Friday, May 22, 2009

Writers: Are you a Product of Your Imagination?

Photo courtesy of: thestirlingnews.blogspot.com

It seems that the more I develop conflict for my characters, the more trouble I receive in my own life. What's with that?

Currently, I not only have to worry about how to get my characters out of persnickety jams, but myself in real life, too. Is there an end to this dumpster of a lifestyle, I ask? It's got to be temporary.

Please...tell me my boring old life will come back to please me into mellow wonder once more. After all, it was the boredom of life that fuelled my creative writing state I'm certain, and I'll gladly live vicariously through my characters when I need stress once more! Real life stress is not desirable at all to me.

So, tell me, do you ever find yourself jealous of your own characters? Whether it be because they have an author to get them out of their jams, or an author who creates them to be just perfect in looks, or an author to feed and clothe them and even throw in a little extra for a movie night out now and then?

Oh, wait.

I have an author who does all that, too. His name is God. I better start listening more closely for how He's going to turn my life back in the "healthy" direction, because the part of me that's not listening sure is directionally challenged. Errrrrr...


Surrendering to Him,

Eileen

P.S. Thanks for letting me rant on this glorious Friday! Okay, now I'll toddle back into my hole, and not come out until I've good and listened and found the "healthy" way once more.

12 comments:

Katie Ganshert said...

Sorry things are feeling so off balance! That's no fun! I'll pray the Author of our lives gets you back on track!

Eileen Astels Watson said...

Katie, thanks so much. Things good be much, much worse, and I praise God that they aren't. He is still overseeing all, I can feel it. This is just a growing pains time, I know, and I'm a wimp so I don't handle it well. Sometimes I wonder if volunteerism is the devils way of playing with us.

Jill Kemerer said...

It's that time of year, Eileen. Every mom I talk to has had it up to here with everything! We all need a long, long break. In a few weeks we'll all enjoy the lazy days of summer (did I just say lazy days? I can't remember having one of those...Ha!). Have a great weekend!

Georgiana Daniels said...

Praying you get through this season soon :)

PS. I do NOT want to be one of my characters. My characters don't want to be one of my characters.

Erica Vetsch said...

Georgiana's so right about her characters. I wouldn't want to be one of them. She' brutal! :)

It sure seems for me that a success in one area brings a trial in another.

Cindy R. Wilson said...

Eileen, if you can live vicariously through your characters, you should definitely send them on a vacation :D

I'll pray that things settle down for you. Try to live in God by the moment and stop as often as you need to take a deep breath.

Warren Baldwin said...

I don't write novels, so I don't develop characters like you do. I can answer some of these questions you ask! But, I can agree with you that you can turn to God and his book for answers and direction. I like how you made that creative tie-in. Good post.

Jody Hedlund said...

Eileen,

Finally, I can access your page!! What a weird week for getting onto blogs!

I'm sorry about your life issues! You mentioned something about your church. You'll have to fill me in so that I can be praying for you.

Your goals sound great from your previous post! Sometimes without plans, everything can seem overwhelming. If I have my to-do list in front of me and I focus on one thing at a time, then I usually don't stress out as much!

Have a great weekend!

Terri Tiffany said...

Hope you have a great weekend that it gets better and better:)) Blessings!

Krista Phillips said...

I ditto Terri! Praying that your weekend is PHENOMENAL and blesses your socks off:-)

I vote that you write about your character going to be beach, feeling the sand between her toes, and basking in the suns rays.

Of course, to add conflict we'd have to give her a sunburn and potentially a shark in the water, or a hurricane, or a bath suit accident in front of the hot lifeguard dude... or the hot lifeguard dude could save her from the shark... Hmmmm...

Geez I need to write bad.

Eileen Astels Watson said...

You guys rock. Your comments make me smile till I hurt.

Erica, oh, I was just thinking yesterday that one awesome experience seems to cost me a dozen problem ones--and expensive too. Can't say that I appreciate that inbalance.

Jody, its a huge learning curve that's giving me major bumps in the road. I thought I had enough learning with my writing. Apparently God doesn't think so.

Krista, remind me to consult you when I'm plotting and needing some more conflict. You're too funny!

I really appreciate all the prayers. Life isn't really that bad, just a few consecutive bumps in the road that seem to add up to more than I feel I can handle at this juncture. But, alas, I know God is working through me to create a better servant out of me. I will learn eventually, just a little slower than I desire.

I pray you all have great weekends ahead, too. I understand in the US, it's a long one. We had a long one last weekend with Victoria Day on Monday. May you get lots of sunshine and may your gardens make you smile!

Jessica Nelson said...

So are you saying I should stop being jealous that my heroine's get the hottie heros? LOL (not that my guy isn't a hottie...)

No worries Eileen. Trusting in God usually calms us down pretty well.