Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Writer: Heal Thyself


It has struck down thousands of people across the globe.  It doesn’t discriminate against age, race, religion or gender and it can strike without warning.  Cures exist but something different is required for each victim it attacks making it impossible to issue an across-the-board antidote.

On any typical day, your average person will be going about their business when all of a sudden they are overcome by this fearsome affliction.  Some episodes last for as briefly as a few minutes but the more serious occurrences can last for weeks, months and some cases have lasted years.  

The medical profession prefer to ignore the problem rather than classifying it so sufferers are forced to struggle on their own or secretly sign up to clandestine support groups where they speak in hushed tones of the symptoms of their condition.

It is a hideous malady that steals precious time from otherwise healthy, functioning people. 

Hello, my name is Elissa and I have scribus procrastinus.

There.  I said it.  I thought I would feel better, but I still feel guilty.  And slightly silly.  But it’s true.  I’ve been avoiding the WIP since last week.  I have come up with some especially clever excuses, like:
·         I’m allowing my story to brew in my mind (like fine coffee) before I write it down;
·         I’m working through the plot points (would fly better if I didn’t already know what they were);
·         My story is like a good wine and needs time to breath (even I had a hard time swallowing that one!);
·         I need to work out useless pieces of backstory that no one else will ever read and that have no bearing on the story (like the heroine’s mother’s maiden name etc);
·         Other people’s blogs will disappear if I don’t read them every day…….and comment…..and read everyone else’s comments;

But the real truth is that I’m plagued with doubt.  Which is pure lunacy because it’s not as if as I type my words are being shown on some huge screen in Times Square New York, available for instant disparaging.  Maybe if they were, I would be inspired to write better.  No, I’m just having an attack of the blues and it’s filtering through to my writing.

So here’s the plan.  I’m going to give myself enough time to clean my house (which I’ve been avoiding like the plague while I’ve been focused on the WIP and the result is, ironically, now the house is so disgusting it will probably give me the plague) and I will do a bit of mental cleaning while I’m at it.  All you actor types out there will be familiar with my Stanislavsky approach.

And then it will be business as usual.  Without the need for an intervention or a support group!

4 comments:

Joanna St. James said...

oh you, why dont u just write it and pretend you are writing it for your own pleasure? that could help! or put it aside and start another

Lacey Devlin said...

Well I think you're doing a very good job of avoiding your WIP. If you're going to do something, do it well! ;)

Jackie Ashenden said...

Go Elissa! The plan sounds good. I know how you're feeling though, scribus procrastinus gets me too. Why can't these things write themselves?? ;-)

Elissa Graham said...

Joanna - I could but that would be far too sensible and not at all in keeping with my normal nutcase self! Hope your CTS gets better soon.

Lacey - what a lovely supportive gal you are - even when I'm being pathetic, you're complimentary! I love it!!!

Jackie - who knew I shared a condition with such luminary company? I feel better already (especially given your RWAus High Five result).

Actually I had a break-through (who says self-therapy doesn't work?) while cleaning the splash back tiles in my kitchen.......yes....well....anyway. I'm going to write out plot points for the rest of the book. I felt like a real clot when the proverbial light bulb went on because I hadn't thought of it before *forehead slap*. So keep your fingers crossed for me (except you Joanna!)