For several years I have contemplated going solar, but always have been intimidated by the cost. Finally, I found out that it is relatively affordable at this point, and so this morning step one in the process began by taking away all my electricity. So I am at Cuppers enjoying a peanut butter mocha coffee and catching up on emails — and writing some. The solar thing is interesting. It’s a “sea change” in how we look at energy production and distribution. The arguments for and against come down mostly to environmental impacts (though business economics and displacement of oil and coal jobs can be serious, too.) Frankly I don’t buy the pro coal arguments that there is as much effect from mining for minerals to make solar panels as there is to burn coal. The real selling point to me is that generating electricity at the site that uses it is so much more efficient. Nearly two-thirds of the electricity is lost as it is transmitted over power lines from generating plants to other cities. I also like clean air.
It made me think about writing. You laugh…”he’s kidding, right?” Nope. When you write a story there often comes a point in the process where you realize you have a problem and you have to make huge changes to make the story work…especially if you are “pantsing" a work of fiction.* It’s an uncomfortable feeling, and you will argue with yourself that you don’t want to go through all the changes. It pays to sit and evaluate the problem and how the changes can be implemented. Is there a simple work-around, or do you need to make major structural changes. Will you have a better product as a result? That’s the decision point where you stop and take a day off. Come back, maybe run your problem by another writer friend and see if some brainstorming can bring things back into focus, then move forward with the work needed. And get a peanut butter mocha, too! * This is one of the reasons why I think writing from a skeleton plot outline at the very least is generally the best way to go in writing unless you are very confident that you have your story line and characters clearly in mind when you start.
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Greg
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