Today, I am facing the hard truth:
Chanctetinyea Ouellette is not invincible.
Fatigue and dizziness do not make for the most scintillating prose--especially as I find myself wondering how I am going to march in tomorrow's Memorial Day parade, how I am going to finish my one-thousand words when I am constantly succumbing to multiple not-enough- oxygen-to-the-brain yawns, and even how I am going to write today's entry without whining like a three-year-old. The fact of the matter is, life poses challenges. Sometimes, that which it requires of us is minimal: other times, it all but forces us to drain the dregs of our mental, physical, and emotional reserves. As such, the task--sometimes--is not to set the world on fire but instead to retain that small spark of enthusiasm or determination which urges the self forward even when circumstances not only discourage but fine one reluctant to leave the warmth and safety of his or her bed.
Thus, off I go to shoot at my goal. One thousand words. Perhaps I won't make it this day; yet, I will get awful doggone close. If I can do it, you can do it! Remember, we're all experiencing this process together.
So, keep writing, ya'll.
Or, as my best friend more directly phrased it: "GO WRITE!!!!!"
Although it is a great temptation to begin the project The Strange Adventures Soup Kitchen Girl, I shall limit my experiences and notes to a single character in a single book.
No new projects!
Even though that one would be a "hum-dinger," ya'll!
(Yes, "hum-dinger" is a legitimate literary term!
So, for those of you who know me well: I do listen...
Every once in a while!
Today finds me doing something I have not done(or even thought of doing) in years: seeking writing grants. In my enthusiastic youth, searching out the means to pursue my first love came as second nature to me. In recent years, though, I seem to espouse the notion of creative financing to everyone else (often with quite favorable results) without taking my own advice.
Why is that?
Maybe the title of today's post, therefore, should be:
Wake Up, Chance!!!!!!!!!
This dark, chilly Sunday afternoon finds me huddled beneath a blanket in my living room-- windows throw open to let in the crisp, fresh air--as I listen to the joyful chirp of a single enthusiastic bird...and bang away at my keyboard, determined to somehow connect with my characters once again. The breaking down of subtly erected barriers has proven more complicated than I thought. Somewhere along the line, by distancing myself from my own deeper emotions, I have stifled the emotional development of my characters as well. It is hard to miss the lack of dimension and depth...and even harder to identify with them as individuals who love and live, hurt and hearken, both need others and answer to the needs they sense in those around them.
I suppose it is easy to forget that in order to write, one must be willing to put not just words and phrases upon the page but a piece of the Self. And, even though I am still a staunch advocate of my one-thousand words per day, to that, I think I should add at least one honest observation--preferably one which has radiated from the inside out, revealing not just an opinion, but the thoughts, emotions, and sensations which led to it.
That's a tall order for a "dark, chilly Sunday afternoon!"
