Dream

[poliphilo]

I went up into the attic and found an aquarium I'd forgotten all about. It was full of dying fish, their gills and fins clogged up with mould.

And there were dead otters floating on the surface.

O God!

On the Jungian model houses in dreams represent the psyche. If you go down into the basement you're digging into the subconscious. By the same spatial analogy, I guess the attic has to represent the higher reaches of the mind (whatever that means.)

So my higher self if full of this ghastly stuff. I've neglected it and now it's dying.

I think my novels may be indicated. There they are- all four of them- sitting on the hard drive going nowhere. It's been a year and more since I last approached an agent.

I guess I know what I have to do...

Comments

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

I have dreams about finding forgotten, neglected and starving pets in odd corners of my parents' house. It's not nice. They're usually gerbils.

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Actually, I quite often have dreams in which I discover that my childhood guinea-pigs are still alive, but I haven't realised this for years, and hence haven't been feeding them or mucking them out, so that they are half-dead and living in appalling squalour. They can be anywhere, though - sometimes my parents' (and my childhood) house, but sometimes wherever I am living presently.

Interesting to find out that other people experience the same sort of thing. I suppose it is all about guilt over forgotten or neglected responsibilities.

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

I'm glad, Tony, that you're going to find an agent for your novels. I loved the two I read so much.

Your dream was very to the point, wasn't it? Succinct.

[manfalling.livejournal.com]

yes agents.

someone says about gerbils. remember we used to have gerbils? and one of them grew some kind of scary-ass cancer on its face? and then- one night in my room- the damn thing started to tick?

like, just tick?

god, that scared the crap out of me. told u about that right?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Abandoned pets is a new one on me- maybe that's why it's made such an impression.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Neglected responsibilities- yes, that's what it's about. My dream children are crying out to be acknowledged.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I hate having to do it.

I sent novel #1 to a whole slew of agents a few years back. Then I tried again with novel #2. It's dispiriting.

The thing to do is to cultivate detachment. Like good ol' Epictetus.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

We had a succession of gerbils.

They were entertaining little beasties. Anything you put in their cage got shredded.

Yes, I have faint memories of the one that ticked.

And do you remenber when Alice "laid hands" on one that was dying and cured it?

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

I know you are a very wise person, but I"d like to tell you something that any real live published author I've spoken to has told me.

If they want to charge you to read the novel, don't do it.

If they tell you they want to have someone go through your book and 'fix it' before they read it, and that costs money, don't do it.

If it costs money, DON'T do it. They aren't in business to help you get your book published, they are in business to make money for themselves.

Good luck.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the good advice.

I'll be using a list of reputable agents- where the ones who belong to the professional body are marked with an asterisk.

Bah! I do detest this business of selling myself, but I reckon I owe it to the characters in my books (some of whom I'm very fond of) to give them another chance of seeing the light of day.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Nicely put. :)

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

I thought about Saxon River today.

There's that water connection to your dream...

That book riveted me.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

Yesterday I began thinking it was time I started another novel.

And today i began having ideas for it...

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

I'm very glad you are having ideas for a novel again.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think I want to be doing some creative writing again.

At present (but don't hold me to it) I'm thinking in terms of a rewrite of my second novel. It's my favourite but it's got a lot of flaws.

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

Someday I would like very much to read it, in whatever form.

I love your writing.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

I won't send it in its present form. The ideas I've been having involve a substantial remodelling of the plot.

But (if and) when it's finished I'll let you see it.