I have heard time and time again that writers should not talk about their projects while they're in progress. I haven't heard anything about blogging about projects, sooooo...
I am almost finished with a non-fiction book. I gave myself an April 30 deadline for it to be finished and ready to submit. It's 27 pages long. That is all I'm willing to share (here) at this time.
Last night, I Googled the term "midnight movies" for a section in my book about movie theaters. That got me thinking about Beatles movies. As a teen, I attended several Beatles film festivals at independent theaters like the Nuart in Los Angeles and the (late, lamented) Fox in Venice, CA. I saw films such as "The Beatles at Shea Stadium", "Magical Mystery Tour", concerts at Washington, D.C. and the Budokan in Japan, and all sorts of fab clips. This wasn't like going to a typical, narrative fictional film; I didn't know what I would see next, and that was a thrill. (I also thrilled to the trailers of films like "Eraserhead" and "Pink Flamingos" (two films I haven't had the courage to watch yet), and ads for rock stations like K-WEST (which is now Power 106, a hip-hop station).
Anyway, thinking of Beatles films got me thinking about the stage production "Beatlemania" (you remember..."Not the Beatles, but an incredible simulation"), and so I started looking up that, and I, um, kind of forgot about both the original research and my manuscript.
I was angry at myself for my failure to respect time. The manuscript needs to be finished, and ready for editors' eyes, in three days. What is wrong with me? How much do I really care about my writing or my project?
It's sad, but true: we talk to ourselves more harshly than we would a friend, or even a stranger.
At least I know I am not alone, thanks to this comforting Los Angeles Times "Jacket Copy" blog post. Some writers -- published, acclaimed authours -- even procrastinate with, ahem, Perez Hilton.
But, really, really, I need to do some book writing tonight. The rest of you can enjoy this clip of "Beatlemania":
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