I found this comment on my blog today:
“You haven't posted in awhile. I trust you've wrapped your mind around an idea and you're flying with it. :) “
She put a smiley there so I guess she must know that had I an idea I would’ve posted. I do have a few snippets..little pests. But no full grown animal.
Since Friday I’ve been helping two friends who have been very sick. One in the hospital, the other at home. So I keep saying to myself it’s a good thing I’m not writing. That’s true, in a way. I’d be a bit resentful if I was in the middle of a book. But I’m not.
Tomorrow will be the 1st of March. I blew January and February, my favorite months to write. Maybe it’s all over for me. Maybe there won’t be a 20th book. We know I’m not a Gorman or a Randisi so this might be the end. Nineteen books isn’t a bad record. Still, I’m not ancient and have all my marbles. So why would it be over for me?
Think of Harper Lee. One book and out. I’m not comparing myself as a writer with her, but who says one has to write book after book? I made this 20 book goal for myself so I can break it if I want to.
But I’m a writer and writers write. I know you’re not supposed to define yourself by what you do. Actually, who said that? I do define myself that way. So I’ll keep reading and thinking and hoping. That’s all I can do right now.
5 comments:
Maybe it's the 20-book goal that's the problem. I mean, if you've done 19 and the goal is to get to 20; then 20 could be the last one and that would be putting a lot of pressure on it.
Change the goal to 25. That way #20 is just one of the many on the way to 25.
That's funny. But I didn't mean I was going to stop at 20. It was at least 20. Ah, well, your idea could still work, I see. Okay. 25 before I die. So by tomorrow morning I should have an idea. Thank you.
you beat me to it...the whole 'we shouldn't define ourselves by what we do' thing. why shouldn't you? you are great at it and you love it - sounds like an ideal thing by which to define yourself.
My goodness! I feel so stressed when I read your blog, yet I can't stay away. I'm watching and waiting, filled with suspense. Will she come up with an idea or won't she? I put the smiley face because I actually believed you'd found one. I visualized you sitting at your desk, typing like a madwoman and laughing hysterically, so proud of yourself.
I have ever confidence that you will come up with something grand. Go back to the fun of it all -- remember how it used to be. At least, that's what I tell myself and I haven't written a book since 1996. Ain't that a hoot? Talk about stress! I was disillusioned early in my career. :)
How about trying another short story? Maybe it can act as a conduit to something new. Writing short stories is really fun--not lucrative but idea-generating. Or how about turning the one you already did into a novel?
Or maybe another children's book. Maybe just getting away from the idea of the "20th" would help.
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