Time. Don't Waste It.
I often remember that Albert Camus had a sign on his desk saying: "Time. Don't waste it". I am looking at my diary and I am out for the next four nights seeing plays. I will be reviewing everything I see (two for the newspaper, all of them for my blog) and I want to see all of them. (Well, maybe I want to see three of them, and am hoping to enjoy the other one.) And I have a meeting on Saturday afternoon, talking with a dance company, who are all brilliant people, which is why I said yes. I still have to write that review of Le Guin's Voices. (I said "yes" to that because I love Le Guin's work).
I spent this morning having a fun time writing background stuff about the Pellinor books for the Candlewick web page, doing small rewrites for the Oz on a review of a wonderful film of Hamlet I saw on Sunday night at the Melbourne International Film Festival, and walking around in circles in my kitchen, sneezing. (This is true). I am not at all sure if this is normal behaviour. Any of it.
Ok, this is a busy week. But I'm getting a little edgy. I think I have to write something. I mean, something that isn't a review. One thing I have to do is work on my next book of poems, which is supposed to come out next year. I'll have to stop being wimpy soon and get down to it. At the moment I'm feeling a little squeeeeezed. I'm not complaining; not only is it all my fault, I'm having the most wonderfully interesting time. But I am wondering how I wrote The Singing, because I didn't seem much less busy then. How do you tell if you're wasting time?
9 comments:
You sound very busy, I have no idea how you could make time to waste it...
Wasting time depends entirly on your lifestyle and whats viable in your lifestyle.
Well I've forgoten the point I was going to make.
Rhiannon
I do believe that walking in circles in your kitchen can be very productive (and helps to avoid doing dishes!)
It does sound like you are keeping yourself very busy, but it also seems that what you keep busy with is the things that you enjoy most.
Well, maybe not most, but...
Fun stuff still.
I have read the first two books of your pellinoir series, and am (not so) patiently awaiting the third.
If you're wasting your time then I must be a bum! xD
I can tell that I'm wasting my time when I look back on my day and it depresses me that I didn't seem to get anything done.
It sounds as though you certainly have your hands full, though! If you get stuck on your book of poems, perhaps you should start a new series ;) Ok, ok, just kidding - get well, and then start the series. :D Being haunted by greedily reading fans everywhere may make you regret being such a wonderful author! ;)
Thanks for the comments (I'll remember about the circles). And I'd never regret that, chris' girl!
I have lots of days when that seem to be completely empty, and have achieved nothing at all. And then life gets overwhelming, as in the past week, which has been particularly bonkers. I don't know really how I get anything done or even how I manage to get nothing done as well. Curioser and curioser. I suppose if a millipede thought about how it walked, it would just fall over...
PS I finished the book of poems!
Hey Alison,
That is really exciting about your poems (I am sure they are really good). I was wondering: Are they available in the U.S. and how many have you written?? I wanted to thank you about your post on "procrastination is important." That really helped me. Now there is a story almost ready to pop right out. And yes, I totally agree with you: Most writers just right the story to find out what is going to happen to the characters-that is definitely true!!!
Anyway, thanks-Oh, just in case (this is eowyn336)
*I am not sure if I can get into that account it is being very nasty!!!!!!
Ok alison-now this is really, really weird. The same comment posted itself twice...now something really is messed up!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't worry lady - sometimes blogger does strange things! I'm glad that post helped you, and the best of luck with your story.
I am excited about the poetry collection - I think (and my publisher does too) that it's my strongest so far. Being poetry, it's much harder to find than the fantasy novels, and it's probably easist to buy online. It's rather different from the poetry in the Pellinor books - though since they're all written by me, there are definite points of contact!
Wow, I'm glad you got it all done! Now, there's no excuse to not start a new series :P That's the sad part about being such a voracious reader - once you've read it, you have to wait for the next installment! Congrats on the culmination of your hard work, Alison!
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