Nine Letters in Wonderful

In thinking about the number nine I always go right to the Lord of the Rings. Nine brave heroes set out from Rivendell to counter the nine evil Ringwraiths. When I consider my own quest stories and how many should be in the team, I never think of writing nine. Nine is so big. J.R.R. Tolkein was truly a master writer to choose nine characters to involve himself with. But how fun to imagine having nine friends, clotting the trail, sitting around the sizzling bacon during the campfire, making a cacophony of snores at night; and leaving one elf to smile about the noise while he sits on watch. And poor Frodo, blushing while bards sing about his nine fingers.

Nine months is so long when you’re pregnant, too. God knew what He was doing to design it that way, of course. It takes nine months to adjust, to begin to lay your life down, and to transition into anticipation. The story I’m writing now has five main characters and four side ones. Hmmm. Maybe I’ll lock them in a cave and make them figure out how to free themselves. Maybe I’ll dabble with the wonders of nine, just for fun and as a nine-sided challenge!

The Original Eighth

There’s something about the eighth chapter for me. I just finished writing the eighth chapter in my current story. And, as often happens, I’ve hit a crossroads. In the past, when I was first learning to write, the eighth chapter was painful. Still, in the first story I tried to complete, I’m stuck there, forever glued to the road. Those old characters, in their nineties clothes, frozen with animated faces. I didn’t have the courage to push through it then. I thought this was it. That’s all I can do. And I let years go by before I tried again. My third novel was called ‘Vanish’ and I hit chapter eight and froze like a block. I went on long walks and pondered. It would hurt too much if I quit. Days went by, and then weeks. And finally, one day the light came on. An idea, so brilliant, so perfect for my story, had me rushing home to go on. Now, when I hit the Eighth chapter and freeze, I don’t fear it so much. I know by the time I’ve reached this far, the story is established. I can trust myself to find the answer like the quest my character is on. There’s eight chapters of original inspiration in me. But that makes moving on to chapter nine exciting. I hope I come up with something grand!