Friday, April 30, 2010

More

I've enjoyed reading your comments about yesterday's post, and I think we can all agree that Lucinda hit a grand slam with her list, which is very witty and also wise. I especially liked her idea of having a life. It reminded me of a film from the 80's called CROSS CREEK, starring Mary Steenburgen (I loved her) as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings who wrote THE YEARLING.

Anyway. Marjorie wants to escape to a quiet life in Florida so she can write, but THE PEOPLE THERE JUST WON'T LEAVE HER ALONE. They keep infringing on her writing time. They keep dragging her back into the land of the living. And then one day she realizes that STORIES are found in the land of the living, not just in the life of the mind. THE YEARLING grows out of that important realization.

We all fantasize about holing up and devoting ourselves to that novel inside of us. And little periods of holing up now and then are great. But to do it forever?

Not a good thing for a writer.

3 comments:

LucindaF said...

That's why I went fishing again today. Can't beat the scenery. Baby ducks and geese. Nesting birds. And my youngest and I climbing trees.

p.s Thanks, Ann.

BBB said...

I agree with this. I find that whenever I'm really busy doing life, I long for a day off where I could just sit and read all day or just do nothing for that matter.

And then when my blissful day off comes, the whole time I'm thinking, I'm wasting time and not getting anything done, what's my problem!? And I feel totally unproductive. Cause naturally you're unproductive unless you've cleaned the dishes or done the laundry or something ridiculous like that.

It's twisted. I'm twisted. And I'm sure there's some psychological disorder associated with this twisted-ness and guess how many people have WRITTEN and PUBLISHED books about it?

Anonymous said...

CROSSCREEK is also one of my favorite films - the sort that always lingers somewhere in your heart or mind and readily surfaces from time to time for little or no reason. Thank you so much for reminding me once again of its beauty and its message.

Have a scrumptions Saturday, Ann!

Renae