this is on the front page of my WIP to remind me of the core of the story i’m trying to write:
“It’s the lack,
the gap, the absence
and the silence
that fills me
now.
How can so little
take up so much
space
inside of me?
Posts Tagged ‘work’
sneak peek
January 29, 2013at work
October 12, 2012because we’re all so busy bringing home the bacon, we don’t often get a chance to see/experience/understand what our acquaintances, coworkers, friends, or family members do from 9-5 (or however long it takes to get the job done).
ranging from author readings to rock concerts to educational seminars, i’ve had many opportunities recently to see professionals at work, to peek around the curtain, to learn what goes on behind the scenes or more importantly, within their minds.
the biggest cases i’ve seen recently have been (1) a coworker who spoke on a panel i happened to be in charge of where he put his fast thinking and worldly brain on display and (2) an acquaintance who, in person, is a humble, funny, generous, and kind person but at work is a total rock star.
literally.
to have the opportunity to see those at the top of their game in their element live and unfiltered but to know of the hard work, tenacity, and discipline it took to get there was a lesson i didn’t see coming. i mean, i was outside of a classroom! there wasn’t just one teacher and there wasn’t just one demonstration to illustrate the point. the two events weren’t even related or in the same week! holy learning curve!
fortunately, my mind made the connection (hard work, patience, practice, research, enthusiasm, and curiosity will lead you to the top whether you’re in the office or on stage or on the field or online) and i had a new wrinkle for my brain.
now if only i could answer the question of “what does your dad do [at work]?”
for the record, i usually say “something with numbers.”
conversations with strangers #19
January 24, 2012i am still talking to strangers.
i was sitting at the bar with two fellows who are kind of coworkers, but kind of not. the details of that don’t matter here. the point is, we were having a meeting to discuss an upcoming event which we are planning. because we were at the bar and because it was a thursday night, we got off topic.
coworker 1: i used to have season tickets to the patriots. *proceeds to talk about the glory days, which were full of as much glory and gore as you’d expect of 25 guys with football tickets.*
me: i’ve only been to one game, but it was an awesome one. actually, it was [another "coworker"] who invited me. i was probably the eighth person he asked, but that means seven people before me said no and i got the green light. [two other coworkers] went with me. so fun!
bartender: now there’s a positive attitude.
me: well, it’s true. i’m just happy i got to go. it’s the only football game i’ve been to and it was a complete blast.
coworker 2: with the motley crew you went with, i’m sure it was nothing but trouble.
me: you have a point there, sir.
the meeting eventually got back on track after further discussions of the other boston area sports teams, but what struck me was the bartender’s interjection. it was a quiet night at the bar and the three of us were a very random and lively crew, but it never occurred to me that he was listening in and that he might be the one to initiate a conversation or that i might be the one labeled as the stranger.
advice we can all benefit from
January 20, 2012i stole this from veronica roth’s blog who stole it from janet reid’s blog who stole it from sean ferrell’s blog.
it’s that good.
now get out there and DO SOMETHING. ANYTHING. [creative.]
NO.
December 2, 2011why is it that whenever you’re told you can’t do something, you want to do just that?
i finished the disaster draft of my second novel on november 10 and told myself that in order to gain the proper amount of distance, i wasn’t allowed to open the document for 2-4 weeks (okay, so bria’s actually the one who told me that, but i listened.)
the very next day, the characters flooded my brain saying PICK ME LISTEN TO ME FIX ME and i couldn’t think about anything else but how to make them richer and more believable and more awesome.
in order to compensate for this break from writing, i allowed myself the luxury of reading and yet, when given free rein, suddenly, it didn’t seem as interesting. when i didn’t have to sneak in my reading, it didn’t seem as decadent. there’s something about reading an extra chapter when other deadlines are looming that feels deliciously wrong. (see what a good kid i am? me doing something wrong = reading more.)
ahem.
and now that three weeks have passed and it’s time to return to my manuscript to flesh it out, i’ve discovered the characters are hiding and the plot is non-existent and the necessary edits feel like sliding down a razor blade banister into a barrel of grapefruit juice (i can’t take credit for this analogy. it’s all tawna and it’s all sorts of painful.)
working on my manuscript is the VERY THING i’ve been craving for the past three weeks, but now that i have permission to do so, it’s not enticing.
how do i trick myself into doing what i’m supposed to do?
basically, if you have any suggestions on the best way to do this…
… please enlighten me.
