Apparently Beryl Bainbridge only writes with a certain kind of pen, in a particular kind of book (with lines - eek!). I have never thought of myself with obsessions but when I think about my writing I realise that I have some serious control issues. Yep, I'm up there with Beryl B, the pen does matter and so does where it lives.
Gone are the cleaner lines of the rest of the house, replaced by something that would not look out of place in Dumbledore's office.
A hundred books, that can't possibly be out of sight, fight for dominance on a shelf that was designed for one modest ornament. The lower shelf (never really shared this with anyone before and have unusual embarrassment) holds the talismans for my writing. They range from a gonk that I had when I was ten, a laughing Buddha and a tin of my children's teeth (I know!!).
Peruvian Worry Dolls, that were purchased from a little know Peruvian town in Dorset, sit in a glowering line. Alongside them is a brass Shiva, who is holding out her hands waiting for the literary miracles that are one day going to come tripping from my fingers!
Then there is my gallery of poems and art work, and my 'all is not lost' candle that I light before sending anything off. I have a pair of nursery bookends that have long since been dispensed with by the owners of the tinned teeth and they also donated the chipped Bart Simpson mug that now holds my Beryls!
I make no excuses, these are my 'inspirements' (not a word but I like it!). I NEED these things around me in order to, hah, write.
Thank you for letting me get this off my chest, I feel much better out than in. Don't be embarrassed to share your own weird habits...you have got some haven't you?
20 comments:
On pens, I like pens and often am given them, but I can never keep them for more than a day. Where do they go? In the morning, first time I put my first pen down to do something else, it goes behind the ear. Then I can't find it so I pick up another. Something else happens so the pen goes behind the other ear. Then I can't find a pen, and charge round the office looking for one. My glasses slip in the rush, I put my hand up to push them back on, and crash up against.... a pen.
What a boring story -- I suppose it fits my image of the school swot, or "nice girl" as Pundy mistakenly thinks I am.....
Careful Minx! The uppermost shelf you describe seems to house books that would have a very definite higher weight factor to the shelf that houses your "talismans" for writing. I'd hate to see it all come crumbling down.
Best to treat shelves as the instructions for a filing cabinet outline - heavy at the bottom and lighter on top!
Now, in what context did I hear that before? Bells are ringing...
Isn't that clever - Crimeficreader sees the plot that we all missed! I think she's quite right too - perhaps you should consider moving your talismans (I really wish we could say 'talisMEN' for the plural)...perhaps you should consider moving the talismans to a higher, 'governing' shelf.
I have all manner of household 'gods' around because I think there really is something that tells your subconscious that you are not alone. I love little faces so I have many around me. One of my favourites is a figure that belonged to my husband's grandfather. He sits on his own little pedestal which says "Billiken - The God of Things as They Ought to Be." Another favourite is actually a wee picture with a poorly-drawn, dirty little face and the inscription "Keep pudding on a happy face".
Don't know if I've got a any weird writing habits. All I know is I need music playing so I'm normally at the computer with headphones on. I'd love to be able to write in silence but silence is impossible where I live.
Not boring at all Maxine, I eat pens!
Don't believe I've just confessed that either, what is blogging doing to me?
Don't worry CFR, I believe I have answered on your blog!
Susan, I wish to own a 'Billiken'- 'The God of Large Kitchen Appliances' called in this week and broke the washing machine. Have a word with the Billiken and see if he can come back and destroy the hoover will you!!
And Marie, thanks for the diverting 'city' thingy - couldn't live in any city, you can taste the air!!
I love the taste of city air . . .
The television is usually on in another room when I write even when there's no one else in the house . . .
Well I'm in bed, my laptop perched on the special tray I bought exactly for this purpose. I am surrounded by crap: my boxes, wooden snake, ostrich feather tucked behind the mirror, Korean turtle thingy hanging off a picture, a couple of my paintings, photo of me at Teotihuacan and Wol hiding behind the pillow (god knows where Fernando the bull has wandered off to) listening to The Mariner's Revenge Song by The Decemberists. But when I write made up stuff I sit staring at a blank wall in silence (well apart from me talking out loud).
Ah, Maxine - the pens are of course on the planet for lost biros - take a left just before the junction at the planet for lost socks ...
I have all my children's teeth (that's all the teeth of both my children rather than ...) but can't tell them as they still think the Tooth Fairy has them ...
I have a friend who (for reasons I won't go into) had to endure a police raid. As they rooted through her freezer (!) she found herself yelling, 'Don't you dare touch that. That's my baby's umbilical cord!'
Sorry - off the track ... mind's gone a rambling ...
Oh Debi, will you marry me?
I am enormously supersticious and also have a thing for worry dolls (Guatemalan rather than Peruvian but I guess they work the same!) Whenever I'm worried about something I put one under my pillow and whisper my worry to it before going to sleep. Works wonders.
Debi, there is NO way anyone can hope to compete with the umbilical cord! I swear, it's a line I'm going to steal - ahem, adapt - for one of my scenes. Or at least use when the police next come to call ...
Yes, I can't compete with the umbilical cord though I do have a friend who kept her placentas (two of them, one for her first child and one for her pair of twins) in the freezer for years as she could not work out what to do with them -- being me I was always a bit worried when I went round to her house for dinner. Also there is some stuff on New Tammany college at the moment about a certain sort of drink (will say no more to make you go over and have a read).
Marie, your flat really does sound bad. We need to get the blog squad round. What can be done?
Well, much as I find the discussion of placentas somewhat 'ee-ewey'...it makes sense to preserve them. I don't think a home freezer is up to the job though. More and more people are paying to preserve placentas as a safeguard against the horrible possibility of cancer that requires bone-marrow-destroying radiation treatment. Preserved placentas have already saved lives.
Now don't any of you people use this disgusting banter in a 'playlet'! God knows I don't want to read these comments again! Not MINE anyway!
Enough of the placental talk!
Writing habits people, writing habits is the topic, on task please!
*grins* you should have a drawing competition o see who could most realistucally draw your room :)
Hmm yeah.. I'm an artist by trade, but I definitely NEED a black pen to write in my journal. I also need to lie on the floor (desks don't enhance inpiration) and I need a lot of mess around me (my art gets piled in stacks around me.
Then I usually think I want a coffee and somehting edible to start me off (in the evening).. so I go get it and 9 out of 10 times forget about it (it goes cold because I lose mtself in my project. then when I remeber it is cold and I wonder why..)
Fun post to read.. love the comments too! :)
Meike, I did wonder if that plane ever got you home!! Glad to see it did.
And please, no drawings I would die a thousand deaths if I thought someone had captured my sanctum! Nearly as bad as photo's....ahhhh!
Sorry but I just can't leave those placentas alone.
Now, d'you want to hear my story about the placenta burying ceremony in Italy? Or would you prefer the menstruation party in Brixton ...?
No! You are frightening the men!
Aw shucks ... never had you figured for a spoilsport ...
And who's to say the men couldn't contribute their own rites of passage stories? (I have some ideas re what they could consist of and I bet I'm not the only one ...)
Don't start them off, Debi! It is bad enough at the moment with the World Cup without encouraging them with their war stories or whatever.
And one sight of the "m" or "p" word would probably have them diving for cover, thankfully.
Post a Comment