Monday, March 17

Stupid Brain

Listening to: the voices in my head.

It's 2:37 a.m., and I'm awake.

Why, you ask? Good question. Ostensibly, my insomnia is due to too much caffeine. Apparently, I'm getting old (the gray hairs that multiply every time my roots start to show agree).

But something happened in the three hours I lay awake in bed. My brain started going...and going...and going...until it got to my query letter. I've been trying to revamp it, but have been stuck on one particular paragraph that I couldn't seem to fix. For several very frustrating days.

And just like that (imagine me snapping my fingers here), I had the solution. I don't normally leave a nice warm bed to write in the wee hours, but I was terrified that the shiny new sentences would evaporate by morning. There was nothing to do but get out of bed and get them on paper--or laptop, rather.

So here I am, working on my query letter at nearly 3 a.m. Yes, it is a certain kind of madness, this writing thing.

But at least it's a fun madness.

5 comments:

  1. Oh, I do this at least once a week. I hope I can see your new query when you have it finished!

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  2. I was up until 3 editing the other night. I think I get insomnia b/c my brain is saying "Let's go work. Sleep is for the weak."

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  3. Tia: Yes, I will be sending it your way very soon!

    Eden: I frequently stay up late writing, but I don't get out of bed unless absolutely necessary. My brain just wouldn't allow me to stay there this time, though. Silly brain!

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  4. My brain does this all the time to me. I'll be sleepy all day long, but then around 11pm to 2am, it starts buzzing around and wants me to do things like scribble notes into my trusty Moleskin about the novel.

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  5. sweet... what the hell is a query letter?

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If you don't feel that you are possibly on the edge of humiliating yourself, of losing control of the whole thing, then possibly what you are doing isn't very vital. If you don't feel like you are writing somewhat over your head, why do it? If you don't have some doubt of your authority to tell this story, then you are not trying to tell enough. --John Irving