Thursday, July 10, 2014

Checking In

Hello dear peoples,
I am just checking in so you won't think I'm a dead person, a sick person or a mental person. Well, I could be the last one. Here's the poop on my writing life:

I'm not writing.
I'm thinking about writing and I'm even meeting with other writers about writing but actually writing...no.
Here are my reasons - not excuses for they aren't - they are reasons.


  1. I met two days ago with a creative friend about the Labrador project. It was good and I'm dreaming about where to go next. We will keep meeting and keep each other on track. Both our present projects are similar and require much space and consideration. We are both fine about this. We aren't even quite sure what these projects are - poetry, graphic novels, short short stories but we both know they are some form of memoir.
  2. I got my notes from the Tartlette back on Bright Angel. I was going over her last book of the series with a fine tooth comb and sent it back to her today. I haven't opened her notes to me (other than the general ones so I know I don't have to discard it) because I didn't want to until I had sent her her notes and because...
  3. I don't have my office available. It is full of boxes and boxes of boxes. I am clearing out this side of the duplex (the side we live on) so we can rent it furnished come September. While I'm doing that with some occasional help (thank you Gwen!) the fella is renovating the other side that has been rented without break for years and years and needs lots of work. How I'm doing this side is by initially cleaning out the third bedroom completely (did I say thank you Gwen?) so it can become the storage room. It has been cleared out but that meant that lots of unsorted boxes of crappola (step-dot? where are you?) has to be painstakingly gone through. Lots of that is happening in my office. Also, the fella didn't think I'd need internet (hello???) so gave me a computer that doesn't have the wifi converter. I have told him that I don't need to be in my office - I can be in the one he usually uses which is the rec room. I have a good feeling about that space. I wrote most of a novel there once many years ago and, even though it has nothing to recommend it as a writing space, I like it. Plus it is a heck of a lot easier to just move the computer to the wire than to put another part in it. But he can't move it until I get the junk out of my office that is in the way. Truth is...
  4. I'm not going to have lots of writing time. I'm here to get this place in order. The fella would have been happy to just rent one side of the house out and I went ballistic (in an artistic way) and said that was the kind of ditzy casual doings that got us into this financial hell-hole that requires us to work in the north and be cheerful living in dumb houses (and I assure you I don't mean the North West River house which I love even if it has none of my stuff in it) . None of that is exactly fair but it would be insane for us not to rent this place out or at least attempt to while we are in North West River. If we aren't going to do that we should sell the joint and this is a bad time in the economy of this region to sell a place.So I agreed that I would take on clearing this space out while he does all the dirty work next door.
And there you have it. Having said all that I would like to get going next week. I'm seeing clients tomorrow and buds on the weekend but think I could do some clearing and some writing so will make that my goal. I especially want to think about the Labrador project while I have someone who really sparks my creativity around to bounce ideas off of. I also am looking at where I might send Bright Angel - agent, publishers, Canadian, Amurican, YA types, general fiction types and so forth. Gwen is coming next Tuesday for a regular writing day and we'll only do a little junk schlepping. The rest will be all writing!



5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jan - Good to hear from you! And there are definitely times when you're doing yourself a favour by not writing. You're creating, and your mind needs the space to do that.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

You've got lots going on! And I think you're still doing writing-related business by thinking about writing. Hope it settles down for you soon.

Karen Jones Gowen said...

I remember doing this, so much work! It's difficult to be creative under the circumstance but I'm sure you'll get back to it soon. btw, I mention you on my blog post scheduled for Monday, if you get a chance to stop by :)

Donna OShaughnessy said...

Hello Jan, I am snooping on your blog per the shout out given to your work by Karen (above) As far as your excuses go, I find them valid and therefore...carry on. I'll be back for sure.

Words A Day said...

you are so busy (shame on me!) They are all good reasons, we need space between seasons :)