Frustration

Today's date is not Thursday, January 28, 2010. Today is Thursday, Frustration 28,2010.

That's right. I just changed my calendar and gave frustration its own month. (Sorry Janus, take your two-faced self and scoot. You no longer get a month.)

The novel is being stubborn today. I don't know if it's lack of sleep, all those cold pills I chugged down last week and this week (no, not all in a row - it was a couple of days in each week. sheesh I didn't even make it through a whole box.), or whatever other excuse I find convenient at the moment, but the book in my head (which is awesome) is trying to stay in there instead of affixing itself firmly to the page as instructed. So, to that end, I give you this:

Dear Novel Mine,

I get it, Novel, I really do. It's cold outside. It's wet and grey and pretty well nasty, and you're nice and dry in my brain. (though if my brain were dry, I'd have a pretty big problem...) You're comfortable in there and you don't want to get out in the world where people will judge you and seek out your flaws. You don't want the hassle of having someone pick you apart because you aren't the way they'd prefer. You don't want them to look at you shiny on a shelf and pass by -- uninterested. You don't want to hear "no".

Too bad.

Suck it up.

Get your sorry keister off my synapses and into my PC where you belong.

I'll give you a hand, Novel. I'll make you shiny and pretty. I'll tell you you're perfect and fix you when you're less than you should be. Together we'll make people laugh at the silly moments and cry at the sad ones. We'll keep them so enthralled that they won't put you down until they're certain the outcome is one they can live with. We'll get them so wrapped up in your story that they'll see your characters in their head and forget their real lives for a while.

We can do it, Novel. I promise. But you have to cooperate. Okay?

No more moping. No more whining. No more trying to convince me I should work on one of those other things in progress on my computer. It's not their turn, it's yours.

Batter up, buddy. It's your time to shine.

Sincerely,

Your Writer