Last weekend, two friends mentioned that they read my humble blog regularly, and I was (absurdly) pleased to hear it. The point of these blogs is to be read, but still, I was surprised: A few people out there in cyber-ether keep up on me? One of them went so far as to mention that I have an exciting life. Hah! That goes to show that I’m a fiction writer — I can dramatize anything. My life is pleasantly dull, but if I can fool all of you then more power to me!
I have no deep thoughts today, but in honor of Jen and Carmen I thought I’d write anyhow. I know I’ll come up with something off the cuff, because writers can do that as well as dramatize…
Last week I didn’t write. However, yesterday was a gangbusters day, so I guess I did need a week to marinate. My friend Liz put in nicely in her comment to last Friday’s post: “It’s easy to outpace one’s creativity, especially toward the end. The mind needs some down time to assemble all the pieces correctly.”
Yep! Thanks, Liz!
Today I’m off to a slower start (time-out to write this post is the big clue). In fact, here’s an example of typical me on a typical writing day:
This morning, in bed, groggy, eyeballs gluey, stewing about today’s scene. I know its premise: two men looking for a woman who has disappeared, one of them the brother, one of them the love interest; plus, a dog they’re hoping has a decent tracking nose (it doesn’t). But what about this scene? I already know they’re not going to find her (yet)…So, what’s it all about? It feels boring — so is it meant to be a set-up scene for more to come? Is that kosher? What actually HAPPENS in this scene? What’s its plot? What’s going on? Why am I writing it? What the heck am I doing? (And so on.)
That was my groggy mind this morning. In the midst of these thoughts, the phone rang, a high-school buddy calling to remind me that I was supposed to have met her for coffee 20 minutes previously!
There you go. My hapless writer’s life in a nutshell.
0 comments on “Groggy But Writing…”
Yes, I am reading your blog. Feel the inner glow.
I’ve been out of it for almost a week, too. Today I solved my problem (maybe). It turns out that my last scene went the wrong way, and I knew it all along but I went that way anyway, etc. Wrong character, wrong dialog, wrong everything. So I butchered the scene today; left nothing but the shanks to stew on overnight. We’ll see how they taste in the morning.
So down-time does happen, maybe to me more than to others but to all of us all the same. Anyway, I’m glad you’re back.
(By the way, I seem to remember that E.G., aka The Great One, recommended putting glue on your butt, not on your eyeballs. Just a suggestion.)
Hmmm. In the light of morning, my comment sounds sassy, but I was actually feeling silly when I wrote it. Hate it when that happens. Let`s sum it up: Add me to your list of grateful readers, and it`s great that you`re back in the saddle. Cheerio!
BigD!
Thank you!
I was just wondering about you, actually, because you hadn’t sassily commented in awhile. We need to do a cafe sitting soon.
I’m glad to be back, too. Though, today I’m feeling groggier than yesterday…sigh…
Lisa, I love your blog and read it regularly. I get comfort and inspiration from your struggles and triumphs. Why am I writing this and what the #@*! am I doing have been my alternating mantras this week. Glad to know I’m in good company.
Tracer! And thank you, too, for reading my blog. And thanks for mentioning “comfort” and “inspiration.” I know for myself that I love to hear about other writers’ coping mechanisms and emotional rollercoaster rides — reassuring somehow.
Hope all is well with you. Looking forward to catching up sometime (when we get it together!).
It’s good to hear the ups and downs of a living writer!