Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Natalie Says/Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Over the weekend I was looking for my index cards and ran across a box of things I haven't seen in years. There were little gems in it like this:

"Sit down in the middle of your wild mind. This is all about a loss of control. This is what falling in love is too: a loss of control.

Can you do this? Lose control and let wild mind take over? It is the best way to write. To live too."

Natalie Goldberg Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life

So tell me gentle readers, do you WRITE in the wild mind? Do you LIVE in the wild mind?


****Okay, how stupid am I? Obviously, but I'm not blaming this on me, I'm blaming it on Simon, he held his Love Scene Blogfest on Monday, which pushed my pre-written posts back a day, and today is St. Patty's Day. And even though I didn't participate in the Drunk at First Sight blogfest hosted by Jon Paul, It is still St. Patty's Day and I should have realized that. You can't get any more Irish than Gallagher now can you. (Okay, I won't blame Simon, Simon I'm not blaming you, I'm blaming my own lack of looking at the calendar.)

So, to everyone out there, here's a
BIG FAT WET SLOPPY DRUNK IRISH KISS FOR YOU!!
It wards off evil, keeps unpleasantness at bay, and will help you write whatever it is that's been blocking you.

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

24 comments:

Ryan S. Kinsgrove said...

I live very much in the wild mind, (its probably one of the reasons I have propensity [ooo big word lol] for disappearing) but I've found that writing for me is better if I try to control that insanity.

And, thank you very much for asking about me. I am okay, nothing terribly life changing has made me vanish from the blogging world, I just have a sever problem with inconsistency. Lol. I'll try to explain in either a blog post today or Friday. Thank you again for asking :)

Anne Gallagher said...

Ryan -- living in the wild mind is good. And I'm glad you're okay. Just leave a note the next time you want to disappear, the mommy in me worries.

Lola Sharp said...

HAPPY ST. Patty's Day to you too, Anne!!

Sloppy kisses back at ya.

Anne Gallagher said...

Lola -- PAH - TAY!!!

DL Hammons said...

Right back atcha...with a little less wet sloppyness. :) Happy St. Patty's Day!!

Lola Sharp said...

I fixed it, oh yeah, I fixed it!! I'm all official and a fancy little box of following goodness... finally!

Anne Gallagher said...

DL -- C'mon DL there's nothing like a sloppy wet kiss. Especially from a drunk Irishman or woman.

Lola -- I was wondering when you would get around to it...no worries though, I'm glad you're finally here.

lotusgirl said...

Raises a glass of beer (of the root variety) at ya and sings a wild Irish drinking song. Wild? Really? Me? I do let the inner me go wild sometimes. It's fun to write that way.

Davin Malasarn said...

I try hard to be wild! It's hard, because I actually feel like I have to STOP the voices in my head in order to be wild. I wish the voices could be less tame.

Laurel Garver said...

Wild is never the problem here. Finding the wild ideas that belong in the same story is my headache.

BTW, I have an award for you on my blog.

Unknown said...

I have let loose my wild mind before. And I plan to do it again. I love Natalie Goldberg -- her "Writing Down the Bones" is one of my favorite books on the craft of creative writing.

The planning phase of my WIP is back on track! Yesterday was a huge day for me. Getting downstairs, into the natural light of a wall of windows, with index cards spread around me, I finally moved forward with this project.

Thanks for all your encouragement! Happy St. Patty's Day to you!

Elana Johnson said...

My wild mind takes over first thing in the morning when I wake up. It's when I'm the most relaxed. And since I like to lay in bed, I can just think and think and think... It's fabulous. :)

Anne Gallagher said...

Lois -- And yes, I believe you have a wild inner you that doesn't necessarily stop at Irish drinking songs. It's very fun to write that way, I call it 'the dark side'.

Davin -- Let the voices go Davin! It's all about losing control! Living in the wild mind is one of the best places I've ever been. And I'm supposed to be a nice Irish Catholic girl. But that never stopped me or my voices.

Laurel -- That's good that you know exactly how wild you are. And thanks for the award, 'preciate it.

Nicole -- I LOVE Natalie!! I'm so glad you got over your slump/hump. Isn't it great when plan comes together? Happy St. Patty's Day to you!

Elana -- Oh to lay in bed for just one morning and think, uninterupted...I would give all my chocolate for that.

Unspoken said...

Trying to let the voices reign :)!

Talli Roland said...

I try to write first drafts in the Wild Mind because I think that's the time to really be creative.

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Anne Gallagher said...

Amy -- Yes Ma'am, that's all we can do.

Talli -- Yes, but if you let the first draft maintain the second or third draft in Wild Mind what would you have? Something outstanding I'll bet. Happy St. Patty's Day!

Roxy said...

I love your posts, Anne "the Irish faerie" Gallagher! I liked the thought you shared today. I think I need to let my mind go wild a little more often. Happy SPD!

Unknown said...

I think the 'wild mind' has taken me over. Pacing my cage springs to mind. Working on a subtle change, however.

See you on the flip-side :)

Anne Gallagher said...

Roxy -- The Irish Faerie Gallagher LIVES ALWAYS in WILD MIND. I can only let her out for certain holidays though. Happy SPD!

Wendy -- I've been thinking of you in your world down under. I'm glad the 'wild mind' had gotten into you. Is it making you clean your nest any better? Is it allowing crazy thoughts to come unbidden and they're so tempting you just have to write them down? I hope so. Miss you, come back soon, or rather, come back when you feel you're ready.

Andrew Rosenberg said...

Is there such a thing as Drunken Commenting?

Happy SPD!

Anne Gallagher said...

Andrew -- That would be depend. Are you drunk on life, love or green beer? Happy SPD!

Shelley Sly said...

The Wild Mind, eh? I haven't given that much thought, but I think I need to loosen up a bit (especially lately, I'm so uptight for some reason) and just let myself write without too much thinking.

Hope you had a good St. Patty's Day! :D

sarahjayne smythe said...

My mind is kinda old and tired and not feeling the wild so much. Which probably explains a whole lot. dAnyway, I hope you had a great St. Patrick's Day. :)

Anne Gallagher said...

Shelley -- That's what the Wild Mind is. Just write what you want, how you want, no rules.

Sarah Jayne -- Well it was good enough to write that exceptional SPD fest. That was really funny.