Finishing a book is a lot like waking from a very deep sleep and realising that the world isn't quite what it was when you first went down for those forty winks. The worst part is that you know that the book really isn't finished at all. In fact, it's just the bare bones of what it will be after the next few weeks of extensive editing.
Despite this, you still have to adjust to living in the 'real world' again. And I'm not sure it's going to be an easy adjustment. I mean, for starters, yesterday I told a guy I barely know that he was the spitting image of one of my main characters. I think he was a bit taken aback. Couple this with the fact that I am now having major withdrawal symptoms from no longer writing witty dialogue exchanges between a delusional, naive young professional and her sarcastic, over bearing, American best friend. What's a writer to do?
I guess the answer to that one would be to continue writing. And so that's exactly what I'm doing. Because, the thing is, if I don't focus all my creative energies on writing, then some of the crazy is going to spill into my everyday life. Yeah, you think you've got it bad now, listening to me spout out any old nonsense that comes into my brain - well, you wouldn't be particularly impressed with the Franks that isn't writing.
I mean, yesterday I was asked what I was doing and the answer was 'I'm just thinking about gammon'. To be honest with you, until yesterday, I thought thinking about gammon was pretty normal. But I have been informed otherwise. So, you know, if you think that's weird, that's just the tip of the meaty iceberg. I've got lots more where that came from.
So basically, what I've learnt is that it's best for the nation as a whole that I get stuck back into my writing. Whilst there's still lots of work to be done on the first draft of my latest writing creation, I'm never going to be able to edit it whilst completely ignoring all these new ideas in my head. No, I say bring on the ideas! Bring on the weird and wonderful and bring on the inspiration... Moreover, bring on the crazy!
And if anyone has beef with that, then you ought to put some mustard on it ;)
