I'm enjoying having a significant amount of extra writing time at the moment. However, it's a beautiful paradox that the more time I have to write, the more time I need - the more time I want.
Have not been quite so present at this blog recently because I'm ploughing a lot more hours into redrafting Number Two and mapping out other writing projects. And enjoying almost every single minute of it.
Only almost, because every once in a while I get hit with that crisis of confidence, when I convince myself I can't write for shite, and need to give myself a serious talking-to. But then a sentence works out better than I expected and... the show's back on the road... until the next puncture.
Anyway, if there are lengthy absences here every once in a while, then that's the reason: I'm totally absorbed in writing something else, and will endeavour to bring the blog up to date as soon as I can. Okay?
8 comments:
Paul, I am sure that I speak for others when I remind you how jealous we are of your next six months! And the expectation is that you use them however you bloody well want, and occasionally you let us live vicariously through your updates! Otherwise, enjoy yourself you lucky bugger! This weekend would have been a great one to rug up inside and watch the weather go by outside. x
Am I wrong, Paul, or are you on one of those things which the Australian education authorities perhaps still value, something which the stupid British got rid of some years ago - a sabbatical?
Anyone who knows anything about education knows that teachers burn up. All the talk about long holidays and short working hours is a load of crap. It's a dreadfully stressful job, and getting worse.
I left teaching when my union announced that they'd been looking at the length of retirement UK teachers could look forward to after the regulation 40 years. Men, who leave at 65 (women, for some reason, are allowed to escape at 60), can look forward to.... 2 YEARS before they drop dead. I fled when a good friend of mine didn't manage that: he was dead within a year.
If you are on a sabbatical, I totally agree with joelogan26 - bloody well enjoy it. And if the price we have to pay is slightly fewer entries on your blog, so be it.
As for the crises - join the club. I have a complete block at the moment on short stories.
No it's not! Now get back here and keep everone up to speed on what's happening over in Oz. and that's an order! Well, more a request, but you get one's drift.Good luck on the writing but don't forget to come up for air. Walking away and going back solves more problems than any amount of re-drafting!
Joe!!! Great to see evidence of you being here and to discover you have a blog. Have bookmarked you now, so will be visiting and nagging if you don't post. And yes, what a wild weekend. Lost a heavy duty branch from one of the eucalypts and the bottle brush split four ways: blown, saturated and quartered. The rain water tanks were over-flowing too. Good stuff. What's more, it created a bloody good excuse to light the wood fire and put a bottle of red in front of it. Will do my best with the updates :-)
Jon, it's similar to a sabbatical, but available to Australians in many job areas: Long Service Leave. Have been holding out for this block for a few years, and timed it to coincide with finishing one MS and thinking about the next project(s). I dread the notion of the retirement age being raised, but would probably just pull the plug if that were to happen... and get a job as a check-out chick. Of course, I'd have to shave my legs, but that'd be preferable to x additional years of correction, assessment, reporting and putting up with the nonsense/initiatives of the politicians and bureaucrats.
Good on yer, Gary, and your absolutely right about solving problems by walking away and coming back. I get more jobs done around the house because of that approach than for any other reason. However, all too often those jobs only get half-finished, as the moment I think I can solve the problem I dash back to the keyboard or paper!
It's a funny old thing writing - like you some days I think I am complete rubbish and others I'm more sure that I can do this writing thing. A strange beast indeed.
A beast that metamorphoses into a foul thing? Because if I try and do without I get cold turkey.
A crisis of confidence?? Try having a big arse - then you'll really understand what that means!
I suggest stuffing a pillow down the back of your pants for a day and seeing the results - not only will you feel better when you take it out, you will also have some material for a short story!
Big arse, nothing! I've got such a skinny butt, I have to shove material for short stories down the back of my pants, otherwise people can't see me when I turn side on! What are you complaining about, JT?
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