[ Maybe in a way, having something to do with his hands is helping with his focus. It's something for him to do for her while he tries to make sense of what he needs to do as a writer and as someone trying to write his escape. He continues touching her and letting his hands wander as his thoughts swirl around and words start to leave him almost on their own. ]

I'm trying, I really am. I wish I could just write something as simple as "he turned the corner and a door opened for him to walk through", but that's not how this works.

[ He rubs a small circular pattern against her back as he mulls over things and tries to find answers to her questions. ]

Writers do that, yeah. I'm trying to do that, and I have some ideas. I have my writing, or what's supposed to be my writing, and I'm trying to use it to put things together.

[ He falls silent then as his words trail off. I'm trying to put things together, but it's not working. So far, it's not working. Will it ever work? ]

I'm hoping that one of these days, something actually comes out of what I've been trying to put together.