Yesterday, it was sex and politics; today, it’s sex and death. How do you write about the somber subject of death and make it erotic without being creepy? I’ll let you know when I figure it out. It’s definitely an exercise in imagination, though.
I’m also working on an essay, even though I don’t have a particular market in mind. (Believe it or not, the sex and death story is in response to a submissions call.) I haven’t written much creative nonfiction, but I’m intrigued by the stark honesty of the genre. Writing from personal experience is even harder than creating my own characters and scenes. It’s a little scary, actually. Even scarier than writing about sex and death.
I just knocked out the edits on a story for Clean Sheets Sex & Politics Contest and I’m ready for bed. I’m really happy with my recent writing production. Part of it, I’m sure, is the new laptop. It’s great to be able to write anywhere. Of course, the coffee slingers at Barnes & Noble probably think I’m stalking them. Heh.
I also think my increased output is due to my intention of saying farewell to my library job one day in the not-too-distant future. I don’t hate the job, but I’m ready for a break from library work. I have visions of being back in school by January and writing full time while I work on my Masters. I need discipline to write daily and I’m trying to get into the proper mindset now. I’ll probably stay at the library until the end of the year, despite my grumblings to the contrary, but it would be nice to build up a little momentum and have some writing income trickling in.
Amongst all my other goals is the main one: to return to novel writing. There are ideas swirling in the back of my mind, half-started and half-finished projects to revisit, books that I know I must write. I find myself being more and more drawn to literary writing (as opposed to the genre writing that has been the bulk of my so-called writing career). I envision some sort of partnership between my writing and my educational pursuits, but who knows how it will all shake out in the end.
The Highly Selective Book Club With Only Two Members (TM) has chosen a new book to discuss. Finally. I have missed my little book club. We started out trying to get together monthly, now it’s pretty much when we can find the time. Still, I’m excited about the new book (it was one of my picks, so I hope it’s a good read) and looking forward to the discussion… hopefully in a month, schedules permitting.
My reading has decreased sharply over the past few years. I used to read at least a book a week, sometimes two. Even when I was in college (for the last time), I still managed to read for fun. I’m not sure what happened. I know I do more reading online than I used to-- journals and magazines and other people’s weblogs-- so it’s not as if I’m killing brain cells watching South Park. But still.
I own more books than I’ll ever be able to read, as I’ve written about before. I work in a library and make weekly trips to the bookstore, I just don’t make the time to read. I have so many other things going on, obligations and interests, that reading is low on the list of my daily priorities. But it shouldn’t be. I need to be reading more-- a lot more.
If I were anything but a writer, it wouldn’t be such a big deal that I’ve only read half a dozen books so far this year. A little sad, maybe. A commentary on today’s fast-paced society. Half of the adult population doesn’t read at all, so I’m slightly better off than that. But I am a writer. Maybe in addition to demanding more of myself in terms of my writing, I need to treat reading as not only something I love to do, but something I need to do.
After two weeks with my shiny new laptop, I now have the full suite of Microsoft Office products (thank you, Jay!). I am still mourning the loss of my beloved Corel WordPerfect, but at least now I have Word and this beautiful, sleek machine can be used for more than e-mail, blogging and photo management. The irony, of course, is that I decided to go with a Mac in part because I hate Microsoft with a passion similar to my hatred of George W. and Viagra spam. Sadly, Corel WordPerfect is no longer available for Macintosh computers, so I’m stuck with the dreaded Microsoft Word. Sad. Not only that, I have to convert all my WordPerfect files on my PC to Word files and then transfer them to my Mac because Word for Mac won’t convert WordPerfect files. Argh. Still, it’s a minor complaint considering I have the coolest laptop in the world.
Oh, and though I’m not one to name inanimate objects (I have enough pets and fictional characters to name, thankyouverymuch), I named my computer Will. Why? Because I named my scraggly stray cat-- who has been gaining weight and growing fur!-- Grace. Heh.
Despite my aversion to Microsoft, I’m glad I have word processing software now. I have five deadlines I’m going to attempt to make between now and September 1st. Oof. Time to get to work.
Well… maybe tomorrow, since it’s almost 2 a.m.
I’m working on a non-fiction essay for a book about female icons. My focus is on Rosie the Riveter and her relationship to feminism, sexuality and gender identity. Except I’m not exactly sure what I’m trying to say and I think I’m contradicting myself. Is Rosie a positive role model, empowering women to reach beyond their previously limited roles of housewife and secretary, or is she a manipulative piece of propaganda, designed to lure women into the male-dominated workforce, only to be cast aside when the men returned from war? I think she was both, but I’m not sure that makes for very interesting reading.
The deadline for submissions is Friday. Maybe I’ll have some kind of inspiration between now and then.
I can do it.
Life. Love. Writing. Friendship.
Sex. Books. Movies. Travel. Politics. Feminism. Academia. Insomnia. Rants. Raves. Chocolate. Lots of chocolate. Some names have been changed, some stories have been embellished. Thanks for stopping by and beware of the dog. Read more...
