Existential Pickle May 21, 2007
Posted by Jen in : Journal, Novel , trackbackLiz has been posting profiles of the novel racers recently. It’s fascinating how people come across differently somewhere other than their own blog or website.
As for writing my own profile, that seemed an unnecessarily daunting task. Which of my roles should I adopt? The Retail Hell persona where I am “always upbeat, always capable, funny, intelligent”? Or the weary, bedraggled, never-quite-in-control ninny who gets into the car after work, desperate to get home for a quick weeping session and cup of industrial tea before the onset of teenage torture and household chores, dog poo and exploding cookers. Novel Racers – oh yes! I’m supposed to be a writer too. So, do I don the ‘I can do it and do it I will’ technicolour dreamcoat. Or the black mantle that conveys to the world that my words are trite, dull and aimlessly going nowhere but the bin?
“I don’t why you’re bothering with all that,’ chips my mother. Lovely. I might not pick her as a guinea pig reader then.
My novel characters are having a huge discussion about which of the others around the dinner table they’d like to swap lives with for a week – it’s really amazing that the characters themselves are throwing up insights into each other that I, as their creator, hadn’t even noticed.
And me, who would I be if I could swap for a while? I don’t know, to be honest. I’d quite like to have a go at being the me I have pencilled in for the future, the one I always thought I’d be but haven’t quite managed yet. You know, just to see if I’ll be any good at it.
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Oooh, I know, Jen. It’s hard to decide who to be. I read mine back to myself and I thought ‘Oh dear, how dull’ I love the idea of you being you in the future, the one you haven’t quite managed yet. I’d like that too. Your words going nowhere but the bin? Nonsense, girl, get writing: it made me laugh.
It made me laugh aswell so you must be doing something right. Don’t wait for tomorrow be what or should that be who you want to be today.
Who would I like to swap with for a week, not sure will give it some thought.
Whatever you do don’t give up.
Oooh what a brill exerciuse for your characters……..
The profile is great and up tomorrow:-) btw you are great!
JJ: Weird, writing about yourself, isn’t it? Imagine how odd it’ll feel when we’re on Parky!
Sheepish: Ugh, giving up seems tempting, I must confess. Odd that you thought it a funny post - I thought it was really miserable!!!!
Liz: Aw, thanks… you’re cheering me up no end. It is a really fun exercise; not sure where the idea came from really (like most of the other stuff I write).
I need to go check out the profiles since I like engaging with the novel racers, even if I was to lazy to join myself.
Your struggle to define yourself in a small profile shows how well-rounded you are: you’re not only a writer, etc., you are many things all in one. I would be interested to see my partner’s or best friend’s profile of me since they would probably see things I don’t.
As JJ said, I also love the idea of being the successful me of the future - the one I haven’t quite yet managed to become.
Angie: By well-rounded, do you mean ‘fat’ perchance?!
Hmm, partner or friend’s profile would be interesting. My novel actually centres around the Anais Nin quotation ‘We don’t see things as they are, we see things as WE are’. Such a fascinating concept, for me anyway!
Ack! No, of course not! Oh dear…