Thursday, September 27, 2012

Rolling Stone

Today I'm to come up with a tip from the top. On Tuesday I was supposed to let you know about my writing life. I've been pretty faithful to my three posts a week but the last couple of weeks I've been letting myself and you down. To be blazingly honest - this move has me in a bad state. Here we are, further out of town than our old place (which was half an hour out of town), with some of our stuff but not all of it and I just can't get settled. On top of that my back is truly messed-up. I feel like a bear is eating it. I kind of wish he'd just finish me off instead of gnawing gnawing gnawing.
I went to the Word on the Street on Sunday. It was lovely but I couldn't stand for long, couldn't sit for long (in those tinny metal chairs) and couldn't basically be there comfortably. The only thing I listened to all the way through was Marina Endicott's reading from The Little Shadows. That was terrific and even though I'd gotten the book already on a hunch for my best pal's birthday on the 20th, I bought another one just for me. I finished it yesterday morning. A five hundred page novel about three sisters in vaudeville from 1912 -1917 - fantastic!
I got Marina to sign my copy and she asked me if I was a writer based on a question I'd asked her under the tent. When I said I was but I had nothing published - and that I had two novels about sisters she gave me a blessing. No - not formally - she just looked at me in that good way and said "keep sending them out, I know you'll get published". I guess that is going to be my tip for today. Not the keep sending them out but to find writers, other writers, who know what it is like and get them to bless you. After a bit of a fall last week (see post on jealousy) I am holding on to what I can and I'm rolling. Like a stone. I'll stop soon and then watch out.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jan - I completely grok your sense of being off-balance in your temporary/new/whatever place. That makes it hard to be balanced in other areas of your life including blogging. We love your blog posts no matter what state you're in or they're in...

I couldn't agree with you more about the need to connect with other writers, too. Other writers really 'get it' and can be very supportive and helpful too. That's one thing I love about the blogosphere.

Hart Johnson said...

Oh, Jan-So sorry you are feeling unsettled and in pain. I think maybe you are just a few weeks behind me in process--I had my craziness in August and it has taken most of September to sort of get my bearings again. I'm still there yet--too much day job, too distracted. But I can feel it starting to settle. And my back is finally not WELL, but normal for me again (meaning in hurts sometimes, but not all the time)

Liza said...

I can't think of much nicer than a blessing from another writer. How lovely! Yes, Jan. Keep going!

Sue said...

Sending sympathy and understanding. Sometimes life just sucks. The beauty of having been around a while is that we know that state rarely lasts forever. Get whatever treatment you need for your back, take some time out and nurture yourself - and bask in the lovely 'blessing'.
Sue