Day 2. Haven’t written anything for weeks. Maybe I have lost it? Daughter no. 2 is getting married at end of the month. She wants a wedding poem. A challenge; I could write about death, divorce, depression, the trials of parenthood. But something romantic? Not exactly my forte.
Day 3. Am tired. Went to a bush walk, to rejuvenate, clear my mind. Lovely scenery, except for the swimming waterhole/waterfall incident. Some underage kids got caught in a compromising situation by the girl’s dad. Scene stuck in my head, couldn’t sleep. Dreamt of dolphins for some reason.
Day 4: In my writing den for most of the morning, answering emails and trawling the net. Procrastinating. Must be more disciplined. Stephen King doesn’t stop writing until he’s reached his daily quota of 2,000 words is done and dusted. Haruki Murakami starts his day writing at 4am, writes for 5-6 hrs. What a Legend.
Day 6. Writing day was hijacked by family roast lunch. After lunch (a few wines, if I must be truthful) watched a pukeko in the bottom of the back orchard. Skinny little bird. Didn’t know pukeko ate grapefruit. He had a fight with a rabbit over the fallen fruit – even if I wrote about that, no-one would believe it. Shades of Peter Rabbit?
Day 7. The waste disposal got wasted. Today started okay. Woke at 5.30am. Made coffee, went back to bed and tuned into the radio talk show. Late for work – again. Got home with good intentions to finish a chapter of my novel. And the wedding poem, of course. Spent 2 hrs mopping up flood under the kitchen sink. Went to bed without dinner and read ‘Girl Who Played with Fire’. Stieg Larsson is a legend too. It’s the kind of book I want to write. Shame he died. But at least he did it. Not a procrastinator. Did he keep a diary?
Day 9. 5am. Shuffled papers on my writing desk, trying to find focus. Found my first notes for novel. Must outline the background of the rebellion community – how it started, the leader hierarchy, do they kill traitors – or exile them? My mind is like a country, with barely a map – and faulty compass to guide me. Spent the night scrawling notes and map in an old exercise book. Missed Coro St. Late night. Forgot to eat dinner.
Day 10. At work. Not much on. Maybe I can fit writing in. Outside, lunch table is next to the waste recycling bin. Bad smells! Scribbled down a couple of scenes. Smell drove me inside, and back to work. Thinking of a gardening theme for the wedding poem. Maybe.
Day 11. Kurt Vonnegut does push ups after his writing day. Murakami runs 10kms every day. Exercise keeps the brain oxygenated. I hung out the washing, then get it back in again. Maybe I should take up golf. I could be a hacker and a hack! Ha! 10pm. Walked around the block. Funny how people leave their lights on and their curtains open. Felt like a peeping Tom.
Day 12. Mum’s birthday. Went to the cemetery. Put daisies on her grave. Depressed, so went to the library. Why are so many books by so many authors, and I can’t even write a simple wedding poem or a single chapter for my novel? Depressed. Maybe I should give up.
Day 16. There’s a writing competition I want to enter.Have enrolled in a writing class. Think it might help my focus. Writing is a solitary event. Hopefully it will kick-start the writer-me.
Day 21. I have lost my last chapter! Kids have been playing games on my computer, I picked up a bug. Took my pc into the IT guy who tapped a few keys and hey-presto! But I still can’t find lost chapter. Must remember to save, save, save.
Day 22. Writing class went well. Everyone liked my gingernut cookies.
Day 24. Have been busy shopping for a mother-of-the-bride dress. Drafted the poem I promised to write. It’s in my head, I can’t get rid of it. Nothing like pressure and deadlines to get you motivated. Wedding is in 6 days. NO pressure.
Day 26. 2am – wrote for a solid hour! A silly little poem about a pukeko on a grapefruit diet in an orchard.
Day 28. Wedding poem first draft completed. Not happy. Not what I wanted. Am going to have to rethink/rewrite.
Day 29. Daughter’s wedding tomorrow. Finally got it, the poem – like in a rush, as a waterfall, a water theme, of course, with dolphin interplay. Made it to Warehouse Stationery for printing before closing. And framing the final copy. A close call. Thank Dickens for deadlines!
Day 31. Another deadline looming now, promised a short story for an anthology. I wonder if I can rewrite that pukeko poem as a story. Can I channel Beatrix Potter, maybe? Onto next scene of novel. Planning publication November. Family brunch tomorrow.