1,007 words for today, most of it dialogue. After yesterday's post, I cut the wardrobe discussion from the chase scene and moved it to this next scene. I want to keep it-- it's a character-illuminating moment for both Akenam and Willa, and also foreshadows an upcoming "candy bar" scene-- but it doesn't belong in the middle of a chase with dogs and arrows and jet bikes.
I'm feeling kind of uninspired the last few days. I'm just plodding through the writing and not really enjoying it much. I know that if I hang on and work every day, the love will come back. I often slip into a little funk this time of year. It's like reverse SAD or something; the time change and warmer days are hard on me. I always feel like I'm not done hibernating yet. I should move to Alaska.
But little things are getting me down. We had a crayon-in-the-dryer incident (Ah, serious damage to a major appliance. One of those you're-really-a-parent-now milestones, along with "epic public tantrum" and "3:00am run to CVS in PJ's and glasses to buy Pedialyte"), which took a lot of fussing with WD-40 and rags to resolve. If there's anything I hate, it's fussy cleaning. Half-assed cleaning is more my style.
Also, I suck at book club. I haven't read any of the books since I started working on this draft, and tonight I blew off the meeting rather than admit that. I do feel like I might be getting a cold (probably just allergies), but it's more like I woke up and was like, "YES! I feel like crap! That's a solid, legitimate reason for not going to book club tonight." I think the time has come to confess to my mom friends that I need to take a break-- that all the free time I used to use to read books is now spent writing one. I'd love to do both, but if I have to choose, for now I choose writing.
Jeez, this is a whiny post. Sorry.
I have always gotten reverse SAD. In college, every year by March my friends wouldn't be speaking to me because I was so pissy. There's something that makes me itchy about this time of year.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's a New Hampshire thing? Also, my family always got insanely busy with farming in the spring. But I like your theory that I really don't like waking up from winter hibernation mode. Very much like a normal person who wakes up cranky.
And if it makes you feel any better, I've never met a writer who had time for a book club. It takes time, and there's only a finite amount of that.
I'm sorry you've been feeling uninspired the last few days--I have days like that too, especially when I am working on scenes that I am struggling with (dialogue--yuck). Writing a novel is such a long, long, LONG struggle that I guess that is only natural :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got a lot of dialogue written, though. Those are the scenes that I dread the most, for some reason--I really, really struggle with dialogue focused scenes. I have one coming up next, so I am going to try the exercise that you (and the Weekend Novelist) have suggested of spinning the dialogue down the page, without all of the she said and he snapped and she sneered and he shrugged. Maybe it will help, sigh.
I am so impressed that you have been maintaining your book club/reading throughout the process so far! Don't feel guilty about putting it on the shelf for awhile, though, I think you're right that the book you're writing should take precedence :)
I know that my reading has definitely been minimal since I started this book, and when I do read for an hour or so before bed, I have been limiting it to other suspense/gothic/romance novels. I guess I'm hoping some inspiration will seep into my subconscious and miraculously appear as a great plot idea the next day.
I can't comment on the reverse SAD thing--it makes sense to me, although I'm not a fellow sufferer. I've enjoyed being able to come home from work the last few nights and take my writing notebook and a glass of wine out onto the deck and sit for a couple of hours, ignoring the dust bunnies on the floor and the dirty dishes in the sink :)
I'm in Maryland though, so maybe it is a New Hampshire thing!
Kristin
Thanks, guys. I'm still struggling with crankiness, but am determined to not let it derail me.
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