Quote of the Week

"I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library."
Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice)

Friday, April 29, 2011

That's the Writer's Life

Writers don't get any sleep.  When they do finally turn out the light another idea hits them and they have to open the laptop back up and write it down.  They will often also wake up early in the morning because any problems with the story they had before sleeping suddenly make sense when the sun comes up and they must once again open the laptop and write it before it disappears again.  This pattern continues until:

1.  They are so tired they fall asleep with fingers on the keys
2.  They pray for divine intervention to remember their ideas in the morning
3.  Their book is finally finished

This is what's been happening to me lately.  I don't know how many times I tried to go to sleep the other night and every time I turned off my laptop and turned out my light I had to turn them both back on and keep going.  I was having terrible plot problems and nothing was coming together as it should have.  When I woke up the next morning... early... I had to open the computer again and finish working it out.  In less than 12 hours I had solved the greatest mystery to my book.  The majority of the next day was spent in my craft room writing.  I loved it.

Anyone who personally knows a writer knows that they actually never stop writing.  Something that seems completely unrelated to a story will inspire or spark something and they must write it down right then before the idea or thought leaves.  I'm often reminded of a scene in Becoming Jane.
Lady Gresham: What is she doing?
Mrs. Austen: Writing
Lady Gresham: Can anything be done about it?
No, Lady Gresham, I'm afraid nothing can be done about it.  Nor do I really want to do anything about it.  :)

Dark circles are forming around my eyes... such is my blessing and curse.  I write when I want to, when I don't want to and simply because I must. 

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