Thursday, March 11, 2010

Karma loves me today...

Don't look! (you looked didn't you) - I'm about to eat a meat pie. I don't have them very often. I am not going to think about the calories or the fat content. I KNOW on my deathbed I am not going to be saying 'I wish I ate one less meat pie'. Sometimes a little of what you fancy does you good. Excuse me while a take a bite. Mmm, mmm, mmm. The best pies (that I have ever tasted IMHO - I don't what to get into an argument about something as sensitive as the issue of who makes the best meat pies) are from The Fridge in Kingsland but the one I'm having now (Mackenzie High Country Roast Chicken Pie) is a close second - even better than home made and I make a pretty mean meat pie.

If you are a regular reader you will know I am interested in the phenomenon of coincidence. Most of the time I can tell myself that coincidence is random but today's coincidence has freaked me out a little. Folks, I have a new writing project. I am particularly excited about this one and a publisher has more than a passing interest in it. I need to do some research before I begin and I already know what info I need to be reading around to enable me to get started. I called my brother this morning and before I said anything out of the blue he mentioned one of my key sources. Okay there are reasons he said this so its only a semi coincidence (although I had like two minutes before been discussing it with someone else on a different phone call - cue twilight zone theme tune), but then I said I needed to ask him some questions because this particular era in history is a hobby of his. "Oh," he said. "I just got this book and it has THIS and THIS in it," and folks I honestly felt that spooky old chill down my spine because this is EXACTLY what I needed and I had been scratching my head a little about where to get started to find this info. I cannot help feeling that karma would really like me to write this book and the way I am feeling about it I am very VERY happy to oblige. One day I am also going to write a story about karma and coincidence. Probably when I figure out what the universe is really trying to tell me :)

And after posting last time about the perseverence of Stephen Parrish, and asking the question 'what kept him going', it was excellent to get a response from the man himself (yay, I love the global community that is blogging!). Yes folks you need writing skills and imagination and sticktoitiveness, but without a doubt you cannot survive in this business without believing in what you write. If you don't, how can you expect anyone else to. And the beauty of 'belief' is that it is independent of the genre you write in, the age you write for and the literary/commercial qualities of your work. If you don't believe, maybe its not the right project. When it is, you will know, and it will show. Have an excellent weekend!!!

4 comments:

Fifi Colston said...

ah thats so true and it was one of the key things that came out of the talks from Neil Gaiman and Margo Lanagan when asked if they think about age group and genre when they are writing. Margo said she used to try and write for a specific audience and produced things that were never going to make it big time and then she decided, bugger it, she'd just write what she felt like and do it for herself not anyone else and who cares if someone wants to publish it. And guess what...

Old Kitty said...

Hi

Oh I Believe! I Believe!

:-)

And I believe that you just had the bestest meat pie on this planet and that your brother was put on this planet to help you (I'm waiting for mine to do the same - help me that is - with transport but that's a different story! LOL). Yay for him!!!

And above all I TRULY BELIEVE that your current novel is going to make it BIG! Oh yes!!! Good for you!!

Have a great weekend too.

Take care
x

Imogen said...

There's nothing quite like those weird synchronicities, is there? I was walking down the high street in my old home town a few years ago when I saw the first name of my favourite opera singer on the back of a newspaper; I thought "oh, that's X's first name" and five minutes later walked into X himself (who does not live in said town) outside the Post Office. A totally spooky moment, with a wonderful overtone of satori... Go for it with this project, it sounds as if you are getting just the nudge you need!

Old Kitty said...

Hi

I hope you are having an excellent weekend!

I just wanted to say thank you for your kind words about my loss, I really, really appreciate them.

Take care
x