I had a great day yesterday. I went to Whidbey Island for the day and spent the night. I went to the Coupeville festival and bought Emma a cute shirt and dress. Then I went back to the cabin (my parents own a cabin they bought years ago up there) and had a family gathering of sorts. My aunt, uncle, cousin, and lady I gramma-sit were there. We spent the day BBQ’ing, talking, going for walks. And we tried to take Emma out in the rowboat, and she freaked out a bit. Ah well, she used to love boating. She’ll get used to it again. And I got so much writing done. I’m fleshing out my heroine in Grounds for Arousal. Making her less rough around the edges. And giving her some more motivation. I’m liking where this is going. I also came home to find two partials requested from two of the agents Roberta referred me to. So… trying to keep ‘hope in the mail’ as someone said. Who was it. Shelley? Hmm. Speak up if it was you!
But last night was wonderful. With Emma and I tucked away in this tiny room. I have my laptop, even though we don’t have any internet, and I did the most wonderful thing. I grabbed my CD’s and picked out some of my favorite classical ones. So I put on Faure’s Requim. Which has to be my hands down, all time favorite, choral piece. I sang it college, and in a group after college. It was also the Requim sung at the memorial in Washington D.C. following September 11th. So I listened to it, in this tiny room without lights. With no internet to distract me. I even minimized my book I was editing and just listened. To this music that makes my stomach clench, my eyes tear up, and my throat go tight. I don’t really think I can accurately convey how this piece affects me. But it does, on a truly deep level. Beneath the writer, I have another creative/artistic side. And that’s the musician in me. The girl who will always appreciate great classical music. The thrill of a dissonant chord that hesitates to resolve. I love all kinds of music, but the type that challenges me emotionally as well as intelligently, will always be classical. And although music really isn’t big in my life now, I remember how much I love it when I take the time to… well, just listen.
So… what were you before you were a writer? Did you have another passion? A hobby, or some talent we don’t know about? What’s your other passion besides writing? Or if you’re not a writer, what’s your passion period?
Speaking of period. Look at all the creative things you can do with tampon…..
Wow, sing along with a choral piece? I can’t do that even if I like it. LOL I suck at singing.
Hmm, was there another passion I had? I don’t think so. I can draw awesome anime women — or comic book style heroines. Heroes were just too hard for me. Too many hard plains. Women were softer and had big titties *kehe* it is a comic book after all!
That tampon picture is hilarious.
Any other passions? Uh, no! My true passion has always been writing. I used to make up newspapers on my grandma’s old typewriter when I was little, and it stuck. I’ve always loved to write. That’s my creative outlet. I can’t sing, can’t play an instrument and I definitely can’t draw, so that’s all I have. :)
If I could choose any other dream job, it would be something in fashion or interior design. Since I can’t be either of those things, I’ll have my various heroines be them instead. LOL
Sounds like you had a blast up at Whidbey! That is soo awesome that your family has that cabin to go to and get away from your every day life!
You are a talented musician! I could never tire of listening to your voice. You were always a star and soloist for a reason!
I have a piece like that. I sang Verdi’s Four Sacred Songs in Vienna, Austria with my high school choir. That piece is my all time favorite.
That appreciation carried over. I discovered Arvo Part who wrote a beautiful series for a Ukraine Chamber Choir.
It’s weird what carries over. I miss that part of me. The only time she really comes out is at Christmas.
Oh yeah … I’ve been creating something all my life! For years before writing, it was quilting! I even taught quilting … and I generally created my own patterns.
Lol@that pic!!
Well you know I was (still am actually) a photographer. The world looks different through a camera lens. Maybe one day I’ll try to describe it lol. ;)
OMG - that picture. Some people have way too much time LOL
Yes, it was me with the keeping hope in the mail thing. It certainly helps cushion my disappointment when I know I have more subs out.
My passion - it would have to be travel. It doesn’t take any talent to travel, but boy, was I born with itchy feet. Luckily my husband has the same travel bug and we have lots of great memories of trips etc to talk about when we get old!
My true paassion has always been dance and in many ways it still is, although it’s getting to be less so the older I get. My muscles are too sore and I’m not flexible enough to do the stuff I could do when I was a teenager. Not to mention that I’m a good 40 pounds heavier than I was at my “dance body” best.
So although I still take a ballet class once a week and occasionally take a jazz class, dancing is no longer my big passion. Writing is. I’d always wrote, but my dad convinced me to do something practical and I stopped writing for many years.
Totally off topic. Have you seen She’s the Man? The girl dresses up as her brother and takes his place at boarding school. Anyway the first time she goes in her room there’s like three other guys there and they see the box of tampons in her shoe and they’re like WTF? and she’s like ‘they’re for nosebleeds’. LOL
later on in the movie, she comes back to the room to find her roommate, who she has a total crush on, sitting on his bed with a tampon stuck up his nose!
I hear ya’. I played piano growing up and was obsessed with Beethoven and Chopin. It’s horrible; I haven’t touched a piano in ten years. I always promised myself I’d buy one when I got a house. Well, I got a house…but it’s too small for a piano! So, next house I guess. Luckily, writing doesn’t take up as much room!
Now that tampon guy…he’s someone a girl wants to have around!