Writers in the Storm

A blog about writing

storm moving across a field
December 20, 2010

Certifiable

By Laura Drake

I’ve been worried lately.  Things are slipping by me.  My husband tells me of conversations we’ve had , that I have no recollection of.  He can cite quotes, so I have to believe him.  My boss has started looking at me oddly.  Yesterday, I phoned my granddaughter, Haley, for her birthday, and called her Anabelle.   I know that everyone forgets a word now and again, but when it becomes apparent to me that there are holes in my memory, that can’t be good, can it?

Could it be Alzheimer’s?  Okay, I’m not that old, but there is early onset . . .  I even looked it up online.  There are questions to gauge your awareness.  I passed (thank you, God.)   So what’s the deal? 

I should tell you, I’m rocking toward the end of my current WIP – have about four chapters left.  I write anywhere from 500-800 words a day, seven days a week.  This morning, I quit writing at 5:30 to get ready for work.  I pulled my head out of the world I’m creating and looked around.  The cat sat on the desk, giving me the same odd look my boss does. 

Then it hit me.  As authors, we spend quite a bit of our lives in that other world.  Not just the time we’re in front of a computer typing, either.  I carry a digital voice recorder with me at all times, to catch stray thoughts.  I plot while riding my bicycle.  But more than that, I think my not being always in the present is due to what Nora calls, “The girls in the basement”  -- the part of your subconscious that is constantly working on your writing, even when you’re not. 

Think about it – if you’re only listening with half your attention, wouldn’t the result be exactly what I’m experiencing?

The answer is simple – tell the basement girls to take a break when I’m at work, or when I need to focus.  But I hear them laughing, even as I type this.  So does that mean I have a multiple personality issue too?

Please comment and tell me I’m not the only one with this problem!

0 comments on “Certifiable”

  1. Shhhh. I'm trying to write this. lol Laura, you forgot the dementia. Those times we're walking around talking to the people in our heads and everyone says, "Did you say something?" But...those characters demand our attention, so we walk around mumbling to ourselves - or so it seems. 🙂

  2. Laura, you're not the only one. The other day I was writing a scene which happened to be on a snowy Christmas day. My husband walked in with the mail. My first thought was, Why are they delivering mail on Christmas Day? So if you need a shrink, I must need one too.
    Char......

Subscribe to WITS

Recent Posts

Search

WITS Team

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2024 Writers In The Storm - All Rights Reserved