Monday, November 28, 2011

Vega's Legacy



Have you seen the film "Something's Gotta Give" with Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson? What a hoot, very sweet mid-life romance movie. In my mind's eye, I'm watching the scene in which she writes her musical play. She is working through a heartbreak, sobbing as she writes, clearly staying up all night writing, crying, writing, kleenexes everywhere, she in her robe. She experiences a transformation as she writes - she begins to laugh instead of cry, you can see her excitement as the words flow through her. At the end she tosses the empty box of kleenex. Writing the play has healed her!

Writing 'The Tell' was ecstatic, yes, but healing? Not really. The book isn't deep or thoughtful; it's not philosophy, just C-grade spy dreck. It's so shallow, it could have been generated by a computer algorhythm. I find that interesting. I always figured I had a book in me, but I thought it would be a provocative, insightful, soulful exploration of human nature. How wrong I was!

I'm not disappointed. It's always a relief when I put down the habit of being so high fallutin'.

One thing I am endlessly grateful about is the fact that what did NOT come out of me was a sensitive coming of age story, or a rehash of my life's adventures. I do get out of my own naval every now and then, up to the shallows. Thank God!


The little blue squares are sticky notes that say FREE!

10 comments:

jeanette from everton terrace said...

That was a great movie. I think you probably do have a book in you still, perhaps just not that one :)

Reya Mellicker said...

Definitely not The Tell!

Elizabeth said...

Totally admire your HONESTY always....!
The second photo was BLISS
just up my alley......

ellen abbott said...

you had to get the dreck out of the way before your real book could come out. I get that. My first sketches for a job are always...meh.

Anonymous said...

Haha! Made me laugh Reya. I can relate.
Not attempting to write a novel so much, as lifting the eyes up from the navel after experiencing eosoteric adventures... because even after incredible experiences with astral travel and lucid dreaming,it's more than obvious to me that there's always laundry to be done,meals to cook,and bills to be paid to firms who don't care how much your chakras are alligned!
Always enjoyable to visit here and see what you're up to.

Reya Mellicker said...

Pam - ha!

"there's always laundry to be done,meals to cook,and bills to be paid to firms who don't care how much your chakras are alligned!"

No shit, Sherlock! (as we like to say). My spirit guides tell me that mastery involves being able to discern which astral travels are worth pursuing, and when can we just let it go so as to do the laundry, etc.

How funny. I even use the laundry example with my students. Ha!!

steven said...

reya - i dunno. i think that "the tell" was like scraping away the soil to plant the seed. the real story is there right now just waiting to be watered and nurtured into life!!! just not yet. steven

Reya Mellicker said...

Steven your comment made my eyes pop open. Wow.

The Bug said...

I love that you tried to write a novel - I can't even fathom getting started on one. Of course, I get antsy if my POEMS get too long :)

Kerry said...

Hi Reya! I'm just back from a trip & catching up on you. As I scroll backwards through your past week, it's interesting to watch your reactions to yourself as you write/wrote your book. Wow! What a whirlwind your mind has been, and then celebrating Thanksgiving on top of it. So cool.

I pause here, in my scrolling-down, to tell you that I was so delighted that you chose to write a spy novel!! Everybody should write a spy novel. Well, maybe not, but still, what a great release that would be.