Friday, April 04, 2003
When all else fails, make another blogger entry.
I spent about an hour and a half proofing The Five of Cups. Jennifer and I did that before it was typeset, of course, and Jennifer just finished doing it again, but, as I was reminded flipping through the ARC last night, there are always, always, forevermore, world without end, ahmet, ahmet, more fucking typos. Then I ate a tuna sandwich and worried about dolphins and sea turtles. Then I read through the second draft of Jack Morgan's introduction to the Subterranean Press edition of Low Red Moon. Now I'm typing this.
And I thought I would answer an e-mail, because I haven't done that in a while, and it feels vaguely like work, and will occupy a few moments:
Hello Caitlin,
I was thinking of posting this on the forum, but I decided to just email you instead. I have a few questions about writing (as you may have guessed from the subject). Right now I'm in college and I've decided that I probably want to be a writer. I've been focusing on short fiction lately, and I've found that some stories just flow but others are... stubborn and the writing gets to be hard work. What do you do when the writing gets this difficult, or is it always difficult? I have a story right now that I really want to tell but between classes and work and the actual hard work of writing it I just haven't had the time. I guess what I want to know is whether or not it is that way for you, as a writer? Thanks,
Samm
Your e-mail could not have arrived at a more opportune time, Samm. What do I do when a story, or novel, or script, stall out on me? Just look over the last few day's entries in this journal. Some of it's there (not the really ugly parts, of course, because I know those should be kept back for the tell-all biography that someone named Agatha Thwock will write in 2032, shortly after that nasty accident I'm going to have trying to cross a busy street in Tokyo). On the better not-writing days, like today, I fritter and putter and so forth. On the bad not-writing days, like yesterday, I fall of swings and yell at people and lie in bed for hours on end and cry and, well, you get the picture. Sometimes, I have the - the what? - the determination, the will, to keep at it, day after day, when there's not so much as a drop of inspiration (Hah!) and the act of writing could not be more difficult. Other days, my weak days, I slack off and whine endlessly about how hard it all is. But, it's that first reaction, the sticking with it no matter how much you couldn't give a shit, or how many distractions there are, or because there's a blister on your typing finger, that is absolutely necessary if you are ever to be a writer (successful or otherwise).
Or, to but it another way, yes Samm, it is always difficult.
Except, sometimes, it's really difficult.
When it's easy, it's only because you're not doing it right.
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