Yesterday I posted about dream incubations, and I said I would write down a question and try and stimulate my dream to help assist with my writing. Then I would share it today. My question was: “What scene should I write about next? What is the next memory that I should include in my memoir?” Well, like all good insights, the dream didn’t seem to be related to my question at first. This was the same problem many of my students had, but you must, in order to follow the exercise, write about your dream and allow your thoughts to develop freely.
So last night, I had a dream that a literary agent had emailed me out of nowhere to tell me she loved my blog, and she wanted to represent my book. I was excited in the dream. My goal was finally met. But I wasn’t sure what book she was talking about. Didn’t she know I was working on a revision? And as I was writing this dream down, it hit me — I haven’t been focusing on the book and the craft. In reality, I have been focusing on what I had to write to score an agent. And until I put the thought of the agent out of my mind, well, then I will never really be writing.
Tonight, I will put the same question under my pillow and see what happens. I did get some great writing done this morning, however. I wrote about the time I was sent to see a child psychologist. I didn’t want to go. I was about 11, so I came up with this plan. As soon as I met the psychologist, I was going to say the worst things possible. So, when he opened the door and stuck out his hand, I said, “F-U-C-K you.” He didn’t know what to do. Neither did my mother. I sat down in the chair, turned it to the wall, and giggled for an hour. Basically, I wrote a few scenes involving the child psychologists I saw.
I also have some awesome news. Today, I interviewed David Ulin, book critic and author, for a piece on Joseph Mattson. Well, he’s an amazing guy, and he had a lot of great thoughts. That was an incredible experience.
But as I said in the beginning, I would also share the negative news. I’m getting pretty nervous about my student loans and making sure they’re taken care of. It will be fine, but there is just a bit of anxiety about them. I feel, even though it’s embarrassing, it’s important to share these details, too.
Joe,
I just found your…well, blog I guess. This is great and your stories are highly entertaining. I will say I am dissapointed you do not reference the “golden” years at college. Keep it up and hope you are doing well!
p.s. the obvious question here is WHY were you sent to the child psychologist???
Georgia,
Great to hear from you, and thanks for reading my blog. Believe me, there will be time for the college years. Maybe I’ll start writing about that tonight. I’ll consider it a request…lol.
As for the child psychologist, when I was a kid, I was hanging out with my little brother in the woods. Our mother told us not to hang out there, but we did it anyway. We wanted to smoke cigarettes we stole from her purse. And while we were out there, a lincoln town car pulled up into the woods, and the guy was trying to kill himself. So I tried to stop him, but before he did it, he told me he worked for the mob…
Joking. That was the plot from The Client. But the reason I went to the child psychologist revolved around the break up of my family and my mother’s illness. I’m actually writing about that now as I revise my book. I’ll probably share more of that throughout the blog.
Well, Georgia/Michael — I doubt anyone calls you that anymore — hope you’ll keep coming back to the blog. Also, I hope you’re doing well. Seems like you are.