Jan
Mmm, Peanuts – An Update On Life
(Isn’t that a great title for a post? Eye catching.)
Blarg. My mind is awake- or as awake as it gets, but everything else feels so tired. My body aches, bones and muscles screaming abuse even though I’ve been rather gentle on them of late. My eyes feel heavy and my face burns- either a tooth, sinus infection, or both that have gone really bad.
But my mind is awake.
Awake. Awake. Awake.
Too awake.
I’ve been doing a lot of novel editing, more precisely plot, dialogue, and character editing. It’s fun on some level. The saddistic part of me that playfully calls itself ‘writer’ with a big toothy grin seems to enjoy taking apart my story and shaping it into something similar but slightly shinier. It cackles every time the inner editor comes out of the mental closet- where is usually belongs… until I need it.
Then there’s this other part of me, a much larger portion of myself that also calls itself ‘writer.’ It’s a proud creature dedicated to the craft of creation, seeing wisdom and light in every letter to the page, a new dance in every scene that comes together with plotful development- no matter how small. It also claws the walls and bangs it’s head fruitlessly ever single time the ‘oppressive’ red pen comes out to ‘put it down.’
Did I mention I used to be a protester of sorts? That second part of me would rather like me to mention that right now.
In short- I love and hate editing. Love it because I love story creation in general, hate it because,… well, many reasons. Not so much that I’m ‘editing’ the story but because editing is a tedious process that I’m still very new too.
Alas, as much as I hate it the second (larger) part of me (that has been throwing temper tantrums at the whole process) has to admit that a great story is a lot like a bonsai tree. It’s a beautiful living creature that wants to be shared with the universe. You might not want to prune it but in the end it can be a meditative task that will make it much more than just a simple tree.
Sadly, meditation still requires patience and a certain degree of discipline… I’m working on that.
In other news, before I get way off track, I joined the great evil known as FaceBook. I’m hopelessly addicted already but it’s still evil because it’s a social network and I have a personal vendetta against all things with the word social in them. I have other reasons I’m biased but this is a happy post and I don’t want to get into it right now.
So, yeah. Me – FaceBook – You go. – Click. Click. – Now.
In other news… I’m hoping to get my hair Barbied, re-purpled, and chopped before anyone else can see it. In English this means: I need to have it bleached, dyed, and cut before I work next. :)
Lastly, I’m still thinking about changing my username but I’ve been known as Spirit for so long… perhaps a new “pen” name for this new stage of life will do me good. I’ll still use Spirit in certain places because it’s who I am in those places but as I branch out with my writing I’m starting to feel a certain sense of longing for something else.
We’ll see where that leads. I gotta flow where my heart flows or the happy well of writerly spadunk runs dry and I start driving people (mainly myself) crazy and we just can’t have that now can we?
I’m off to go do more editing. Wish me luck… or foodles. I like foodles.
Peace, love, and peanuts!!!
~ Mmm, peanuts. ~
18Jan
i LOVE me some peanuts :)
this is really a great discussion of the whole issue of the writing process. there is that thrill in the creation, the initial burst that makes a story or a poem start but i think you really become a writer when you can look at your work and shape it. BONSAI!
(just don’t start playing Mafia wars on Facebook and you’ll be ok)
18Jan
Lol. :) I have some LONG mental conversations with myself about this often. I think I’m just one of those people who sees the whole world in terms of story creation. Penning, typing, tearing away at pages till my fingers are sore… that’s not the ‘great’ fun of it (though I do love to type), but that moment when a piece starts to come together is just awesome and like bonsai it’s also very meditative. It’s not just the words but the whole beautiful thing, lol, I have to be careful or I’ll get started again. :) If you like the bonsai idea you should go check out the non-blog section of this site- my latest long rant compares it to motherhood (of which I know nothing if you exclude my feline children, lol).
18Jan
I think if you can edit a novel you can also have your own written with just a few efforts.
18Jan
Hi Spirit–
I loved your peanuts. Actually they sound an awful lot like the marbles rolling around in my head. Editing is definitely a love/hate relationship, but the best part is the finished product.
I wish you the best of luck with Facebook and that hair cut ;-)
18Jan
Novel already written else I wouldn’t be editing it. ;) I loved the writing process sooo much more than the editing but it’s a necessary thing if I want to publish the darn thing and write more in the future. :)
18Jan
Hello, Koreen, welcome to my little nook on the net. :)
I think the peanuts might be rolling around in my head, the plot bunnies have to eat something after all. ;) As for the editing, you’re so right. I love it when I’m done, hate it while I’m doing it but I know when I hit that magical place known as ‘can’t do anymore’ I’ll be so happy.
Thankies very much and thanks for the comment as well!
Happy writing and good luck with the marbles!