Of Existential Excuses February 3, 2010
Posted by Jen in : Allergic to Children, Bit of a Mid-Life Crisis , 14 commentsI had an email yesterday. ‘You blog needs updating, Honey,’ it nudged. Another last night asked ‘Have you dropped off the edge of the planet or just the edge of reality?’. Hmmm.
I’d like to inform you, dear reader, that I have spent the last month immersed in my writing. Sadly, I can’t do that, ‘cos it’s not true. Bugger.
I don’t think it’s *actually* possible to drop off the edge of reality. Reality isn’t flat, for a start – if it is, you’re doing it wrong. My reality, it seems, is a deep, dark well. The drips of real life are fermenting, becoming viscous in the gloom. The droplets stick to me and smell a little bit manky. I can’t describe the smell. It’s sort of the opposite of Jelly Tots, if that helps?
There has been children stuff to contend with, amongst other things. Son No. 2 must choose his GCSE preferences by Friday. ‘I’ll have to take the higher level ICT course if I’m gonna be a games designer,’ he informed me wisely. ‘But if I’m no good at that, I might be an archaeologist instead.’ Er… what? Yes, that’s great, Son 2. I’d like to be a lion tamer and a hot air balloonist. I’m not though. Here, have a go in the Well of Reality. I do realise, of course, that lobbing your offspring into the pit of dashed dreams isn’t in the parental job description. Hmmm again.
Son 1 is choosing his A Levels. He is being very sensible, drawing up lists and combinations of amazing academic cleverness. In between these moments, he is studying hard for his GCSE’s. People of Sussex, if you hear the demented screams of ‘You’re not going to get an A-star in MSN chatting you know,’ that might be me. Oh, good God. When did I become that person?
Novel 2 is… well, I like the idea so much, I actually want to live the main character’s life. That’s a bit sad, isn’t it? This means one of two things: I’m just terribly excited about writing Novel 2 OR I’m sooooooo on the verge of a mid-life crisis.
*Goes off to weave daisies into her plaited hair…*
Yes, my brain is in a pickle. Oh dear. So long as the good and exciting bits at least manage to make a dent in the ‘reality’ and ‘plain daft’, it’s probably going ok though. Isn’t it?
