29 August 2018

Coming Down With Something


by Robert Lopresti

I have to apologize.  This is not going to be the long masterpiece you have every right to expect, based on my past performance.  I seem to be coming down with something.

You know how it is.  You stroll blithely along, minding your own business, looking both ways before crossing the street, washing your hands regularly, buttoning up when you feel a chill.  Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, it hits you like a tsunami and leaves you wondering what the hell happened.

Lawrence Block said that he wrote even when he wasn't feeling well and afterwards he could never tell the sick-day pages from the healthy ones.  But we aren't all Larry Block or there would be a lot more Matt Scudder novels. would there not?

Too bad, because I was prepared to write something brilliant for you today.  I had the theme for my essay worked out, had done some research, come up with a couple of bon mots.  The mots were bon by my standard, anyway.

And what I had written, well, I don't like to brag, but Charlie, my writing partner, was mightily impressed.  And he is a tough customer, I'll tell you.  Just look at him.

But all that is gone now, put aside for another day.  There's no way I can concentrate on that now. I've definitely got a bug.

I'm showing all the symptoms: plot outlines, character sketches, a few experimental snatches of dialog.

Damn it.  It looks like I'm coming down with a novel.

12 comments:

  1. I was going to tell you that it isn't fatal but that's not always the case! :D

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  2. Should I be vaccinated against this malady?

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  3. Best thing possible to come down!

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. That is one tough looking cat!
    I hope you get over this soon, my last bout with a novel lingered for almost a year.

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  6. Fun post! And hang in there with the novel.... It's an affliction, it is.

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  7. Congratulations! Hope you can get it all out of your system soon!

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  8. Woo hoo! I was all set to send you a worried email when I learned the nature of your malady. May you never find the cure.

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  9. Feel better soon...no wait...well, just take care while hanging with this bug. Keep hydrated, eat healthful snacks. Try to get at least 79 minutes of sleep every now and again. Pet that writing partner as much as possible and he will help.

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  10. OK. Retiring from the working world and increasing your writing output means two things. Write and naps.

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  11. Thanks for all the kind words. We will see if anything comes of it. It might b e chronic, or acute, as they say.

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