I would like to say that, were I as inventive as Peaches in the comment section, I would have titled The Two Women post The Parable of Forever 21.� Awesome, right?� It meets my three requirements for most things, including men: funny, smart, and not terribly serious.� The Mister can’t tell a joke to save his life, but two out of three isn’t bad.
Thank you for the lovely comments and emails on that post.� No, there isn’t any more.� That was it!� I was in bed, thinking about the day and telling myself it was perfectly okay to let a Monday go by without a post when the clock struck midnight and I remembered the woman in purple.� I knew I would write about her the second I saw that black purse fly into the pew; I just didn’t know I would be the punchline in the end.� God giveth the inspiration and the humility, too.
Speaking of feeling bashful and generally staying out of my comment section when people compliment me on my writing because I have trouble remaining objective when it comes to anything I do, BlogHer syndicated my Boston Cream Cheesecake post.� You can read it right here, if you haven’t already.
Occasionally I will get an email asking me if I have written anything creative. Aside from the almost daily posting I do here, the answer is no. There is a dream I had in college that I never forgot and would like to write down before it leaves me forever but, other than that, I’ve got nothing. And that is perfectly fine with me. I don’t believe every blogger out there is meant to pen a book and I am not looking for a book deal.� I cringe at the thought, even though I didn’t always. It used to sound cool but, honestly?� Do we need another memoir or blog-to-book turn around about a stay at home mom? No.� What I want, what I miss with every ounce of my being (and that’s a lot of ounces) is some good, old fashioned, fun, won’t go to bed until I finish this book, fiction.� I want the next J.K. Rowling to get here already.
I haven’t read as much as I would like this month, but some of the fiction I read and enjoyed include Persuasion by Jane Austen (try to find an edition without such a goofy cover) and The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.� You must read The Screwtape Letters.� It’s a collection of correspondence Screwtape, a senior demon in hell, wrote to his nephew, Wormwood, an entry level “tempter.”� The letters are mainly instructional for Wormwood and focus on the finer points of turning away a human from God, aka “The Enemy.”� The collection is funny, horrifying, and thought provoking.� Is there a genre C.S. Lewis didn’t master?� The man was a genius.� I’m rereading The Chronicles of Narnia right now.� (Sorry, I had to link to the expensive leatherbound version.� I want it, and family members please note–that would be a much appreciated birthday present.)
Oh, here is one more: Rampant.� I haven’t read it and don’t know anyone who has, but I consider it reason #731 why I will leave the professional writing to someone else for now.� Violent unicorns that can only be killed by virgins who are descendants of Alexander the Great?� Yeah, I’m not that creative.� Maybe if I one day have a dream about an anthropomorphic meadow of daisies that devise a plot to take over the world and rule from castles made of terra cotta, I’ll rethink my position.� Today I will work on crafting better post titles.
You know the thing that scares me most about publishing a book? Book signings. What if they made me do one and I was all alone at my little card table. Low point.
I love the Screwtape Letters … gives whole new meaning to “the devil made me do it” … :)
Persuasion is on my list for this summer. I always go for the Everyman’s … nice to have some weight in your hands. Yes, I’m that much of a nerd … sigh.
And I think you may be on to something…
The Everyman’s are great. I guess that’s why they’re every man’s! :)
I’m almost done with The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet and it’s all I wanted it to be: funny, quirky, unique, refreshing. http://www.tsspivet.com/ A perfect summer read.
Disagree strongly with this part “Occasionally I will get an email asking me if I have written anything creative. Aside from the almost daily posting I do here, the answer is no.”.
I haven’t thought of the screwtape letters in decades! I so miss wandering into a bookstore and just browsing for hours.. Those were college years, before kids, before husband… A very good memory in itself. I’m not pining for the past.
Forgot to add this blog-
http://thebeatthatmyheartskipped.co.uk/index.php/category/books-to-read-and-love/
For a bit of inspiration.
Screwtape Letters was my intro to C. S. Lewis as a young teenager. The very last books of his I ever read, after working my way through everything else he’d ever written, were the Chronicles of Narnia. I must say, they were worth the wait!
Becky–why do you disagree? Thanks for the link! By the way, I thought of you when I wrote that J.K. Rowling sentence. Don’t you wish something else as fun and well written will come up again?
Oh man, I LOVE the Screwtape Letters! Lewis was a genius. And “Violent unicorns that can only be killed by virgins who are descendants of Alexander the Great? “? I MUST read it.
I need to start leaving a notebook by the bed, because I have some crazy dreams that would make great lit. Like last night, I dreamed that I had to save a kid from his evil witch stepmom. We ended up hiding in a ditch with a beaver who protected us from the witch’s hunt and then proceeded to have a massive fight ala The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe but with dragons, anthropomorphic lions and some faeries.
It was epic.
Oh, that does sound awesome! The dream I had in college involved me saving my brother from demonic possession by making homemade gnocchi. O_O
ahh, Screwtape! I had the must fun reading through that w/a group of teenage girls a few years ago; they all got so into it!
See what I mean? Everyone loves Screwtape. Okay, enough posting in my comment section. It looks weird.
Love C.S. Lewis! And Screwtape is the best.
I love that you are such a reader and such a fan. Bring reading back sister, that can be your mark on the world! But I think you could and should write a book, because it would be very funny, charming, sensitive, smart and I know I would read it and about 8 bajilion others as well.
Yes, I do wish I could get into anything as epic and exciting and well done as JKR. And fun! Perhaps the link (who is based in the U.K.) will open more quirky reads.
We hold on by listening to the books on tape… I STILL laugh out loud at some of the ways she ties things together. Dear god, can you imagine having a Fred & George? I can : )
O.k., so do you really see yourself as not creative? That I can’t believe. Perhaps writing comes so naturally that it doesn’t feel like a creative “talent”? I say anyone can draw, but it feels like nothing to me, so it’s not creative. Are you getting my jist? Ghah, see.. I can’t write easily : )
When I come West someday we can chat it out.
That must be it because when you just said anyone can draw I rolled my eyes so far back in my head I have myself a headache. I have total illustrator envy! I do think what I do here is creative (I said that in the post but it must not have been clear–sorry!) and I am proud of a couple of posts. Just a couple. ;) Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it’s like pulling teeth. That car ride post about Nico’s hair? PULLING TEETH. It took me days (over a week, actually) of thinking about it before I could write it in a way that I thought would be funny enough to convey what happened. I know the post ended up being 25 words, but those words were like drops of blood!
It’s one of the reasons I blog everyday, or at least try to. Just like any skill, you have to write everyday to do it right and develop it into something special. When I am away even for just a few days I get brain freeze and can’t put two words together. It’s like learning to ride a bike all over again.
See! Sorry for the headache.
O.k., sometimes it’s a challenge to write, but you still want to keep doing it… There is creativity there. When you say no to people who ask about you as a creative writer, maybe it’s samantics in a label?Anyway. You can’t change my mind : ) and we will never be objective about our own stuff. Unless you are a zen monk.
Holy Cats! If I had any idea that my comment would spark a title I would leave comments a Heck of a lot more often. I�m tickled pink.
Just the same, I�m real disappointed there isn�t more. I hear what you are saying about an abundance of blogger books on the market, but I don�t know how many books tap into the crux of your story (as I read it); sometimes the most important lessons come in the oddest of places. Sometimes it�s a grown woman learning humility looking up a hoochy skirt in church. Sometimes it�s learning the magnitude of a parent�s love through fart noises in the back yard. Sometimes it�s learning the importance of self-awareness (and the dangers of well-meaning, ahem, Persuasive, advice) when a tasty sea captain comes to town to rub his ex-girlfriend�s feeble-decision-making skills in her face. But I digress�every story has a moral if you look hard enough. Listen, I don�t know dip about doo, but I�m good enough of a reader to know a good writer. And, I know you wouldn�t be keeping up this blog if you didn�t have a story to tell. So even if you no longer entertain the idea of The Great American Novel, I sure hope you will keep these individual baubles in a safe place–one day you are going to string them into something really special.
So much fantastic writing going on here! Have enjoyed getting caught up… it’s just as relaxing as sitting down with a good book. :D
(Speaking of good books, The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis is my favorite of all his works. Definitely pick it up!)