I had a long dialog all typed out, about the changing economy, the changing state of entertainment in general, the publishing industry compared to the music industry, and how it all relates or doesn’t relate to us as both Writers and Readers. I even outlined an idea that I’ve grown fond of, that others around the industry are quietly talking about, that could be the future of Publishing.
Then I remembered – no one ever wants to discuss it. I’m not sure if it’s discomfort, taboo, denial, or what, but I’m too tired today to care. Maybe tired isn’t the right word – but I didn’t want to use Weary or Disconnected.
Actually today, Disconnected is a perfect description of my current state of mind. I’m alone in the office today, and normally people would still be coming in and out asking for things, the phone would be ringing, and I’d still be busy – today, I’m not. And I wasn’t yesterday, either. It’s dead quiet in here, except for the music I’m playing, and I was getting a lot of writing done, until today.
Today I feel completely detached. Somewhere between lost inside my head and totally out of it. My WIP is coming to a close, and as per my norm, I’m in flip-out mode over it. Seems whenever I reach the “almost ready to bring it all to a head” point, my brain begins a slow, oozing meltdown.
But this post isn’t about me. It’s not even about anything serious, since no one likes those topics, obviously. I’m just curious -
Have you ever become so engrossed in something, so completely absorbed and taken by it – be it a novel, a movie, a mood, a thought or idea – that you experience a total disconnect with the world around you?
Ever find yourself in a crowded room, with no consious awareness of what’s going on? Ever bring yourself out of that mental state and look around, feeling a bit lost like you’d just been on a long vacation and you’re the only one who doesn’t know what’s been going on?
Did you like it – or did it scare you, just a little?
September 14, 2008 at 3:17 pm
I always disconnect. When I come out of a movie, I get depressed because the fantasy is over and I’m faced with the real world. The same with books. Your example of feeling like you’ve come from a long vacation is probably as close to my feelings as anything.
And no, it doesn’t scare me. It’s how I’ve always been.
But what was it about the industry you wanted to talk about?
September 16, 2008 at 8:03 am
I do this quite a bit. My husband gives me a hard time because I become so engrossed in my own head. It usually is a signal that I need some me time to explore my own thoughts. And I absolutely love it when I get lost in a novel. It’s a sign that the writer has down a super job with the writing.
I perhaps haven’t been speaking up about the writerly stuff as much as I could. I just haven’t felt very writerly lately, and to be honest, a few comments here and there have made me feel even less so. I’ve never finished a novel, I’m not writing much of late, regardless of how much my novel floats around in my head. I don’t feel qualified to participate sometimes, which is most likely my own fault.
So bring on the topics. If I get placed on bedrest until the end of this pregnancy (which may be happening sooner than later), I’ll have lots of time on my hands.
September 19, 2008 at 7:02 am
I think that the day you have to be qualified to talk about writing is the day I hang up my hat.
(and honestly, with some of the amateur tripe that gets put forth on the InnerNeds about writing…I think you’re already practically OVER-qualified, just by dint of having written at one time in the past)
I zone out all the time. I’ve actually worked at it (you’d be amazed…er…and weirded out…at the things I’ve worked at) so that I can zone out without losing track of what’s around me. I can participate in conversations, purely on knee-jerk. The trick isn’t to vanish inside my head, I’ve found, but it’s to have a functional automatic. That way, it can do all the things that *I* would be doing, if you see what I mean, and it does them without requiring thought. I don’t need my input, see? So I can have idle small talk and watch a movie, and retain both, but be somewhere else working hard.
If that makes sense.
The only stumbling block with that is Zach. It’s very hard to zone out and go on automatic when there’s a toddler terrorizing your home. But then, it’s fairly hard to do ANYTHING except try to get to him before he brings your bookshelf down. Which is why *I* haven’t written a whole lot in recent times (hmph).
September 19, 2008 at 10:14 am
Yeah, the whole auto-pilot thing with a Toddler o’ Doom is just disaster waiting to happen. Usually a big cleanup is involved.