Sunday, February 02, 2014

Go! Go! Go! Go!

By Merrill Markoe, NYTimes 1/18/2014

I have to thank Mo for pointing out this piece in the Times which describes exactly the success I have been enjoying for the past several months. Humorist Merrill Markoe's experience involve being involuntarily bed-ridden, and I am grateful not to have made my discovery in that way. 

"I had a vague idea for a play that I had tried to begin many times at 3 in the afternoon ..."

She was bored to tears, lying in bed at 6 in the morning, day after day, unable to walk, and chose to write, and discovered to her surprise that she wrote -- a lot. So have I, since November. It took about a month of dedicated practice (many, many thanks to my loving wife who brings me coffee every morning, apparently Ms. Markoe doesn't have that) before I moved from writing jibberish to composing dialogue.

Okay, "composing" may be a little florid. But writing is happening. I am half-awake, and yet when I return to what I have created, I am satisfied with what I read.

"Words come pouring out easily while my head still feels as if it is full of ground fog, wrapped in flannel and gauze, and surrounded by a hive of humming, velvety sleep bees."

The piece I am currently working on is so personal, I couldn't get it out if I were wide awake and fed. And it may be terrible, and never see the light of day ... but I have been thinking of writing it since 2010. Not kidding. Four years, thinking of writing something, without putting down a word.
Then it all came tumbling out and I have asked two actors to read the complete first draft out loud on Thursday. I resume the children's play I began at the end of last year. And there are stories buffered waiting for release.

Temperature: 30°
Pavement: Snow snowy snow - and slush!
Distance: 3.7 miles
Weight: 176.5 lbs.

More snow, and it will remain cold this week for little hope the sidewalks will clear, but it was all worth it to lift up my chin and look at the neighborhood, which was complete stunning. Thank you for that.

Also, that was a very satisfying run, and lifting up my knees to make the least splash through the sludgy puddles was exhilarating, and not exhausting in the least. Thank you for that, too.

2012 Playlist
Youth Without Youth - Metric
Die Young - Ke$ha
Drive By - Train
Starships - Nicki Minaj
Wide Awake - Katy Perry
I Love It - Icona Pop ft. Charlie XCX
Somebody That I Used To Know (Sweet Dreams) - Gotye vs. Beyoncé
Paddling Out - Miike Snow
Scream & Shout - will.i.am ft. Britney Spears

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