“Most writers are in a state of gloom a good deal of the time; they need perpetual reassurance.”
— John Hall Wheelock
It’s been an interesting year. November and the beginning of December 2011 have been particularly rough months. I’ve undergone a lot of changes, some for better, some for worse, and some…I don’t even know yet. Maybe those I’ll figure out a little farther down the line.
These past few weeks I’ve been suffering from depression and some serious mental lapses. (As in, “I forgot to go clean that house today” kinds of mental lapses. Which is bad when half of my income is from cleaning.) And while I don’t think I’m clinically depressed, I haven’t been very chipper either. I feel like…I’ve lost my place in the world…or found out that I never actually had a place to begin with. I haven’t felt like a writer, a reader, or an otaku…just a failure. Yeah, it’s all very strange and muddled and I’m hoping that some of the bright spots that have happened within the past few days will pull me out of this grey tide back into a place where I’m content, even if I’m not happy per se.
I do think that, on this, the eve of the Winter Solstice, I have reached one of those turning points, thanks to my friend and fellow writer, Foxglove Zayuri.
She and I got together on Sunday for sushi and then went back to my house because I needed to clean and she wanted to play with the hordes of kittens currently over-running the place. We talked a lot about depression and politics (it’s amazing how often those topics coincide), and then, as it always does, the topic of writing came up. Foxglove recently made a breakthrough with her major project Mistatem Pangeshi and shared it with me. (Breakthroughs are like crack for writers. The emotional high from untangling a snarl is unparallelled.) In return, I also talked about some breakthroughs with Ravens and Roses. Then, I gave her some sections of my rough draft to read.
I’m usually very wary about letting other people read parts of my rough draft, mostly because it is so rough. Plus, I’ve always found it hard to give proper feedback on part of a larger story when I haven’t read the rest of it to give that fragment context. But Fox and I have been friends our entire lives (literally from the cradle on up) and have spent a lot of time giving each other background, so while I was a little embarrassed to show her something so unpolished, I was also eager for her feedback. I cleaned my house while Fox read my story.
She liked it.
Fox is hard to please, so if you are a friend and she tells you she likes your story, she means it; it’s not empty flattery. She said that my characters “came alive” and that there were “some very original elements” in those few pages. Being told that your characters feel alive and that you have original ideas is the greatest compliment a writer can receive. I was shocked and pleased and flattered…since lately, I haven’t felt like any of my writing has been alive or original. So I was very, very happy to hear those words from someone I trust, admire, and respect.
Please…do not underestimate what kind (or harsh) words can do. Deep down, I think I can write. I know I can write. But at times like this, I don’t feel like I can. Just a little kindness and honesty can make a huge difference. Thank you, Fox.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Blessed Winter Solstice, and have a wonderful Holiday-Of-Your-Choice, everyone.
The Cat's Cradle : On Hiatus! 
Even though I was originally trying to read these in order, I wanted to check out your current entry to see how you were doing. I'm glad you got a much-needed boost, and if you'd like to share the same thing with me at the next PiS, I'll be happy to read it. 🙂
Wheel Of Life!How perfect! And, again, how strange that we seem to go through cycles at the same time. December 2011 was the most depressing month I'd experienced in a *long* time, yet we both seem to be coming out of it at about the same time, too! I'm glad my words were able to help you; I sincerely meant them. I can't wait to read the published Ravens and Roses! Shouldn't be long now…
For most of these you don't HAVE to read them in order, except for the ones on Magical Theory. Thanks, I did need a boost. Need them more often than I used to, I'm afraid…Sure, if you don't think you'd be bored by it. ^_^
Yes, LOVE this song! It goes right up there with "Against the Grain," my personal theme song.Sometimes I swear that we're actually blood-sisters. At the very least, we're spirit-sisters, so it makes sense that we go through similar cycles. I'm so happy that you're looking forward to Ravens and Roses. HOPEFULLY it won't be much longer…