Correlation.

I just finished writing about going to the dentist. I had been looking forward to writing this chapter because there a complete story there -- an area of exposition, rising action, a climax, and final resolution. I miss that. Sometimes I struggle with this whole writing-a-book thing because the plot line is so stretched out it gets hard for me to see where I am at on it. But this chapter, oh, this one has a plot. And I just couldn't wait to get it written down.

And then, when it comes time to write it, I stall out. No gas. Nada, zilch, nothing.

Why? Why does that happen?!

Well, tonight I figured out why, at least for this particular chapter.

I have discovered that the mode I am in with writing, the emotion I put into it, the feelings I feel as I do it, ALL OF THIS, directly correlates with the emotions I am writing about. Which is why, for instance, when I wrote the story about my cars I typed away quickly, excitedly, with a huge smile on my face and tears in my eyes. I was writing about joy, so I was experiencing joy. Or when I was writing earlier in this project about bumming around on a lazy Saturday afternoon I wrote slowly and calmly, as if I had no care in the world.

This chapter, being about going to the dentist with 31 children, fighting them as they needed to have teeth extracted, dealing with parents who could care less that their child was in need of them to comfort them in a time of pain and anxiety, well... this chapter was about a day of incredibly high stress. As I sat there, typing the words that recounted these events, that stress came back. My speed increased and so did my errors. My heart rate jumped up as well. Those feelings that were long forgotten with this tale -- because we all know when I tell the story out loud it is one of humor and bravery -- returned along the words on the page.

But I finished it. Finally. And now I am off to enjoy a hot shower to de-stress.