Sometimes a break isn’t bad.

[elingregory]

I’m having a hiatus in writing at the moment. Not because I want to but because real life demands it. On Tuesday there is a large public event at my place of work – a ‘pirate fun day’ for small children – and that has been taking up a lot of my mental energy. Yes, folks, if you need anyone to make 150 cutlasses out of pipe lagging and packing foam, I’m your armourer. Also hats, eyepatches, treasure chests, treasure, boats, maps – anything piratey that can be made out of paper/card and doublesided tape. We have a small budget. [Stevie - if you need templates gimme a call]

Additionally, it’s my daughter’s birthday on Tuesday so I’m having to do one of those house cleans where I take everything off the shelves, wash them, wash the shelves, put everything back and move on. I’m writing this while I drink coffee and wait for a lot of stuff to dry out. The daughter, 19, is sort of helping, in that she’s wafting around making promises about what she will do tomorrow while I’m at work. [British Bank Holidays don't apply to museum staff - people need somewhere to go after all.] House cleaning is boring but I’ve got into a rhythm over the past few days and, as usual, while my hands are mindlessly busy my brain gets creative.

I’m alternating between violent incidents in 6th century Dalriada and mildly amusing ones in Whitehall in the 1920s. I only wish my brain was this fertile on the odd occasions I actually manage to sit down in the peace and quiet and try to write. I wonder if a voice recording thing would work – though I’d have to be careful not to do it when anyone’s in earshot.

Comments

[yakalskovich]

"... as usual, while my hands are mindlessly busy my brain gets creative."

Yep, that's the effect the Miserable Village has on me (only with feet instead of hands). I should walk there more again now that two weeks of hot spell have broken and a number of cool-ish but fine days are supposed to be ahead.

You might wish to micro-manage your daughter while cleaning? It worked amazingly well with Phia last Saturday. It was the kind of "I do this while you do that, so then you can do that, while I do this other things..." blow-by-blow collaboration, and afterwards, my sister's living room was cleaner and tidier than I'd EVER seen it because of our usual radical 'Let's bung everything we don't want into this empty guinea pig hay bag (bin liner/whatever), and if people want it again they can pick it out of there, and when it's been in that faraway corner for a while, somebody will recognise it for the trash it is and throw it out' kind of approach. I'm definitely going to volunteer us again for Christmas, which then for once shall happen with a TV on which no little boy pawprints are glittering in the candle light...

Erm, sorry for the stream-of-consciousness here. What I meant to say is, get her going, it's her event after all! Go you!

[elin-gregory.livejournal.com]

At the moment she's rehearsing the little play that she and her mates are supposed to be performing on Tuesday for the event, so I can't complain too much abut that. But I do wish her party was on Wednesday instead, just to give me that bit longer.

That sounds a very efficient method of getting rid of stuff. Paul has been 'making space in the study' for a week. Also 'finishing the chest of drawers'. Both are laudable efforts but neither particularly helpful re Tuesday.

[yakalskovich]

Yes -- if there is anything in there which is still needed, people will fish it out. The rest is rubbish by default.-

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

a ‘pirate fun day’.....Additionally, it’s my daughter’s birthday on Tuesday
Couldn't you combine the two?! A pirate fun birthday party sounds just the thing! :)

6th century Dalriada
*pricks up ears* Oooh! That sounds very interesting! Dunadd?

[elin-gregory.livejournal.com]

We are sort of combining the two. A load of her mates are helping with the fun day then will come home and we'll break out the tequila. They are all 18, 19 and 20 so jelly and hot dogs no longer cut it.

I'm thinking of having my POV protagonist come from Dalriada - somewhere to the south east on the coast, maybe near Kilchattan on Bute - before he toddles off to Din Eidin to join Mynyddog's warband to ride south to Catraeth. I've got a fair amount of reading to do though. Imagination only takes you so far. :)

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

We are sort of combining the two.
Excellent! A girl should never be too old for pirates.

before he toddles off to Din Eidin to join Mynyddog's warband to ride south to Catraeth
Ah. The Gododdin. I'll not expect a happy ending then? :}

[stevie-carroll.livejournal.com]

Templates would be lovely, thanks.

I got less writing done this afternoon than I'd planned due to an unexpected flying visit from someone I hadn't seen in over a year.