Thursday 25 February 2010

Too Many Brackets

Goodness, I'm sitting here working on my book and getting all gooey-eyed (and not because I've just eaten my gazillioneth creme egg and have yolk in my eye). Isn't it a wonderful time to be an... What are we?* I guess we have some lame title like aspiring author but I don't want to be called that... Erm! Isn't it a wonderful time to be a writer starving in a garrett (we'll ignore the previous creme egg comment).

When I wrote my first hideous/horrid/someone build me a pyre so I can burn them, books, I didn't really think about the trillion other writers doing the exact same thing. In fact, I would have estimated the amount of wanna-be writers (nope don't like that either) as about a couple of hundred (old me = naive fool). Now, despite knowing there are many, many, way more than I ever imagined, people working on their (add your own number) book, searching for an agent etc, it's all oddly comforting.

All my worries, they're yours too. All my hopes, they're fluttering around your stomachs... It's pretty here in this little corner of perdition.


*apologies to Carrie Harris who isn't an aspiring anything, she's climbing the slippery ladder in sparkly heels, yet still managing to wave hello to the zombies circling the ladder.

21 comments:

Jeremy D Brooks said...

Amazing, isn't it? Every time I meet a new writer online, I start checking out their circle of friends and it just goes on and on for miles...we're definitely not alone.

Cate Gardner said...

I wonder if we could all play 'Seven Degrees of Separation' but leaving Kevin Bacon out of the picture.

Jamie Eyberg said...

I can get to the president in three easy steps if, which would be four for everyone else.
Here we go, My wife is cousin of a popular college football strength trainer who I like to drink beer with when he is in the area, he worked under Tom Osborne, Football coach turned congressmen, he is turn knows the president. Okay, your turn.

Cate Gardner said...

Ha! I can get to Tim Burton (who cares about the president) in two steps... my friend's (step one) brother (step two) worked on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. :/

Jeremy D Brooks said...

I think Neil Gaiman should be our Kevin Bacon.

Cate Gardner said...

Ooh, most definitely.

Aaron Polson said...

I know somebody who knows those guys who did South Park. Does it count?

Cate Gardner said...

Most definitely, extra bonus points if they've met and ruffled Gaiman's hair.

Jamie Eyberg said...

Cate, my daughter worships Mr. Burton. Worships him I say. You are correct, way cooler that the Prez.

Jeremy D Brooks said...

OK, I was planning on doing a blog post on my new blog today anyway, I thought this would be a fun topic:

http://jeremydbrooks.com

Cate Gardner said...

Jamie, your daughter has excellent taste.

Jeremy, the new blog looks beautiful.

Alan W. Davidson said...

*sighs* I'm sure I'd have to go back a dozen steps of separation before knowing someone of significance.

Kara McElhinny said...

What's so funny is that you're right and when the overwhelming feeling of OMG how many of us are out there hits me a certain times during the day I sit back and wonder why?

But then I remember that I love it and it's what I do. That eases the pressure just a little bit.

As for the writers... I once hit the Radiohead button on my profile just to see what it would do. And it pulled up some obscene number over 4,900,000 OTHER writers who liked Radiohead as well.

I was shocked a little while longer from that one. :D

Great post!

Katey said...

I know right? It's such a comfort. I guess we all would've been doing it no matter what, but it makes it so much easier to endure this way.

Fox Lee said...

Our numbers are indeed great. We attack tomorrow pass it on!

Cate Gardner said...

Erm Alan, isn't it one step to Kelley Armstrong.

Hinny, I may have to adjust my numbers. :0

Katey, it's good to know we shan't go insane alone.

Natalie, my fountain pen is sharpened.

Andrea Allison said...

My cousin's best friend is related to Keanu Reeves, but I'm not sure that's going to win me any brownie points.

Carrie Harris said...

There's plenty of room on this ladder, and I have lots of extra pairs of sparkly shoes.

Just thought I'd mention that. :)

Cate Gardner said...

Andrea, if I've just finished The Matrix it does.

Carrie, save me a green pair.

Rabid Fox said...

There is a strange solace in knowing so many others are agonizing and procrastinating and endlessly revising their work, just like me. We should all be nervous in some way, but it's all so much out of our hands, we can only do our best and hope it's enough to stand along side Lauren Conrad and Joe the Plumber ... and call ourselves published authors.

Paula Ray said...

There were a lot of people at Barnes and Noble today - buying books, skimming through some - I felt hopeful. I keep starting novels that never get past the thrid chapter - you are so much closer :)