Writing is a roller coaster ride

There is picture, called 'Man Reading in the Garden' is by Honore Daumier (1808 to 1879) and was first brought to my attention during a keynote speech given by Philip Pullman. Talking afterwards he very kindly sent me the details and a link to a copy of it. We both love what it represents and for me it is a reminder of why I write as I know there is nothing more delightful than being lost in a book. To me it's a very calm picture and one I would look at a lot in the last few weeks of my PhD. I needed its soothing balm. I have a copy at home and in my office. I would love to see the original but though it is kept at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York it currently is not on view. One day maybe...

The writing hangover mentioned last week is still there. I did manage to write a creative writing exercise I had been commissioned to do and had a deadline for and I managed to tidy up some references in a book a friend is writing, but to actually write something for me that is creatively rather than academically based is proving to be an issue. I want to submit a piece on 'beginnings' for the new Gumbo Press e-zine and I have masses of notes but seem to have an issue with actually starting it. Empty page/screen syndrome!

I follow a good friends blog and the two most recent posts epitiomised, to me, this roller coaster activity which I so love. On Friday they spoke about how easy writing was, just a matter of getting the words in the right order, then yesterday it was a post full of sighs and doubt as to whether what they are producing is good enough. It is, I have read it, but I also understand that doubt. I ride that roller coaster on a regular basis it can be thrilling yet more often than not it is terrifying. On that note I have also taken the next step in my new beginnings, if they are successful I will tell you, if not I will disappear quietly into a corner to lick my wounds before repeating the process, but thank you to Nicky Schmidt for her support and advice in this matter.

It was my final week of recuperation but I didn't manage as much reading as I had hoped, too many distractions. And this week I am back to work on Tuesday and I am hosting an event for our third years when Morag Joss is going to come in to talk to the students about being a writer. It should be a wonderful event and a great way back into the working environment before the stress of assignment and final year project marking comes flooding in.

I am still not as strong as I would like to be so need to take things a bit slower and to remember that I'm no super[woman]....