My Cree-Ation...

[panik]

(Gotta say that with rolling 'rrr's in a Bela Lugosi voice)

Yes, I am having a creative spell; most refreshing. I'm still going over my book - I admit it, I was scared of it for a bit, after my melt-downlet of  last week, so it was with some trepidation I picked it up again this morning. I'm re-writing the bits that need it. and, there's no denying, they are many I just replaced one rather long and tedious passage about the Cuban attitude to life and death - one that went on, rather, about the rafters, and dead bodies washing up in Havana and all that with...

'It was rare to get a black-out out on a Saturday night when the movie was on; the movie is good for morale, the apagon is not. It was probably not a black-out at all, but some problem with the ailing electricity supply, carried in ageing, over-head power-lines – a constant threat to life and limb. I once saw one come down in a storm. It thrashed and arced across the street, spitting sparks, barely missing me and a group of men drinking rum on a wall. I was so shaken, I had to go home and lie down. The men just sat and giggled at it. Cuban’s have a cavalier attitude to life and death and all the big questions, generally preferring to ignore philosophy in favour of drink. It is what keeps them sane.'

... And I can't tell you how much better I feel.

Fic is going well, too - I'm writing the sequel to Chasing Rainbows with the speed of a newly-serviced Skoda taking the downward stretch of the M62 and have just written, in a sudden burst of sparkling, sugar-coated inspiration, the first 486 words of the Academy story. Oh lordy, that's going to be an angst fest, you mark my words!

Right, well, I suppose I'd better get back to it, then. I might make some coffee first though. I have a rather good Fair-Trade Guatemalan from Morrisons I feel the occasion warrants.

I hope you're all having a groovy time my honeys and that no one has felt the urge to be air-lifted by helicopter in the last 24 hours.

Comments

[talcat.livejournal.com]

I MUST ask the icon on this post where is it from?!

And I'm glad your writeing is back on track currently I'm asking myself why the heck did I agree to cover for Kyle's shift? I blame the fact that my grey matter is trying to think of a way to use the fact that Mr Saxon is PM in my TG Au.

I hope you're all having a groovy time my honeys and that no one has felt the urge to be air-lifted by helicopter in the last 24 hours.

Nope not been that rain here in wales at the mo, cold yes rainy no.

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

My parents got the rain, Sheffield got the pain. (o: The river Don, which burst it's banks all over the city rises in a spring at the back of my Mum and dad's house. They got buckets of rain, but being on the side of a moor, it rolled right off them. they are unscathed.

"Nope not been that rain here in wales at the mo."
Must be a pleasant change for you. (o:

"why the heck did I agree to cover for Kyle's shift?"
Is that Kyle Murtree you're talking about? Are you a member of the Devil's Hole Gang??! (heh heh heh. I'm so sorry, it's the coffee, it's gone to m'heed).

Urm... The icon doesn't appear on the lead post on my LJ, even though I've asked it *repeatedly* to do so - casts stern glare at LJ. I *think* I went for Old Gregg though (ever drunk Baileys from a shoe?). In which case, that is Old Gregg from The Mighty Boosh, which I'm assuming you've not seen O:! and which I highly recommend, if only for Noel Fielding in a tutu. That man is one fine piece of ass...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehGYgtr9doQ

[slipperieslope.livejournal.com]

*ignores philosophy in favor of drink*

Ahhhh! I am so glad you are on an upswing!

*swings you*

I will try to avoid the helicopter airlifts, if you will do the same, especially as I was never in Desert Storm.

*grooves*

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

Wheeeee!!! ::is dizzy::

Yup, it's going well after a really dry spell.

LOL; not sure what use *Desert* Storm experience would be in our current damp circs.

[snycock.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I like that new paragraph...not that I had read the other one. But I like the contrast of the author's (I'm assuming it's you) reaction with the men laughing. It gets that point about the cavalier attitude across nicely.

I hope you guys are drying out! I'm still in California and it's lovely here...

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

Oh, the originnal *three* pars were dull as ditchwater The new par is much more in line with the rest of the book; I'm going for a feel of barely restrained sarcasm. heh heh.

As for the rain, it's not been too bad here; a bit wet yesterday, but, hey, this is the NorthWest, what's new? We haven't had the deluge they had over in Sheffield or in Shropshire (Are you still at Big bear? Is all well chez-Rae?).

"it's lovely here..."
Oh rub it in...
At least there's no danger of fires here. It would take a fire of unusual talent to make a career over here right now. (o:

[earth2skye.livejournal.com]

Just dropping by to say that I'm so glad that things are looking up for you. And you sure seem to be on a roll with Chasing Rainbows 2! If only I could find the time to sit down and properly concentrate on reading ... ::sigh:: Those kind of situations elude me at the moment ... But go you! I'm sure looking forward to reading what you've written for whenever I will find that kind of time :-)

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

Hope the new job is going well, hon.

[shiredancer.livejournal.com]

Hi, I'm new to your journal so I'm not sure what the book is (your own memoirs, perhaps?) -- but I definitely like that paragraph. As Snycock said, the contrast really gets the point across. And I like how it moves from the blackout to the life-and-death observation. (Can I just do a little beta thing and mention that there should be no apostrophe in Cubans, in the last sentence? And if that's terribly rude, I'm so sorry!)

Funny, we were talking about helicopter air-lifts up at Moonridge... *off to have a groovy time*

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

The book's about a trip I made when I was living there.

(Can I just do a little beta thing and mention that there should be no apostrophe in Cubans, in the last sentence? And if that's terribly rude, I'm so sorry!)
No, not at all! I haven't beta'd any of the new stuff yet, tbh.

I'm glad you like the par. I was pleased I got three dull pars down to a single one that said more or less the same thing.

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

Wheeee - the writing is working again ::whirls you round madly:: Excellent!

And I keep running out and waving at passing helicopters, but they just ignore me. They're no fun anymore... ::pouts::

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

Be careful, one might swoop down and take you to of to its lair in Hull or something.

[bakarti.livejournal.com]

have just written, in a sudden burst of sparkling, sugar-coated inspiration, the first 486 words of the Academy story. Oh lordy, that's going to be an angst fest, you mark my words!

Oooh, I love angsty stories! Glad the writing is going well!

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

LOL, I love a bit of angst, too - but this one has gone angsty from line one and looks likely to stay at much the same pitch throughout. (o:

[bakarti.livejournal.com]

Well you sure know how to whet my appetite!

:)

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

::is glad:: (o:

It's coming along. I'm njust working on it now as a matter of fact.

[mostcrazylady.livejournal.com]

Am I on your list to read the Rainbow stories? If so, where is it posted? If not, I'm probably too late to get on the list so where will it be posted when completed?

Looking forward to it either way.

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

Rainbows 2 was for Moonridge 2006 if you can believe that - it's only being read by a small group of betas.

Rainbows 3 was in the special auction this year - $5 got you on the list.

They'll both be up on my website and 852, though, when they're finished. Glad you want to read them - though even part 2 is still far from finished. (o:

[jadebear07.livejournal.com]

I'm so happy to hear you're doing better. I really liked the passage you posted. I have several family members that have worked in the mental health system, hubby included, so I know you'll have plenty of interesting material. You'll do great with this book. All the best of luck and well wishes for you!

It's wonderfully refreshing when you get back into writing after a stint of writer's block. Kinda like coming home and breathing a big sigh.

Take care and good luck with the next chapter!

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

Oh, the book's just about Cuba - about a trip I took across the island, nothing so clever as mental health or proper intellectual stuff like that!

It wasn't so much a block more a meltdown over what I'd done - when I came to read it through prior to sending it off to an agent, it seemed like the most awful kak. I was so depressed about it, I couldn't bring myself to look at it for ages. When I did, it wasn't so bad as I thought though it needed work. I've tidied up the bits that weren't working and it seems OK, now. I just printed out a fresh sumission for 3 new agencies.

Now I've just got to go over the next 10 chapters and kick them into shape, too. Fic helps, I find... a few pars of fic in the morning gets the writerly juices flowing. (o:

Thanks for the good wishes. I think I'm going to need them. (o:

[jadebear07.livejournal.com]

Oh goodness! I'm sorry, I think I was reading someone else's LJ about them working on a book in the mental health field and when I saw your paragraph, thought it was a continuation...*slapping my forehead*. I blame it on the oh so funtastic week I've had at work. (insert heavy dose of sarcasm here) I really liked this passage, however, and it makes a lot more sense now that I've got my head on straight. *BG* I've never been to Cuba. That's what I love about books; the abiltiy to take you to those places that you've never been and may never go. I once was completely lost in a book set in Scotland- at a tractor pull no less. Very, very loud place to read peacefully, but my goodness, it was just so good!

I'm so glad you were able to step back and regroup so you could go on with your work. Quite frankly, I don't see how you could write anything so terrible. I don't know you that well, but I'm proud all the same of you for sticking with it and sending it out. Best of luck with everything! Sending you many spiritual tons of your favorite junk food!

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

Gosh, no need to apologise; I can see why you'd think that. Glad you liked my bit, and thanks for the confidence and affirmation - time will tell - it's usually at least 6 weeks before you hear back from an agent which gives me plenty of time to whup the other 10 chapters into line (o:

Sorry you've had a bad week...

"Sending you many spiritual tons of your favorite junk food!"
::is drowning in Toblerones:: Help! But yum. ::G::