Thursday, November 19, 2009

What are you writing? they ask

I heard from some of my writing friends the other day.
Just touching base.

"What are you doing?" one asked.
They all had writerly tales to tell.
"I'm working on my YA novel. Whipping it into shape."
"I'm gathering recipes (and trying them out and tasting them, yum) for another cookbook."
"I'm almost done with a magazine article about things long ago."
"I sold a book."
"I got an agent."

And I didn't know what to say.
I don't write YA.
I cook with old family recipes.
I haven't written a magazine article in a long time.
nor sold a book
don't have an agent.

What could I say?
(I don't remember what I said.)
Just the day job.
Just the family stuff.
I felt very un-writerly that day.

But later
things came to me.
Writerly things.

I had completed a first draft
and had worked on some things that were still vague ideas.
I had queried some agents.
(Ignored by some/ very nice rejection notes from others)
I had submitted manuscripts to editors.
I had organized my writing expenses.
(Well, filed them away. Does that count?)

I HAD done writerly things.
They had simply been tucked here and there
within the day to day,
minute to minute,
stuff of life. -wendieO

3 comments:

Mary Bowman-Kruhm said...

Hi, there,

Hope all is well with you as Thanksgiving draws near. Love reading your posts.

==Mary

Wendie O said...

Hi, Mary,
Thanks for commenting -- and testing my new comment system. -wendieO

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing this one, Wendie! It's so easy to feel that way, isn't it? I recently told a friend I had accomplished nothing in 2009, a total waste. Later, I realized I'd done quite a lot. They were just smaller, quieter achievements. Oh, well--that is what will pave the way for the big, noisy successes to come, right? =)