Monday, January 03, 2011

You're doing WHAT with those teaspoons?

I've designated today a day of dreaming.

I've had my head down in my novel for about five days now. I have made some progress but I woke this morning feeling overwhelmed. Where am I? What needs doing? What doesn't need doing?

After my week in KL I made a list of things that occurred to me after reading the whole book through. I brought it along with me on my dreaming/thinking outing because I hoped it would show me where I felt I was. I have four headings:

1. What's irritating
2. What's not working
3. What scenes I need to write

And then because I ran out of space:

4. What's not working 2.

This is what I wrote under the heading What's irritating:

• M fleeing into the garden
• M going off to reflect
• M being unable to go into the studio. HOW MANY TIMES?
• People doing minute actions with teaspoons and things.

It hasn't made me feel any more confident that I know where I'm going but it gave me a good laugh.

What are my characters doing with all those teaspoons?

So I've come out (to Starbucks) to think. I'm asking myself what did I want (originally) Polite Lies to be? What was the essence of this story? Have I lost all of that along the way?

I've written down what I wanted it to be when I began. I've written down some questions I need answers to in the hope that I can move closer to the original idea again And now that I've laughed at myself I feel less panicky and the next step is to give the dreaming a go. And the best way to expedite that is to go off and get a foot massage.

So that's what I plan to do...'perchance to dream.'

10 comments:

D.J.Kirkby said...

Teaspoons?! Happy writing :)

sheepish said...

Enjoy your foot massage and do let us know what is happening with all those teaspoons. Is this because you seem to spend a lot of time in Starbucks? Good luck.

Anonymous said...

A foot massage? That should do the trick.
Incidentally, I stand in awe of you. I'd love to write a book. I know what it would be about. I know the story. But I have no idea where it starts or finishes - it might be too much for one book - and I don't have a voice for it. I suspect thatit will go untold forever, by me anyway.

Good luck with your book.

All the best, Boonie

Queenie said...

Looks to me like you're on the right track. I know it can feel like you're trying to knit fog, but you just have to keep on keeping on and it will eventually morph into something more tangible. Honest. Promise.

HelenMWalters said...

I quite like stuff about teaspoons :-)

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

I have a problem with cups of tea. Good luck with your teaspoons, it sounds as if you know what you're doing with them.

Jen said...

I rather like the idea that your characters have a weird cutlery obsession. It could be worse; rubber gloves, say, or Weetabix.

Brill that you're getting into it - now hurry up, I want to read it!

Cathy said...

Just testing. I seem to be able to post a comment today...

Leigh Russell said...

It's good to take a physical break from writing and let it all mull over in your head once in a while. If words aren't flowing, just stop and wait until they do - and they always do!
Funny thing, I have a teaspoon in my current book - what is it with teaspoons?!

Suzanne Ross Jones said...

I love the thought of a day of dreaming. I may pinch that idea.

XX