part of my day job

Excellent advice from a wonderful British novelist. Been “stuck at home” since the end of March, and the way it looks out there, July and August are more “at home” months. What’s different — for me? This is a lesson about the disruption to my routine. I cut out frequent travels to Austin. That’s was about it. Missed my seven-year anniversary at the rock shop.

However, as noted, there’s no definite way to do this, but instead of talking about it? Better yet, I was in Old Austin, and one of the locally famous blues guys was singing, on stage, “You put one foot in front of another because (long pause) — that’s how it’s done.”

part of my day job

The bit about how to write, though, or how to create, and waiting on the perfect time? The muses are a fickle bunch, at best, and the application of “Butts in seats,” or, for me, “at the keyboard,” usually includes some coffee, but other than that?

No excuse.

part of my day job

“Writers write.”

It’s really a simple equation. I’ll admit the first part of the lock-down was traumatic and foiled my productivity, but over time, I got the rhythm back.

“Writers write.”

Surely it doesn’t need to be more clear than that?

Talking about it is talk. Talk is cheap, unless I’m consulting on an astrology chart (see astrofish.net/shop for details).

Addressing the nature of the work, and what I like, the space itself isn’t really important. Maybe it is for some.

Many years distant, I heard the great American novelist John Updike do an “appearance.” I think that’s what it was, a guest lecture one evening. Probably received a handsome honorarium — I can’t say. Same series allowed for a more intimate connection with a handful of proper feminist poets. Maybe I’ll discuss that impact later.

What I recalled from Updike’s talk, as he discussed how he worked, was that he used the second floor of a house in New England, and moved from room to room to follow the sun’s light throughout the day, including a portion of his afternoon spent typing out letters — correspondence — with editors, agents, and so forth. While I can’t recall specifics, it was implied that morning was for “creations” while afternoons were for the more mundane matters.

He alleged he followed the day’s sun from room to room, so he was always working in the sunlight.

part of my day job

In a tiny, tightly controlled space, the act of creation is what I do in a reading. It’s a localized version of what I do when I sit down to write. There’s always the problem of tempting the Fates and Furies, writing about the process itself, but all I can describe? What setting and set-up works.

To make the magic happen? It’s simple. “Cheeks in seats.”

Always something you know? I use a standing desk most often, so the expression is a metaphor, but the song remains the same — it’s all a part of my day job.

Two-Meat Tuesday

Two-Meat Tuesday – Kramer Wetzel

#tuesday