Anita, in a way only Anita can, lightly chided me for not blogging more often and I'd like to explain myself. So here's the truth: I got nothin'.
My creative juices have dried up. I've written nothing original in weeks. I sit down to blog and I have nothing to say. In fact, I tried to post earlier and then realized that the whole thing sounded familiar. So I checked my own archives and found a post that was almost identical to the one I was composing. ("Composing" makes this whole thing sound much more serious.)
I've done some revising on my YA, but even that's slow going. I've tried coming up with new stuff and I sit there and stare at the white screen of my laptop. I type some drivel and backspace over it, type some more garbage and erase that too. That story about the ducks is the best I've come up with in what feels like forever and I got nary a response to that which means it pretty well sucks.
So since I haven't written anything, I really have nothing to blog about. I can't exactly blog about my writing because there's hasn't been any. I could blog about the minutiae of my extremely interesting life, but how often can you go to that well before the water starts to get that metallic taste to it and you think it might have too high an iron content and so you buy bottled water even though you know it's a total rip-off and probably not that much healthier than the stuff coming out of the tap? You know?
Patience, young padawans. Genius is a fickle beast.
13 comments:
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OH my gosh! It was absolutely hilarious reading your post and then going right to that JUSTICE PUBLISHING comment. Something about it just CRACKED ME UP!
I have no patience and like to try bossing people around, so: I think you should write something about that Lehane book you're reading. I haven't read it, but I looooove Lehane and will get to this book soon. Maybe post your favorite Lehane sentence from the book and tell us why it's your favorite like only PMM can---Lehane has some awesome passages in his other books. I've read MYSTIC RIVER twice. It's THAT good.
Nobody is posting right now. It's the whole holiday thing, I think.
Husband hasn't slept in 40 hours and I've been up since 5AM, because I hda to take daughter to Denver for her light therapy. Husband and I are trying to stay out of bed until after 8:30 tonight, but I don't think we'll make it. My point: I'm totally out of it. Just ignore me.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone (even you rude blog invaders at JUSTICE PUBLISHING).
Well, that duck story was pretty kick ass.
Time to try something brand new and write a little about that.
It's the holidays--and you're a teacher--of course your brain is mushy and metallic-tasting. (Not that I've tasted your brain or anything.)
You know--you should come hang out with us at flashy fiction. It's fun to read and write flash fiction and it's a rush. Seriously, come to the dark side--we have cookies. We've had a lot of newbs there lately discovering the fun that is a short, commitment-free relationship to genius.
Okay--this feeling is everywhere right now. People on the blue boards are talking about how their writing sucks and that they're quitting (kind of), and bloggers are writing about the dry spell.
My theory--that there is a minute ammount of words/ideas in the universe, and the vast number of NaNo-ers are sucking more than their fare share from the writing collective.
There just aren't any more words out there to be had.
But, sit tight--the cure is just around the corner. The dam will break in December when everyone wraps up their NaNo novel and sends it right away to agents.
Patience. The words will come.
Have I mentioned that my NaNo novel rocks? ;-)
I love Heather's comment the the NaNo's are using all the words. And like Anita, I want to give you advice. But first, I miss you when your not blogging, Paul Michael Murphy. In the end you don't have to say much, just say something and we all jump right in. Think of this as a community and when there are no words, Justice Publishing will come to the rescue (or any number of us that like to wax on after your posts). I think I read on your blog a long time ago that you write to entertain yourself. And I wish I could emulate that. You have the ability to connect and we flock to it. The duck story was great BUT I had nothing to say afterward. THIS, I have plenty of experience with, THIS, I have lots to say about. These times suck and they come to all of us, I'm pretty sure. You just have to cycle through them, you have no choice. But it is hard as hell. These are the times when you can't really believe it is all up to you, that the words come and go depending on how happy the muse is (or whoever it is that supplies your words. Justice Publishing?). It helps a little. Then you don't have to try so hard and that definitely helps. Inspiration comes better when you take it easy. Either that or there is something great in the works, some great revision for your YA. Anita's comments got in there and started brewing and now your brains working on that and there's not enough energy to blog as well. A great revision takes time, my friend.
Thanks for the support, all. I actually mapped out some revisions for the YA this morning while the parade was on. I knew better than to try writing them, so I just added notes to the manny. I figure there's no rush on it since I don't want to compete with the Nano sludge. I plan to submit in January.
In the meantime, I've got the Adventure of Cinnamon and Spice to read.
Finished the Lehane. It was good. Fast-paced, a real page turner. I love how Lehane uses setting to establish mood. Lots of twists and turns, plotting that I am entirely incapable of. Overall, very satisfying and now I'm looking for something else.
@Tina--I'm still reading. On page 40 (single-spaced)
I finally picked up The Order of Odd-Fish after all these months. Thicker than I expected. Will keep me busy.
I disagree about the NaNoers sucking up all the words. I'm moving forward, with or without their words, even if I have to make up new ones.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
In the same rut over here. I think its the season.
i got nothin, PMM. just thought i'd say.
THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES seems girly for you.
It is girly, but it's written well enough that I'll finish it.
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