‘A writer’s life is a highly vulnerable, almost naked activity. We don’t have to weep about that. The writer makes his choice and is stuck with it. But it is true to say that you are open to all the winds, some of them icy indeed. You are out on your own, out on a limb. You find no shelter or protection – unless you lie – in which case of course you have constructed your own protection and, it could be argued, become a politician.’
Pinter, at the end of his Nobel acceptance speech, quoted in Writers' Guild of Britain website. It has a rake of interesting articles based on interviews with writers in every field and is well work a look.
Unless, like me, you're using it as a procrastination tool. Sob.
Anyway, the address is: http://www.writersguild.org.uk/public/index.html and the sections I've found most useful have been features and on rates/ fees.
Thursday, 16 September 2010
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Sadistic Abscesses And The Site That Will Tell You You’re A Genius
Radio silence due to an overwhelmingly greedy tooth abscess that has sucked life and joy out of more than enough days and evenings. First dentist didn’t spy it but drilled out an old filling and replaced it instead. The drilling raised the heat level on the abscess that was lurking aggressively under the tooth next door to volcanic level over two weeks ago and it hasn’t settled down since.
Returned to the dentist I trust. He found the abscess, they said hello, shook hands, put on boxing gloves and hey presto, I was on a super strong antibiotic that would solve all my problems. Only it didn’t work.
As for painkillers, well, the abscess spat in the face of them and scorned to polish their shoes. So the dentist, puzzled, took out the filling above the abscess, to relieve the pressure. The pressure – being contrary and much attached to pain – rocketed again.
Suffice to say, it rendered me too often speechless, which was a bit of a culture shock for those who know me.
I’ve never had so much pain for so long. But now they think it might be my jaw joint – yup, sounds fun – but could also be sinuses – the sinuses (sinusi?) stretch their loving arms down around the roots of your upper teeth.
This would explain why five teeth the dentist assures me are fine had me leaping out of the chair when he whispered their names. (Albeit with a tap of a metal implement.) And if it’s the jaw joint, then that could be connected with an old shoulder injury which could date back to a fall over 18 months ago. Hmm. Hope it’s the sinuses cos everything else feels pretty good at the moment. Surprisingly enough!
So now on high grade painkillers – hence the blog - and super nifty antibiotics. Apparently these antibiotics are so tough, they can sit on the rowing machine for hours and never cry or turn purple. Mind you, these painkillers, like all the rest, merely take the edge off for about two hours and then the whole thing flares up and I’m speechless again.
At moments like these, I would gladly let the dentist – or even a very strong tooth-magnet-fairy yank all the teeth out of the gum on my right side.
I’m only allowed 6 of these painkillers in 24 hours. I’ve had four already since 11 because I’m just sick to the back (right hand side) teeth of putting up with the pain. I always wait as long as I can, always have cos I don’t like taking heaps of medication, but it hasn’t paid off. And the pain is coming back.
But then a friend rang offering to get me cheap Jameson whiskey on her travels and this fun website. http://iwl.me/You paste up a section of your writing – it doesn’t keep them, don’t worry – and it tells you what writer you write most like.
My latest play - A FRESH GALE... - comes up as James Joyce – yup, bit chuffed about that. My last novel was Stephen King, but then so was the first chapter of the first children’s novel, JESSIE. Which is a worry! The second, PIA – I still haven’t had time to get back to revising either of them – came up as Ernest Hemingway. Another piece threw up the name Chuck Palahnuik, whose work I haven't come across.
Still quite good company to keep. Cheered me up immensely.
Returned to the dentist I trust. He found the abscess, they said hello, shook hands, put on boxing gloves and hey presto, I was on a super strong antibiotic that would solve all my problems. Only it didn’t work.
As for painkillers, well, the abscess spat in the face of them and scorned to polish their shoes. So the dentist, puzzled, took out the filling above the abscess, to relieve the pressure. The pressure – being contrary and much attached to pain – rocketed again.
Suffice to say, it rendered me too often speechless, which was a bit of a culture shock for those who know me.
I’ve never had so much pain for so long. But now they think it might be my jaw joint – yup, sounds fun – but could also be sinuses – the sinuses (sinusi?) stretch their loving arms down around the roots of your upper teeth.
This would explain why five teeth the dentist assures me are fine had me leaping out of the chair when he whispered their names. (Albeit with a tap of a metal implement.) And if it’s the jaw joint, then that could be connected with an old shoulder injury which could date back to a fall over 18 months ago. Hmm. Hope it’s the sinuses cos everything else feels pretty good at the moment. Surprisingly enough!
So now on high grade painkillers – hence the blog - and super nifty antibiotics. Apparently these antibiotics are so tough, they can sit on the rowing machine for hours and never cry or turn purple. Mind you, these painkillers, like all the rest, merely take the edge off for about two hours and then the whole thing flares up and I’m speechless again.
At moments like these, I would gladly let the dentist – or even a very strong tooth-magnet-fairy yank all the teeth out of the gum on my right side.
I’m only allowed 6 of these painkillers in 24 hours. I’ve had four already since 11 because I’m just sick to the back (right hand side) teeth of putting up with the pain. I always wait as long as I can, always have cos I don’t like taking heaps of medication, but it hasn’t paid off. And the pain is coming back.
But then a friend rang offering to get me cheap Jameson whiskey on her travels and this fun website. http://iwl.me/You paste up a section of your writing – it doesn’t keep them, don’t worry – and it tells you what writer you write most like.
My latest play - A FRESH GALE... - comes up as James Joyce – yup, bit chuffed about that. My last novel was Stephen King, but then so was the first chapter of the first children’s novel, JESSIE. Which is a worry! The second, PIA – I still haven’t had time to get back to revising either of them – came up as Ernest Hemingway. Another piece threw up the name Chuck Palahnuik, whose work I haven't come across.
Still quite good company to keep. Cheered me up immensely.
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