A flying visit between extremely exhausting bouts of doing relatively little.
Christmas has been unexpectedly relaxing. I’ve eaten too much, of course, and complained bitterly about just how abysmal the Christmas episode of The Royle Family was (Caroline Aherne has really lost the plot), but the time away from my work has provided me with an opportunity to reassess — something I felt was needed after recent conversations regarding Tomorrow Will Come.
To cut to the chase, I’ve realised that I need to set this piece of work aside for a while. Certain aspects of it are proving problematical and I now know that it’s because I’m not entirely comfortable with it. I could hammer away at it and fix it, of course, but that would only risk damaging the novel and its author! And so, it’s on the backburner.
I seem to be going through a period of creative flux. I’m very aware of the need to find something that stands out, especially in these difficult times. I am also very aware that I’ve moved away from the kind of material I do best — tragicomic, almost absurdist pieces that draw on my early influences (John Irving, Garrison Keillor, Joseph Heller et al.) I think Mike helped me see this, even though he possibly didn’t realise it, by mentioning Heller a few days ago. Cheers, mate.
And, so, I’m going to take about another a week or so away from the problem of what I’m going to do next. I do already know that I need to write something humourous — not flat-out comedy, but something with my trademark eccentric characters. I haven’t written anything like that for… well, since before I started writing this blog, and I think the market for that kind of material has probably improved in the interim. Nonetheless, I’m not rushing into anything. I have probably been pushing a little too hard.
Time to just sit back and let the story come to me.
Everyone have a nice Christmas/holiday/anti-Christmas?