Friday 18 September 2009

Late! Catherine Johnson




I am never late. I am one of those people who is irritatingly always early. I cannot be cool. I am early to parties, early to everything and if I am not early I am chewing my nails off in terror that I might be late. I was so wound up by lateness as a child that if we had a train to catch my mother had to re-arrange the clocks so it was earlier than I imagined.
However this blog is not really late, maybe just a few hours, my excuse is I have been at a school all day - my first of the year and wearing suitable non threatening clothing - and am knackered.
So that's what I'm talking about today, or rather tonight, deadlines.
I have six more weeks to complete on rather important (financially anyway) job. I like to think I'm a good bet for a writing job, on time, reasonably competent. But I have spent the first two weeks in the grip of brain freezing indecision. I've tried swimming, going for walks, talking about it and not talking about it. I just have to hold my nose and jump in, but while I haven't actually started there's still hope that it will be good and not mediocre or awful.
And worst of all it means my lovely lovely super wonderful book (it is all these things because it is not written yet) stays unwritten. I was sort of hoping to have hammered it out by the end of the year. At the moment I have about seven different beginnings and that's about it. But believe me the costumes are fabulous!
At this rate that'll be late too.
PS If you're wondering about the picture it's Mary Toft whose schtick was giving birth to live rabbits. I am imagining them all saying I'm late, I'm late over and over again.......

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You sound just like me! Except for the rabbits and I don't have any books to write.

I'm always (too) early, except when I'm late. Rare, but not impossible.

adele geras said...

I'm another one! Always the first there out of overpunctuality! Having said which, UNpunctuality is very irritating too and someone has to be the first at parties. And I too have been struggling with a book and have several different beginnings. Hope I've cracked it now, but fingers crossed eh? My deadline is also the end of the year but that may be optimistic....oh well. Love those raabbits...

Anonymous said...

Yes, Adèle, you are one of the ones who show me up! Maybe we can have a contest to see who can turn up the earliest? Though I am working hard on being less early, except it's very difficult to arrive at quarter past when the invitation says on the hour.

Advice welcome!

Stroppy Author said...

Bookwitch, if I invite you anything I would like you to turn up at least 15 mins late as I will probably not be quite ready at the appointed time. And I will be much happier if you are a bit late than a bit early. If you are early, I will probably send you to waitrose to buy the food :-)