The best advice I’ve received as a writer comes down to a single word: relax.Variants of that advice include: “Let the plot breathe.” “Allow digressions.” “Follow your own mind.” But sometimes, being a witness to an actual scene of instruction can be more significant than advice.
I would have been no more than four or five when I heard my mother, sitting at the dining room table, talking to herself. Only she and I were in the house. Her face was contorted and she was whispering. Was she hurt? How could I help her? I put my hand on her arm. She comforted me briefly and then went on whispering. This scene repeated itself in the future.
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