It’s high season for writers. At least the writers I stay in touch with regularly.

I’m not sure if it’s the foul weather bedeviling so many parts of the country or the promise of spring, a distant mirage teasing folks in the Finger Lakes. But notes about new writing projects, partially completed manuscripts dusted off or advice about what direction they should take are sprouting like daffodils in my email inbox.

Makes me feel a tad guilty about my own on-hold writing projects awaiting my attention outside this weekly screed.

One recent communique came from a friend struggling with such a project. She had risen early, inspired by rambling thoughts in her waking brain. She wrote for about 15 minutes, stopping to refill her coffee mug.

Somewhere between her keyboard and the coffee pot the narrative thread that had her excitedly stacking paragraphs faster than an Amazon warehouse worker lining up boxes went poof! Unsurprisingly, she was bummed.

“Stacking paragraphs” is a phrase I adapted from writer James Lee Burke.........

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