Beautiful and heart-wrenching. Every word you write rings true to me; your level of sincerity and openness brings tears to my eyes. The image of the castle and sand, yes! At times I think of making art in similar terms; as if we are here sculpting sandcastles on the beach and then watching the ocean waves gradually erode the castles or build them back up in the sandy dunes over time. On your relationship to writing, I feel a similar sense of uneasy chaos mixed with devotion when it comes to drawing. That moment of clarity: your description of this special feeling is immaculate: “My heart beats in my ears, the world becomes a blur. For a while, there is nothing… Just me, the words, and that fleeting moment of clarity. In this moment of grace, it all makes complete sense. It all aligns perfectly.”
I love this. Your earnest sentences are like a page taken out from a book written about human soul. Please let us artists continue to keep going, in spite of everything. As you said with such grace and clarity: ‘After all, what else is there but to keep going?’ Thank you for opening up and reaching the hearts of us readers.
I don't want to make the cough worse, but a few minutes exercise before you start writing at 5 am can work wonders. Exercises for the brain as well as the body, like hunching your shoulders and rolling your head around to iron out the kinks; turning on the spot round five times in one direction, then five times the other; standing on one leg for a count of thirty, then on the other, then trying it with your eyes closed, or raising your arms to touch above your head - it all puts the brain in gear. I even do press-ups to get the heart going. And a glass of water before the coffee also helps. It doesn't guarantee the words will flow, but it gives you a small feeling of success before you even sit down.
Onward fellow writing soldier. I know the feeling all too well. My deadlines days start at 330, just me, black coffee and my orange cat at the kitchen table. It took be two books to be comfortable being lost, by book four I longed for it. As my 88 year old mother, as much more accomplished writer than me, whose most recent novel came out last week, is found of saying, "It's just math."
Yes, she is a serious badass. “Sometimes the most important word is no. It takes the pressure off. And also confessing to your crew that you don’t know what the fuck is happening right now is not bad either.” —Joan Tewkesbury
God I hope I don’t start smoking again. Keep us updated Remy. Your posts are quality, and necessary, and you can’t say that about 99% of Substack these days.
Nothing like the cold, merciless hands of an editor on your work to give you chills and send you scrambling for nicotine and possibly harder substances. Hang in there!
Bonjour, Remy! I hope you and your wife and kids have a good/alright rest of the week! It's may be a tough post but the point isn't to make ourselves into an artificial writing factory! ~~ Merci beaucoup!
So glad I went into my ‘Reads’ list and picked out someone I’ve not seen for a while rather than the same ones that seem to always be in my sit on my home page.
I don’t smoke but I can avoid and look at anything else to do when I feel I can’t face the writing.
Right now is a case in point as I write this before heading out to walk the dog - for a longer walk than she really needs but it’ll be good for my creativity right? 😆
I haven’t posted anything in over a month either. Maybe more. I’ve been avoiding opening the app for the guilt of seeing all the proper writers doing their proper writing work. You certainly sound like a Proper Writer (deserving of the capital to crown all the drama) and I liked watching over your shoulder as you writhed away with cold coffee and sweaty feet. I hope tomorrow’s writing session is a joyful one. Sounds like you need it. Weirdly your particular writing morning has softened my mental path..maybe I could get back there too, to the conceptual writing room.
The fleeting moments of Grace that makes it all worth it! That sums it all up. We write to get the message; that Grace tap, tap, tapping-open its window and write what you see...
Beautiful and heart-wrenching. Every word you write rings true to me; your level of sincerity and openness brings tears to my eyes. The image of the castle and sand, yes! At times I think of making art in similar terms; as if we are here sculpting sandcastles on the beach and then watching the ocean waves gradually erode the castles or build them back up in the sandy dunes over time. On your relationship to writing, I feel a similar sense of uneasy chaos mixed with devotion when it comes to drawing. That moment of clarity: your description of this special feeling is immaculate: “My heart beats in my ears, the world becomes a blur. For a while, there is nothing… Just me, the words, and that fleeting moment of clarity. In this moment of grace, it all makes complete sense. It all aligns perfectly.”
I love this. Your earnest sentences are like a page taken out from a book written about human soul. Please let us artists continue to keep going, in spite of everything. As you said with such grace and clarity: ‘After all, what else is there but to keep going?’ Thank you for opening up and reaching the hearts of us readers.
And thank you for reading Jessica!
I don't want to make the cough worse, but a few minutes exercise before you start writing at 5 am can work wonders. Exercises for the brain as well as the body, like hunching your shoulders and rolling your head around to iron out the kinks; turning on the spot round five times in one direction, then five times the other; standing on one leg for a count of thirty, then on the other, then trying it with your eyes closed, or raising your arms to touch above your head - it all puts the brain in gear. I even do press-ups to get the heart going. And a glass of water before the coffee also helps. It doesn't guarantee the words will flow, but it gives you a small feeling of success before you even sit down.
Thanks, Peter, it's worth a try.
Onward fellow writing soldier. I know the feeling all too well. My deadlines days start at 330, just me, black coffee and my orange cat at the kitchen table. It took be two books to be comfortable being lost, by book four I longed for it. As my 88 year old mother, as much more accomplished writer than me, whose most recent novel came out last week, is found of saying, "It's just math."
https://petermaguire.substack.com/p/julio-robalo-opens-the-door-to-his
Wow, what an amazing lady!
Yes, she is a serious badass. “Sometimes the most important word is no. It takes the pressure off. And also confessing to your crew that you don’t know what the fuck is happening right now is not bad either.” —Joan Tewkesbury
Brilliantly said. Being brave and taking responsibility: we need more of that.
I had no choice in the matter. Whining and snitching were verboten in the house of Joan
Raw and real and alive—on en a tant besoin, merci !
God I hope I don’t start smoking again. Keep us updated Remy. Your posts are quality, and necessary, and you can’t say that about 99% of Substack these days.
Cheers Kevin.
Keep going, Remy. Just keep going.
Thanks Joyce.
You could be the most real person on Substack.
Je te tire mon chapeau.
Merci Sara
Nothing like the cold, merciless hands of an editor on your work to give you chills and send you scrambling for nicotine and possibly harder substances. Hang in there!
Well put. I feel bad about the cigarettes, but your description of the emotional work of getting to the task ahead is right on. Thanks for sharing!
Bonjour, Remy! I hope you and your wife and kids have a good/alright rest of the week! It's may be a tough post but the point isn't to make ourselves into an artificial writing factory! ~~ Merci beaucoup!
This was just what I needed today.
So glad I went into my ‘Reads’ list and picked out someone I’ve not seen for a while rather than the same ones that seem to always be in my sit on my home page.
I don’t smoke but I can avoid and look at anything else to do when I feel I can’t face the writing.
Right now is a case in point as I write this before heading out to walk the dog - for a longer walk than she really needs but it’ll be good for my creativity right? 😆
I hope the words keep flowing 🙏🏻
I haven’t posted anything in over a month either. Maybe more. I’ve been avoiding opening the app for the guilt of seeing all the proper writers doing their proper writing work. You certainly sound like a Proper Writer (deserving of the capital to crown all the drama) and I liked watching over your shoulder as you writhed away with cold coffee and sweaty feet. I hope tomorrow’s writing session is a joyful one. Sounds like you need it. Weirdly your particular writing morning has softened my mental path..maybe I could get back there too, to the conceptual writing room.
The fleeting moments of Grace that makes it all worth it! That sums it all up. We write to get the message; that Grace tap, tap, tapping-open its window and write what you see...