Second Draft Diaries: January 18, 2025
The best part about a second draft is that you find yourself wandering paths you’re very familiar with. This will be maybe my eighth time revising and revisiting On Sundays, She Picked Flowers. I know all of her story beats, and yet I’m fascinated by what I find to expound upon. My editor asked me to bulk up Act 2, and I’m still in Act 1 surprised that I can say more about Jude and her mother, surprised there are nuances and threads I can weave in throughout the story.
I was out earlier today to do some writing at a cafe, and I was kind of blocked. The words were simply not wording, and I spent most of my time frowning, choosing and then pausing music, and wondering why nothing I was doing was working. When I got home, I was really able to lock in. I hate to see it, hate for it to be true, but I do my best work when I’m on my bed, in pajamas, and hunched over my laptop. Being outside does nothing for me but make me self-conscious and think too much. Indoors, it’s only me, my loud ass fan, my air purifier and my thoughts. Seriously, what else do I need?
What music I did manage to listen to came from my On Sundays, She Picked Flowers playlist. I’m proud of all of my playlists, but this one feels extra special because I’ve been working on it since 2016. Like, this is my baby, my precious flower! I prune her, I water her, I frequently feed her songs that make no sense and then make it up to her with something really on brand. It is, to me, the perfect blend of jazz and experimental and blues and gospel. So proud of it! Tell me, by the way, if you all would like liner notes for this playlist. I have so much to say about literally every song that I chose.