August 28, 2005

one of my kids just biffed it

It rained today, and I wrote a story to mark the occasion. I liked it a lot. Then it froze and ... it's gone. This is ironic because just Friday night Matt was marveling at my ability to remain detached from my writing and toss stuff that didn't satisfy. And now I lost a piece I really liked. How do I react?

  • Like it's a gift from God? He gives and takes as he wishes. If he wants it written, he'll give it to me again.
  • Like all good stories are better with practice? This is just an opportunity to practice.
  • Like I'm disappointed? Well, one of my children did just die.
Perhaps all three. And I'll sleep soundly tonight.

But now the larger question: how to act next. Do I rewrite it? Or move on to something else.
I don't know. I want to rewrite it, but then the disappointment of losing a story is always sort of overwhelming. I'd rather take the easy route and walk away. Especially tonight, when I'm tired. I think I'll sleep now, and dream about it. I'll decide in the morning.

a dieu (to God).
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11 comments:

  1. Pete8/29/2005 11:58 PM

    definitely all three. I would have loved to have read it though. Hope that doesn't depress you further

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  2. aziner8/30/2005 11:26 AM

    Do you ever hand write your stories? I find that to be a more intimate writing process.

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  3. Galen8/30/2005 12:05 PM

    I handwrite ideas for stories. But I handwrite really slow, whereas I think really fast, so I have to type stories to keep up with my imagination.

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  4. aziner8/30/2005 2:14 PM

    I adore handwriting. I am fascinated by how every person's writing differs, but I also enjoy the similarities. I like how I can know a letter has come from my relatives in India simply because the writing is similar in form to my dad's. I like how my sister's and my handwriting are similar enough that some people can't tell the difference. I like that I can. She puts a loop on her lower case k's, I do not. I love knowing a person well enough that I can recognize his/her writing.

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  5. MRJ8/30/2005 4:04 PM

    Also a disadvantage for Galen is that very few people (including Galen himself) can actually read his handwriting. Not to say it's not recognizable - cause it definitely is...it's just...you kinda need to be able to read what you wrote after you wrote it. :)

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  6. Galen8/30/2005 4:45 PM

    It's true. I can't read my handwriting. But I usually write to express, not to record, so I'm ok.

    Matt on the other hand writes everything by hand and then never shows anyone else.

    I'd rather not read my handwriting but express, than write by hand and be unknown.

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  7. Galen8/30/2005 4:49 PM

    which was not at all an attack on Matt, nor a defense of my handwriting. it was just an expression of my philosophy in contrast to his.

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  8. MRJ8/30/2005 6:33 PM

    i've decided it's a testimony to our, er, friendship that i could smile the entire time i read that.

    ha, true tho. quite true.

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  9. Anonymous8/31/2005 9:20 AM

    I get so protective of what I write that I handwrite AND type it on the computer. But, those are just songs that are so much faster than stories so I guess this wouldnt help you out. But, when all my music was stolen out of my car (before id ALSo type it out) I tried to rewrite... turns out better than i had thought. SO REDO IT!!

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  10. aziner8/31/2005 12:41 PM

    My brother had just the opposite happen to him a couple of years ago, he had written all these songs on his laptop and then it was stolen out of his dorm room. Everything lost, quite sad. I don't know if he ever rewrote them. I hope so.

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  11. Galen9/01/2005 1:49 AM

    Yea, anonymous. Stuff is always better the second time. Who are you, exactly?

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