CONFESSIONS OF AN ERRANT WRITER

"None but the well-bred man knows how to confess a fault, or acknowlege himself in an error."
Benjamin Franklin


OK, OK, I confess! I screwed up the last couple of days of my writing time. Yesterday I slept in. I'd decided to stay in all day writing, but when I eventually sat down and started to make notes, my brain was dead and I seriously felt as though I was slipping into a coma. No kidding! I had to go lie down, and fell into a dead sleep with weird dreams. When I eventually woke up, I was in a dangerous mood.

I decided to go out last night to my favourite Latin-American haunt. Lately, due to personal reasons, it's been difficult for me to go there on the weekends. But, fortified with a little exotic tobacco, off I went. The evening turned out well, though I was in a dancing mood and didn't have a partner. I met up with a girl friend who is just leaving for Cuba (wish I was returning too!) and two other friends who are writers, one just returned from working a couple of years in Korea. So the conversations were excellent, stimulating. But alas! I confess! I drank way too much of the house red which is simply poisonous to the system.
So this morning, waking late again, I felt dreadful.

I forgot it was the Chinese New Years parade today, instead I decided to go to the Park and try to oxygenate my brain and rejuvenate my body. A brisk walk around the sea wall is always a great tonic. And for me, it was the best choice of activities for the day. I came home several hours later feeling 'normal' again and refreshed. So tonight, I've promised myself to do a bit of work on the novel, make notes at least, and sort out the tangled mess I seem to have written myself into. Often stepping back from it helps. Right now I feel like I've written myself up against the wall. But, by tomorrow that situation might have changed.

In regards to CONFESSIONS ever since I started teaching the Memoirs class, "Write from the Heart", I've been writing some of my own memoirs. Most notably, a collection called
"Confessions of a Black Sheep." I was writing these on another journal site which has now vanished into cyber space. So I've decided to post some of them on my blog from time to time.
They are all part of this writer's life, stories of my adventures and experiences. February 14 being Valentine's Day, I'm posting a special Valentine memory for my friends, instead of a traditional Valentine card. And here's a big hug for all you lovers out there! (We may not all be Romance Writers, but a bit of romance in a writer's life is good for the soul, don't you agree?)

"...he lives two lives who relives his past with pleasure." Martial (Marcus Valerius Martialis)

"When I am dead, I hope it may be said: (her) sins were scarlet, but (her) books were read."
Hilaire Belloc