The thing that roars?
The dark?
The wild?
The thing that lies beneath?
Spiders?
Mice?
Being lost?
Monsters?
Machines?
Heights, and lows?
Failure?
No.
The unending tyranny of the blank page.
So, I will seek out the moments of stillness. I will find the peace of mind, the courage required. I will interrogate the silence. Now.
( This blog post was inspired by Meg Rossof, who wrote a 'How I write" posting.)
( This blog post was inspired by Meg Rossof, who wrote a 'How I write" posting.)
lovely, thank you.
ReplyDeleteWith pleasure, Meg. Been bashing my head against a blank page for a week and a half now!
ReplyDeleteA lovely post. Hope inspiration strikes for you Jackie.
ReplyDeleteDan
-x-
Hi Jackie,
ReplyDeleteHere's the last couple of paragraphs from Margaret Atwood's wonderful "The Page" from Murder in the Dark Coach House Press 1983-
"The question about the page is; what is beneath it? It seems to have two dimensions, you can pick it up and turn it over and the back is the same as the front. Nothing , you say, disappointed.
But you're looking in the wrong place, you were looking on the back instead of beneath. Beneath the page is another story. Beneath the page is everything that has ever happened, most of which you would rather not hear about.
The page is not a pool but a skin, a skin is there to hold in and it can feel you touching it. Did you really think it would just lie there and do nothing?
Touch the page at your peril: it is you who are blank and innocent, not the page. Nevertheless you want to know, nothing will stop you. You touch the page, it's as if you've drawn a knife across it, the page has been hurt now, a sinuous wound opens up, a thin incision. Darkness wells through."
Good luck with your next adventure!
Margaret Atwood...perfectly wonderful writing Mo Crow. I know, you know, we know, that page!
ReplyDeleteJane