Time for another link in the blog chain! The current topic was selected by Elana at Mindless Musings.
Leah Clifford had the post before mine and Jessica Verday will be up next.
This week’s topic is a two-parter:
When you’re in a pool of writing funk, how do you get out?
What favorite funny and/or thing makes you happy?
First of all, let me just say that being “in a pool of writing funk” makes me think of this:
Which actually sort of holds the answer. If you remember Ghostbusters 2, the premise was that a river of negativity had been created under New York City and anyone who came into contact with it turned mean-and-nasty. To counteract the effects, the ghostbusters had to coat the victims with positively-charged slime (why does it always have to be slime?).
It’s pretty much the same thing. Yes, the economy stinks and publishing is especially hurting. Yes, it isn’t easy to find a way to “Published” under the best of circumstances. So you have two choices: you can wallow in the negativity, or you can make the effort to coat yourself in positivity.
Find people to support you. Accept that things won’t necessarily happen on your internal deadlines. Start new projects. Incubate ideas. Develop your craft.
I know maybe now isn’t the best time… so I’m trying to use this time to PREPARE for the right time.
And now for something completely silly:
I also greatly enjoyed this post from Kelley on Elvis, Elves and Chocolate Chip Cannoli
My favorite excerpt:
For me, this news is all rather like being a runner in a marathon. The gun has just gone off and suddenly a voice comes over the loud speaker.
“Sorry,” it says. “There’s been a little glitch. The finish line? At mile 26? We had to move it to mile 48. Nothing we could do. Good luck.”
Well. That sucks. The problem, however, is I’m already running the race. I got up at the butt crack of dawn to be here, dragged my family and friends out to cheer me on. I even have my number safety-pinned to my back, for pete’s sake. And did you see my shiny new hot pink sneakers? Vair sweet.
Filed under: Back on the Chain Gang, musings | Tagged: Back on the Chain Gang, blog chain, H. L. Dyer, Heather Dyer, musings, Silly Stuff |
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Love that clip from Ghostbusters 2! That IS exactly how I feel when I’m in the pool. But see his friends pulling him out? … Great post – love the lol cat!
I’m still trying to figure out if the cat is labeled under “Cat,” its name, or something else. I’m anal like that. 😉
I agree that it’s very important to stay positive and keep momentum going.
LOL I’m with Elana – I love that clip! and I find it nicely symbolic as well that his friends pull him out. That excerpt was great! It feels like that sometimes doesn’t it. When I first started writing, I thought “Okay, I’ll write a book, get it published, no biggie.” Yeah right. Then came editing. Then more editing and a great deal of rewriting as I learned more how awesomely I sucked. A year of editing and rewrites later, I’m still querying…getting closer….but dangit, someone keeps moving the freakin finish line on me! 😀 Good thing I’ve got a bunch of wonderful friends to pull me out of the slime 😉
LOL — that clip is very fitting! And you know I just adore that quote you used at the bottom. It’s such a good metaphor (analogy? I never know which is which)
Now I have the Ghostbuster theme song in my head. That’s okay though, it reminds me of when I was skating to it at the roller rink and that memory makes me feel all coated with positively charged slime:)
I loved the Ghostbusters movies. Thanks for the clip. And I agree, a wallow in the negativity is a dead end. The LOL cat made my day!
I’m very glad you got it. And may I say- vair sweet set of sneakers you have on yourself. 🙂 See you at the finish line.