Early this morning I had a dream about vampires, though they weren’t called that in my dream. I won’t call it a nightmare as I did not become a vampiric drinking trough, though it definitely could have gone that way.
I’m going to write a story based around my dream, and see where it takes me.
Every so often, while I was working at the evil uni I would send myself a package of books from Amazon. After I stopped working there and my finances went to hell I stopped treating myself to books from my wishlist on a regular basis.
I’d forgotten how nice it is to receive a massive pile of books, so this morning I revelled in that happy bibliotastic feeling when I received these inspirational texts. Yes, there’s a theme to my selections.
And there’s more to come.
It doesn’t happen too often, but I like when it does. I come across new blogs every week, but it’s quite rare that I like the blogger’s writing style and content so much that I want to explore the archives and/or subscribe to its feed.
The other day Writer Not Reading left me a comment, and I visited her blog (as I often do when people comment here). I was so impressed by the quality and accessibility of her writing that I ended up bookmarking several of her posts for further study. Her blog is a wonderful resource for writers.
Sometimes I also notice when people (usually male) enjoy visiting my archives and leaving me sweet comments. I remember before our feud (which is currently on pause in a tentative cease-fire) J.D. was very enamoured of this blog…
In his book On Writing, Stephen King talks about finding your ideal reader, your fantasy audience condensed into a single person. This person could be real or imagined, but real is usually preferable.
For my blogging I don’t have a single person in mind when I’m writing, I’m writing to amuse myself and hoping that other people will enjoy reading my thoughts. And judging from the comments I receive, not many people who end up here are much like me, but we’re still having fun together.
However, if I were writing a novel, I’d have to be more focused about my audience. The person who’d walk out of WH Smith with a Silhouette Intrigue probably wouldn’t go for a Martina Cole crime novel, and so on. If I were writing a niche blog I’d also have to think about this issue seriously, but here the rules don’t apply. Welcome to my world.
According to a recent post in the bookofjoe, the ten best paid jobs for introverts are:
1. Astronomer
2. Lawyer
3. Physicist
4. Political Scientist
5. Aerospace engineer
6. Computer software engineer (systems software)
7. Actuary
8. Electronics engineer
9. Computer software engineer (applications)
10. Atmospheric and space scientist
I wouldn’t have thought that being a lawyer was an ideal introvert’s job, but I guess that some lawyers don’t court the limelight (pardon the pun).
Unfortunately I’m not qualified or very interested in any of the above jobs, so we’ll have to keep on looking.
From time to time I look in the newspaper job sections or on some recruitment websites, but there’s nothing that grabs me. As I don’t want to continue with admin work or management in general, I’m feeling a bit stuck.
I thought about working in a casino as I’m a night person, but I’ve never worked in the hospitality industry and don’t know if I’d be much good at it.
I was also thinking about teaching English in Japan, but without a degree it doesn’t look likely.
So what would I like to do? Ideally I’d still like to be a writer. Story of my life, I know. So how does a girl who hasn’t written a full work of fiction in ages become a full-time writer? The spiritual answer would be: one word at a time.
Is Google becoming a God? It’s the god of the internet at least.
Sex, draft beer, nightclub, chicken wings… Is this all that men think about? (via Bestweekever)
Get creative with post-it notes, they’re good for more than just making notes.
And if you think that’s scary, check out all the ex-trees littering the walls of author Will Self’s writing room.
And here’s a pretty whip-pic to for our finale:
And we’re done.
Baroness Becca has taken up my offer of an interview; here are her questions.
1. I love your Sunday Sauce posts! Who do you think are 5 sexiest women and men alive? How about ever?
Thanks darling, I’m sure you know that I love all the sexy pinups that you display on your blog too.
Angelina Jolie. Yeah, I know. But it’s true.
I’ve just signed up for a Writing Challenge, why do I always do this to myself?!
Yet again I’m hoping that it will help me to get going again.
A few weeks ago I signed up for the Shameless Lions Writing Circle, but I backed out after struggling with the requisite lion-inspired poem. Then I had a brief downward spiral of wondering if I’d ever write again.
I’ve got to start writing again. I’m not myself when I’m not writing. I haven’t been myself for some time. But if I’m not myself, who am I?
–
Here’s my own lion, I bought him in Jamaica. I call him Marley Rex.
And still she does not write.
China Blue wrote a very interesting post on writer’s block the other day. She was basically saying that the process of thinking of herself as a writer stalled her writing. That might have happened to me too, but I’m not totally sure about it.
When I was a kid I wrote. No one told me to; no one took any pleasure in my writing or encouraged it much, but I enjoyed it and just wrote. I wrote poetry, and short stories. Poetry developed into songwriting in my mid-teens, then songwriting evolved into music (and so on). And yet the songwriting remained.
Without being big-headed, I was the best songwriter in my class at music college, the others weren’t as interested in it as me. Sometimes I’d read out my lyrics and experience a hush of appreciation from the class before their applause. I wasn’t the best singer, but I was happy to be the best songwriter. I was determined to be the next Diane Warren.
I miss it. The writing. The passion. That head space where anything can emerge. The subconscious is a turbulent receptacle of emotions and I love to delve into its depths. So why aren’t I writing?
I don’t necessarily want to be the next JK Rowling, but I do want to write books that people will read. Although sometimes I think of writing in a more literary style, I know that I’m more suited towards writing quality commercial fiction.
But it’s not going to happen unless I turn on the tap and let it all flood out of me.
First the waterfall, then the river.
Save the cheerleader, save the world.
