Wednesday 8 February 2012

Hello from the Hermit's Cave

Just thought I ought to stick my head out and let everyone know that I haven't frozen to death at my desk in my chilly attic study, or become buried under drifts of Kitkat wrappers and post-it notes. Or been bundled off to the asylum, hallucinating about being eaten by giant commas and question marks.


Having cleared my diary of all appointments and been rude ruthless in my refusal of all invitations to hang out with friends and generally do nice stuff, I am writing. It's a bit drastic, and not exactly a laugh a minute, but after a few months of distraction, displacement activity and being stuck at 25k, and with no official deadline to scare me into staying at my keyboard until the small hours it's the only way. And it is working. The age-old Idea is growing into a book, with proper chapters and some kind of structure (which will obviously need to be completely overhauled in the second draft, but la la la - what?) and Pretend World has conveniently swallowed up Reality in a way that makes writing so much easier. 


On the downside, squalor reigns on the domestic front, the daughters' birthdays are largely being sponsored by Amazon and Ebay, I have an ironing pile you could ski down, hair like Dumbledore (without the beard, thankfully)(I think - it's been a while since I looked in a mirror) and a wardrobe full of clothes that seem to have shrunk two sizes. And a long way to go until The End. 


Oddly enough, I'm loving it.



12 comments:

Scarlet Wilson said...

It's an epidemic! My wardrobe has caught the same disease that yours has! How does that happen?
You'd think I'd know about these pesky public health type diseases, but apparently not.
Good luck with the ski slope ironing and the writing. Now, stop malingering around the internet....
Crack the whip girl!

Rachel Lyndhurst said...

Ah! There you are! *inspects* Nope, no beard yet. No need to worry about shaving your legs either, it's far too cold to get undressed for that.

Am similarly unkempt and have developed a disturbing addiction to smoked cheese, but what else is January for?

Don't forget to order your Valentine's day card for his nibs as well. Can recommend Halfords this year for his gift, that's what I've done. Romance is NOT dead ...

XXXXXXXX

Rachael Thomas said...

Keep writing India, the ironing and stuff will still be there another day - if not slightly multiplied!!
Now to use my own advice.

Sharon Kendrick said...

And I, for one, am eagerly anticipating the finished product. What a treat your book will be!

Must add *heartfelt thanks* for your YouTube feed of whacky Norfolk film. It seems to have set my imagination spilling over like a can of cola (no brand names, note!) which has been shaken too vigorously on journey twixt fridge and mouth.

Has Book got a Working Title?
x

Heidi Rice said...

Impressed, I am... And, I've suddenly turned into Yoda. Must be all that frowning through revisions.

May the Force of the Muse be with you Ms Grey! Can't wait to read the finished product.

Lacey Devlin said...

LOL!!! I'm so glad you haven't lost your sense of humor :)

May your attic study always be warm and happy writing!

Catherine J said...

Happy that you are feeling creative. If Kit and Sophie and Jasper and the residents of Alnburgh Castle are anything to go by, we can all look forward to another wonderful cast of characters!

Unknown said...

I feel a lot better knowing that you're suffering from the same condition, Scarlet! Probably a good old work out on the ironing ski slope would fix the problem, but let's face it - that's not going to happen anytime soon.

Hmmm.... interesting Rach. Smoked cheese, you say? I was wondering if you might possibly be in a delicate condition, however the comments about leg-shaving (lack of) and Halfords lead me to believe it's unlikely. *moves quickly out of hitting-range*

Absolutely Rachael! Did you get much writing done in Madrid? Hope so, because I'm sure the ironing mountain was twice as high on your return... Hope you had a lovely time.

Now THAT is a fabulous image, Ms Kendrick! Glad it helped. Write like the wind. Book's working title is The Madwoman's Daughter, which sounds wrong even as I type it. Hopefully something else will occur...

Hey Yoda - well done on getting the revisions done! That does mean you now have to start a new book immediately, you know that don't you? Will lend you my forceful muse, if you like.

Lacey, my sense of humour has become temporarily misplaced under the piles of rubbish along with the rest of my social skills, but I'm hoping they'll reappear in time for half term when I might have to go into the outside world at some stage. It's a scary thought. (Especially with these grey streaks.)

Thanks for that Catherine! It's always comforting to think of completed books when you're struggling with the current one - even though you know perfectly well that they were hell to write too. Hope you're well, happy and writing (not necessarily in that order...)

Trenda Plunkett said...

Yay! I'm so delighted to hear you're immersed in your book. No worries about the house and such. It'll still be there. Messy houses are so reliable that way. I should know! ;-)

Stay warm and give a shout if you need anything from this side of the pond.

Much love,

xx Trenda

Unknown said...

You've already given me a huge boost Trenda - thanks for the reading of the Hermit's card. (For the benefit of everyone else...)

"The Hermit recognizes the need to step back, to retreat, to be on her own to reflect on where she's been and where she wants to go, on what's she learned and what she hopes to learn, what she's accomplished and what her new dreams and goals are and how she plans to achieve them. Unlike some people who loathe being alone, the Hermit likes being in her own space (mental or physical) on occasion. She's not afraid to explore her own inner landscape and knows the answers she seeks are, more often than not, inside rather than outside of herself."

You see, when you put it like that, I feel less like a chaotic weirdo and more like the kind of person I always imagined when I thought of writers...

In other words, YOU ROCK, and you have helped enormously. Thank you! xxx

Trenda Plunkett said...

Dearest India,

Thank you ever so much for your kind words. Tonight, especially, is one of those times when hearing from someone I've helped them *helps me* tremendously. So glad you enjoyed the interpretation of the Hermit's card. She/he is one of my favorites as I see myself in her...and she's my birth card :-)

Much love and many wishes for joy,
xxTrenda

Johanna Grassick said...

So glad your writing's going well, India. I've just finished In Bed with a Stranger and was wishing you'd hurry up and finish the next book! Look forward to reading it.