The last Wrekin Writers' Group carried a stern warning on using cliches. Before that I had a wonderful holiday, when we chilled out completely. After that I was snowed under with work and couldn't think straight for ages. I buried myself in work, putting my nose to the grind stone. Now I have some time to spare.
No more cliches (if I can help it). Rural France was inspiring. I developed the practice of procrastination to an even greater art form but eventually I did indeed get The Novel out and began work again. The sun and peace and - probably - good wine all helped but the most important thing was the lack of work pressure. Now I am back to writing in short bursts and will have to learn to continue in little bits of time.
The ABI (appropriate blog idea) of the day is the continuing saga of the moles. Garlic didn't work and the lawn boasted several more great mounds of earth on our return from France. I looked at mole traps but neither I nor the better half can bear to use them. Ugly devices of stainless steel designed to kill in a pinching action. There are also smoking things - find the tunnel, light a fuse on what looks like a candle and shove the spluttering fizzing device down the tunnel, stamping earth on top of it. They are supposed to encourage the moles to move out, not kill them. The effect lasts about two days. I'm developing a affection for such energetic mammals that keep going whatever the odds.
Ah! An Idea! Writers must be like moles - keeping going whatever the odds and whatever nature or man (which I don't consider natural any more) can throw at them or shove down their burrows. Writers must carry on burrowing away, avoiding traps, poisons, rejections, depressions, interruptions. The garlic might be good though.
However, Varifocals has brought back a huge supply of Clairefontaine notebooks and must begin to fill them. I really couldn't bear to use Moleskin notebooks now.
That's it. Time to feed the cats (who can't catch moles either).
You can't bear to use moleskine notebooks but you'll shove smelly garlic and smoking bombs down their burrows!!I do hope the moles get the hint this time!And you're right, we writers do have to think and behave like moles, burrowing deper and deeper and never giving up whatever obstacles we face.
ReplyDeleteHope the novel progresses well
Julie xx
There is a slight difference between writers and moles - writers tend not to make quite so much mess of the lawn. (Our lawns are pristine - mowing is a procrastination activity after all!)
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued by the notebooks!