On pretending to be a writer

I haven't written much lately. Apart from scribbling down a couple of lines based on a story that friend/roomie Lori was telling about her high school days (it was just too good to pass up!), I haven't done any substantial creative work in the past 2 months. So much for new year's resolutions... I blame that snotty French child that gave me the crud when we were in the airport smashed together for so many hours. Or maybe I blame Air France for cancelling my flight and forcing me to share air with that snotty kid... or maybe I blame the French weather... or the Connecticut weather... any way you look at it, not much has happened on that front of late.

I keep expecting that to change any day. I just need a wild hair of inspiration or a motivator or something like that... I've been reading like crazy. I know it doesn't look like it based on my little book list widget, but that's because the book I'm reading now (A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth) is GIANORMOUS!!! I'm 300 pages from the end... and that's saying something!

I have my fingers crossed that next month's venture will change things. You see, I've booked a trip to Scotland. I'm going... at probably not the BEST time of year to travel there... to the Orkney Islands! I have wanted to go to the OI for years now, as attested by this previous post. I realize I only posted that a year ago, but the obsession has been growing for some time now... and now I'm going! I'm very excited to be able to spend a few days lurking about the islands. I hope to talk to some of the locals and see, rain or shine, the standing stones, the North Sea battered shore, the rugged landscape... all in the name of a novel idea I had last year.

This photo has nothing to do with the Orkneys... I just wanted to share it with you.

I came up with an idea... I won't talk about it yet... for a novel set in the OIs. I hope to see the story build, strengthened and infused with the local lore (which I've been web stalking for a while) and now hopefully with some first hand experience as well!

After going to the OIs, Lori and I plan to drive down the length of Scotland, visiting Loch Ness and driving through the highlands as part of our journey. The last leg of our journey will be spent in Ireland, also a place I have been dreaming of visiting!

Believe you me, I will be packing at least one journal and a lot of sweaters. And I will be masquerading as the thing that I have a sneaking suspicion I actually am... a writer.