but they wouldn’t speak to me, for me essential if I am to resume. As I commented to my writer/blogger friend in Slovenia, Kristina, maybe I should just write anything about them, even if rubbish to be ditched later, to get them talking with me again.

With that in mind I thought I would bring what I had written so far with me to read over my two double espressos in Wetherspoon then see if I could resume the story.

Inappropriate behaviour

I was almost diverted by one of the regular Wetherspoon old lags sounding off about ‘inappropriate behaviour’ towards women in the light of this morning’s news of the resignation of the UK Minister for Defence. In his view the current furore is, he announced loudly, a “witch hunt to stop ‘Brexit’”. There’s no point in trying to argue with such stupidity so, resisting the temptation to shut his mouth physically, I left for the library next door. I don’t know what Fallon’s ‘inappropriate behaviour’ was but evidently it was 15 years ago, when I often found myself a lone voice among both men and women when protesting about the acceptance of it. In fact, much more recent than that.

Inappropriate behaviour

What is odd, one of those ‘coincidences’ I don’t believe in, is that wrapped up in my story about the relationship between scantily clad, sexually provocative Miranda and the business suited ‘correct’ Peter is that it is a theme underlying the story, though perhaps not the major one. Should I make it one?

Reading what I thought was my story so far, about an hour and if I remember correctly about 25,000 words, it is now clear that I didn’t bring the complete draft. There’s a comment at some point ‘TO BE WRITTEN’ but I have a hazy memory that I did write this section so now I have to find it. What is more, I remember arguing with myself about how explicit some scenes should be and writing some which some people might argue border on the pornographic. I must find those now and perhaps I can take an objective view after the time lapse.

Visit the Brontës?

When I set out this morning I did have the idea to go to the Brontë sisters’ home in Haworth and see if being in the presence of their ghosts would prompt a creative outpouring, but though I’d still like to visit again I don’t think I need it now to resume writing my story. Anyway, I haven’t left myself time enough before picking up Petronela from school.

When I find those missing scenes and try to take an objective view, including or excluding them, maybe I need another view. The obvious answer is ask someone in our writers’ club to read it but apart from perhaps being too big an imposition for the working parents whose opinion I would find valuable, they are all much too ‘nice’ to give me real criticism.

So, for now I’ll pop upstairs to the Brontë section to get a picture so I can finish this post then the hunt will be on to find the parts I’ve ‘mislaid’.