the hermit

[devi]

And so the Strange and Rootless Summer goes on. I'm house-sitting for addedentry and j4 in Cambridge right now. They have no internet yet. On the one hand, this is a bit weird. On the other hand, it means I'm getting lots and lots of writing done, and watching their videos, and magpieing my way through their fantastic poetry collection, reading Four Quartets over and over again and playing the Oysterband loudly. And the 24 Hour Party People soundtrack. If I ever have the study/library/workshop I dream of, I think I'll call it the Factory.

Now I'm in a lovely little netcafe/bookshop called CB1 on Mill Road. It has a bookcrossing shelf. I've adopted Mary Dorcey's Biography of Desire (apparently it's the first ever Irish erotic novel. Hmm. No I said no I won't no) and had a chat with the folkie proprietor about bookcrossing. I wonder what I have in my rucksack that I can leave in return?

Saturday was ghoti's wedding, which was beautiful and full of hymns and ceilidh dancing. It was weird to be singing things like Here I Am Lord (a Fanore classic) again, and some of the hymns were downright apocalyptic ("Come back suddenly, Lord, and fill your temples!" At least I can take consolation in the fact that they've been singing that hymn since the 1700s and He hasn't come back suddenly yet), but it still felt sort of right. And it seems I really like ceilidh dancing. I'd better not tell my mum or she'll make me accompany her to sessions in school halls to dance with sweating elderly farmers with one hand*.

This past week... I have no proper words, so I'm just going to mumble indistinctly about exploring territories real and imaginary, and books and ideas I needed just falling into my lap, and being amazed at my own brain (it's not as egotistical as it sounds, really, it could apply to anyone's brain), crazy random conversations, speaking things long unspoken, and stuff, and things. And stuff. Er...

Anyway, never mind the specifics; the result is I'm in a writing frenzy. I wonder if it's possible to write 20,000 words in a week? I'll be back online properly at the weekend, I hope, maybe. I'm sorry to anyone who tried to contact me these last few days who didn't get a reply. A couple of weeks ago I was all gregarious and now I've turned back into a recluse. I am a flake.


*This has actually happened before

Comments

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

Erk. Did I ever text you back that time?

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

Sorry. :/ I wrote you a text. Maybe I sent it to the wrong number. I wonder who?

[lostcarpark.livejournal.com]

I wonder if it's possible to write 20,000 words in a week?

Yes it's possible, and there are many professional writers who seem to be capable of doing it on a consistent basis.

Personally, I've only done it once, and with over half of them in the last 24 hours, it was one of the most exhilerating weeks of my life.

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

I'm really sorry about the Worldcon thing, by the way. I was fretting over life issues. I am a flake indeed. How did it go?

[ksta.livejournal.com]

wow, I'd love to sit in a cottage in cambridge!

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

Well, it's more a terrace than a cottage, but still lovely.

[lathany.livejournal.com]

I wonder if it's possible to write 20,000 words in a week?

Yep - if you've got peace, quiet, coffee and chocolate truffles!

(Maybe you could hand some eight thousand of those over to secretrebel? Assuming you can see the entry that I can see.)

[lathany.livejournal.com]

Six thousand, even.

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

I wonder how my characters would get along in her book?

[juggzy.livejournal.com]

Yes.

[hoiho.livejournal.com]

If you need internet on a cheaper basis, there's free net in The Kingston Arms, on Kingston street. Well, free if you buy beer, but that's as good as free, isn't it?

Or you can always borrow mine - I'm very close by.

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

I'm actually getting free net at CB1, as they're not yet charging for wireless access ("we haven't worked out how"). I'm buying extra coffee to make up for it, because they're nice and I want to support them. But thanks!

[echidnacrossing.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't consider that to be flaky. It's good to go into seclusion after a lot of interesting stuff happens. You give the ideas a chance to slot themselves into place, with no distractions weighing you down.
Bravo on the burst of inspiration :)

[hatter.livejournal.com]

Ceilidh club (http;//www.ceilidhclub.com/) in london would be what you're wanting, not that we've organised an outing there in a while. No school halls (BAC is extraordinarily convenient my my house, too), barely a sign of sweaty old people of any profession or below-average quantities of extremities. I'm a bit busy for the next month or two, but keep an eye on bfos lj, and I'll try to remember and prod you next time.


the hatter

[hatter.livejournal.com]

And without mistyped links - www.ceilidhclub.com (http://www.ceilidhclub.com) Pesky useless preview mode.

[the-elyan.livejournal.com]

Not a bad way to spend a few days.

Call if you fancy a pint - I've sent you an email. As far as I emember (which isn't far) I'm about every night this week.

[nja.livejournal.com]

Ray Monk reckons that Bertrand Russell rarely passed a day in his adult life (he lived to be nearly a hundred) without writing two or three thousand words.

[sphyg.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I was also at the wedding and don't recall ever having met you. What were you wearing?

[verlaine.livejournal.com]

Haha, I spotted you at the wedding and failed wholeheartedly to point you out to anyone. I did point out the_alchemist to people despite her purple hat disguise, though, which was a job well done I thought.

[-mega-normal.livejournal.com]

Ah, CB1! My youth group used to meet there...

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

It's fab. I noticed the wall of antique computers today.

[casca-2u.livejournal.com]

Oh you sound like you're leading the idyllic writer's life!

I wonder if it's possible to write 20,000 words in a week?

That would exceed nano targets! But I think it's possible. However would one then dry up and become brain dead for the next few weeks?

I've managed to get the last copy of interzon196 held by a sydney bookshop. Your story, and a few others in the edition, are quite wonderful and insipirational writing! Would be happy to send it to you when I finish... or give it to you in December (will be visiting Dublin/London) :-)

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

Wow! You found one!

If you could send it to me I would be eternally grateful. I'll mail you with an address. Thank you!

[gothwalk.livejournal.com]

I've done 20k in a week, but it was gaming notes and background stuff, none of very polished. Didn't wipe my brain, though.

[mollydot.livejournal.com]

Ooo! Do you bookcross? Do you have a username there? I'm nut.
http://www.bookcrossing.com/mybookshelf/nut

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

I'm devi, but I haven't logged on in ages! I'll have reason to now, though, to review the Dorcey book and mention any I've left in its place :)

[miss-newham.livejournal.com]

Not my brain, I can tell you. But glad writing is going well. And reply to my texts, missy!

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

Sorry I missed drinks!

And you underrate your own brain greatly.

[parallelgirl.livejournal.com]

Cambridge would be a lovely place for rootless hanging out, methinks, although I always feel that my Preppy Glamour Quotient is lacking there. And I love CB1 and CB2- just the kind of Cambridgey place you don't get in Bedford......

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

I met three genuine dog-on-string crusties just on the five-minute walk to the cafe today. It certainly isn't at all preppy here, but/and I love it.