Friday, 11 June 2010

well being; all being well will lead to more writing

Here's what's been happening with me lately, told in list form and in annoying third person wherein I refer to myself as 'Writer'



- Writing output has decreased, writer notices, tries to improve output by drawing blocks of time devoted to writing (see here)

- Blocks of time don't work in the way writer wants them to. Instead, writer is overly aware how little she is doing.

- Writer doesn't give up. She keeps putting time aside to write, but words aren't coming.

- She is tired. She isn't sleeping too well.

- She has a particularly bad day at work and spontaneously applies for a new job, 2 weeks later she gets an interview, and is offered the job. This lifts her spirits. Around this time, writer enters 2 short story competitions, with 2 old stories.

- Another act of spontaneity: writer buys a second hand bike from a friend. She hasn't been on a bike for years. Maybe 9 or 10 years. She is scared at first and cries, "The seat is too high!" but then she has another go and she's okay, she rides shakily down the street (on the pavement, of course)

- Writer still isn't writing. She's not even reading much. When people ask, 'How's the writing going?' she tells the truth. But she finds herself saying things like, "This happens from time to time, I'm probably just needing some time to do other things."

- Other things, when not working, are prominently making odd coloured fruit juices and bike riding. Some cooking and being with people she loves.

- Writer remembers how much she got out of yoga for about 3 months a few years ago. She's never really forgot how much she got out of it, she just lost the enthusiasm/confidence to do it.

- Writer finds a yoga class and goes to it. Writer 'deactivates' her Facebook account, because it steals her time. She goes to the library and takes out a yoga book.

- Writer goes to her favourite coffee shop and doesn't write. Oh, but she does write a list of what she wants to do that day.

- The word 'create' is one of the words on the list. The writer comes home from the coffee shop and opens a file on her computer of an unfinished story. She types! New words! She types!

- Later that day, she blogs in list form, and annoying third person.

11 comments:

Alex said...

This reads like a researcher has been observing you and keeping notes. It sounds like you're irritating him/her. Strangely, second hand bikes, yoga and not much writing are things my researcher has noted. I'm irritating him too.

Rachel Fenton said...

Now get Margaret Atwood to read it as voice over and it will be under my skin for years!

And it is noted how welcome it is to have her writing and being creative, even in the third person, which makes one reader chuckle perhaps inapropriately :)

Teresa Stenson said...

Alex - ha, irritating him/her, I see that now. Coincidence that we are pursuing the same hobbies in our not-writing-much bid to write more.

Rachel - ah, thanks, and yeah, writing about yourself in third person writing is maybe marginally better than not writing at all. Maybe. :)

Andy said...

I thought this was "the writing process"? At least, it is very similar to mine. Less the physical activity.

Teresa Stenson said...

It is Andy, as you say - "the writing process", and when I'm writing I see it as a process, but when I'm not writing I panic and think it's the end. You'd think I'd learn. I'm trying to learn.

claires inner world said...

Maybe there's something in the air. I've been feeling like this for weeks. I've been playing my cello so much, my fingers hurt. But no writing.

Teresa Stenson said...

Have faith it's all working its way somewhere in your subconscious, Claire. Maybe as you're playing your cello so madly you're running through stories, scenes? It'll come.

Miles said...

I feel like this at the moment Tree, in terms of writing. Yes I have a lot of the 'business' side of things to do, but I should be writing more.

After a few weeks of procrastination I have finally gathered my thoughts and my projects and will start actual writing of screenplays... over the weekend, ahem.

Teresa Stenson said...

Crazy - you have a huge success, you're busy tending to all the organising and buisiness of GETTING A FILM INTO A MAJOR FILM FESTIVAL, and you think you should be writing more.

But, sometimes a success can block you a bit, you'll be dealing with it and digesting it.

I did KC with The Hips Don't Lie this morning, he said everything is going well. Huge luck to you for next weekend my love. I'm off to Lundin to see Claire so we will both be equidistant from York at the same time. If you get some time next week we have to meet up so you can tell me everything.

Miles said...

Yeah, but getting into the film fest, AWESOME though it is, makes me realise that if I meet cool and influential people there, I would rather be able to say, 'Let's meet up sometime to discuss future projects' than 'Yeah, we got into this film festival with this film', ya know?

I love writing above everything else, even filmmaking. I love the planning stage, I love developing characters. And film festival stuff actually takes me away from that, funny as that may sound. So I want to get back to it and immerse myself in it.

I'm just making up for lost time I guess, I'm nearly 36 and it's time to get scripts written, sold, made, etc. Also I'm hard on myself. Also I said hard on. LOVE YOU!

Teresa Stenson said...

It's always filth and then love with you.