Getting Clearer

Today's writing was even smoother than yesterday's. This is becoming much easier as my tension dissipates. I'm starting to realize that while attention to detail is important, it's much easier to write something and then revise it instead of revising as you go (although I still do a fair amount of that because I hate to continue while imperfection lies behind me). It's easier to fix the small stuff afterward because the piece's purpose is constantly changing as I write, so my revisions might not be relevant and then I have to go back and revise it again.

Today I wrote about my yard. The piece progressed through seasons, although it wasn't like I labeled each season. The transitions aren't that clear in real life. Here's an excerpt from the summer leading into fall:

"And ultimately, the coolness of the evenings crept up into the afternoons as fall slowly descended. While the air cooled, the colors of the trees heated up as if to offer temporary compensation. Many kids continued to play hard every afternoon. I became more quiet and meditative in the fall. In the woodlot next to our house, I’d see the oak’s fluorescent orange leaves, each leaf bordered by a bright scarlet. I’d see a wide maple with leaves the color of overripe bananas. I’d see a crimson cherry tree. I’d see minute squirrels clambering over the branches of trees. I’d see the leaves shaking as the wind pushed them. First, I’d hear the hushed rustle, which would build with the wind’s momentum in a dramatic crescendo until, at its peak, the sound became a dissonant, crackling noise resonating through the woods and my yard; the fierce cold wind pushed my hair aside and hit the nape of my neck. The sound of the wind in the trees would gradually soften, returning to its original pianissimo and then finally silence. I watched the sky as, day by day, the solid blue summer sky faded, and the colored leaves withered and spilled from their trees. The whippoorwill’s call became less frequent until it finally disappeared with the winter."

I met with my sponsor Mrs. Lemeris today, who liked Monday's piece about the church. I had handed to her, embarrassed, telling her about how I had felt anxious on Monday and how the essay might reflect that, but she and I had a long discussion about the purpose of religion in our lives as well as my writing style, which seemed to her an interesting sort of chronological stream of consciousness. She said that she was impressed at how I pulled all of my disparate details together at the end. I can't wait for next week when I can polish these pieces and make them quality essays!