Writing Is Like Sewing

I’ve been spending some time these last few days sewing on a new costume for myself. At first, I thought I had a deadline that it had to be wearable by Saturday, Oct 14. During the 2^nd day of working on it, my husband pointed out I didn’t need it until the middle of February. Whew! That was a big relief. Because, based on how much I was getting done each day, it was NOT going to be done by Oct 14. Not unless I started working on it every waking hour, and even then it would be iffy. Besides, concentrating on that and doing nothing else would lead to massive fatigue, lots of mistakes and TONS of frustration.

Today, I set the project away and worked on my husband’s costume, which needed some repairs. That he wants done by Oct 14, and I think I can get it done. If I don’t super-glue my fingers to it.

But I got to thinking about how much sewing is kind of like writing. Or vice versa.

The typical person who wants to sew a dress, for instance, starts with a pattern, a plan. Much like a person who puts together an outline to help them get from concept to a rough draft.

But I’m starting from scratch without a pattern. I know what I want it to look like, but I’m working on it much like I work on a story; by trying to figure out how the pieces go together as I go along. I don’t often sew by the seat of my pants, but I definitely write that way.

The first part of my story, er, costume, is to take strips of different materials and sew them together to make a striped body. Kind of like pulling together sentences and paragraphs to make a scene.

Once, I wasn’t paying much attention, and I sewed the seam on the wrong side. So I had to take time to rip that seam out and do it correctly. Rather as if I had written a scene that didn’t take the story where I wanted it to go, so I had to try again.

Later, I will have to decide where the neck and sleeves go and cut the striped material accordingly. Consider that the first couple passes of editing or re-writing: Cutting out words, paragraphs, even entire chapters that aren’t needed for the final product.

And finally, there’s all the hemming and doing the finishing touches of the costume. That, I figure, is like a final polish to a story.

Hey, don’t blame me if you think my muse has got a screw loose, comparing sewing and writing. Possibly she does (have a loose screw) but sewing and writing have both been on my mind this past week.

Lost Continent

We’ve all heard of Atlantis, which was a ‘continent’ or at least a city that reportedly sank into the ocean due to some natural disaster. Every few years, there is some report in the news of the latest theory about where that continent or city was located.

When I was considerably younger, I read at least one book about the lost continent of Lemuria. I keep wanting to say the book I read was written by Lin Carter, who did write about Lemuria (before it sank into oblivion), but it was so long ago that the name of the continent is all I remember. Nowadays, Wikipedia says that a lost continent called Lemuria was proposed in 1864 by zoologist Philip Sclater, who theorized it was located in the Indian Ocean. The idea was debunked in the 20^th century once scientists understood plate tectonics and continental drift.

But a team of scientists really have discovered a lost continent now, which they are calling Zealandia. Most of it is underwater, but New Zealand and some other islands stand up far enough to be above the ocean. Zealandia is more than half the size of Australia, and it extends northwest and southeast of the New Zealand islands.

It was a part of Gondwana when that supercontinent existed, but when it started to break apart, Zealandia was one of the parts, breaking away around 81 million years ago. Then 95% of that part, Zealandia, sank beneath the waves.

The scientists have finished mapping Zealandia recently after 20 years of work, and they state that it contains a vast array of diverse rocks that proves it is made of continental crust, so it is not just a section of seafloor.

Zealandia is sometimes referred to as Earth’s 8^th continent.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zealandia

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-finally-finished-mapping-earth-s-8th-continent-zealandia-helping-them-solve-the-lost-continent-s-mysterious-history/ar-AA1hu1QE?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=71bd9ad3ca8b4b63b9e2633f4f699f75&ei=36#image=AA1bYYe9|1