Sunday, January 02, 2005

Looming Again

I'm going to finish reading Case Histories by Kate Atkinson today. And then I'll read what I have so far of my own novel.  I will especially hate it after reading the Atkinson because she's so good you could never bother writing again.

Every once in awhile I read a book and think, I wish I'd written that one.  It doesn't happen often.  And the only other ones I can think of are Before and After by Rosellen Brown, In the Cut by Susanna Moore (forget the movie) and Looking for Mr. Goodbar by Judith Rossner.  I know these are three women.  There are also a few by men, but they escape me now.

Anyway, the beginning of writing again is less than twenty-four hours away.  I have to get my head back into the world of 1943.  And I have to go back to figuring out what the hell is going on. I'm hoping after reading the eighty-some pages I'll have a better idea.  Or any idea of anything.

As trying as this period has been it was nice not setting an alarm clock and staying up past ten.  Now I have to go back into training as though I were an athlete.  My focus has to change.  And I hope I won't be too distracted by the "discussion" about my book jacket.  They've put it up on Amazon which really makes me irritated. 

Focus, Sandra.

2 comments:

Marie said...

Having quite a heart attack is probably the most original way of beginning a year I’ve ever experimented.
This happened early this morning, when I opened my e-mail box, and I began jumping all around, yaping : “ elle m’a répondu, elle m’a réponduuuuu...... ” ( Huh hum ! sorry :“ I got an eeeee-mail ! ! ! !)
What a wonderful gift ! thank you very much.
Hope you’ll forgive my lack of tact : using this french (rotten) humour without being entitled, it was awkward ... but sincere. And I sympathize, believe me .

But, if I remember well, you were talking about 1943 ...

Anonymous said...

I must re-read Looking for Mr. Goodbar. It's been quite a few years, but I remember it having a real impact on me. It was also so much "of a time" - a time I was and continue to be fascinated by, because I was born a little too late to remember much more than blowing out candles on birthday cakes.

-I'm really glad to discover you have a blog, although I get pangs as I read about your semi-dread at heading back to the writing... it rings just a few too many bells.

-Meryn