Hi, I'm back, after some computer problems and now a nasty cold (that is fortunately not keeping me down). I've been working on a new story. I'm mostly mapping out conversations and emotions, ignoring descriptions and inconsistent world building in favor of get-the-idea-down-quick!
It has been several years since I've been so excited about a project. I'd run out of ideas so I got caught up trying to fix an old story, making everything perfect and bleeding the life out of the poor thing. I was trying to gloss over the less pretty pieces of my life, too. All the bits I couldn't fix.
The thing is, you can't make good art if you're lying to yourself. It doesn't work. Art comes from dredging your emotions, even the ones you don't want to feel -especially the ones you don't want to feel. Once you start hiding, all that fire just... it damps down. You're left writing is meaningless gloss, so you polish you adjectives and hope all that gloss shines.
I already knew that, but sometimes I forget. So now I am writing about a loveable coward, wincing at my own cowardice, and wishing I didn't relate quite so well.
Life is good.
I'm glad you're back to writing. That is good news. {Smile}
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to come out of a dry spell, myself. Mourning and art haven't been going together particularly well since my friend died. I hope I'm getting better, myself. {worn but hopeful smile}
That reminds me. I usually try to write a story for my online friends each year. This year, it's not just late - which is, unfortunately, normal - but the original didn't work, but two other very short stories did, and I'm hoping to add a reminiscence too. The first went out/up last week; the next should be ready too... and I'd like to share a copy with you, one way or another. The ways I'm using this year seem to include LiveJournal, Google+, and email. Would one of those work for you? {Hopeful Smile}
(No, I don't have your email address. If that's the answer, you'll have to email me first. My more public email is anneb at aloha dot net, with the appropriate substitutions and space removals, of course. I promise not to use it otherwise without your permission. {Smile})
Anne Elizabeth Baldwin