I've been quiet lately, I've realised. No post for almost a week. The fact is, I've been thinking (which could be a dangerous thing - but here I am, bravely thinking away regardless)
One of the medical magazines I read is running a writing competition. The prize is a trip away, a flashy dinner, a laptop computer, and being published (published in the magazine, that is). And seeing as I once got a poem published in the local Sunday newspaper when I was ten, I figure I'm ably equipped to win this competition. Easy as pie.
Actually, I'm interested in the laptop and the trip away, and I'd like to give the writing a go, but I'm extremely daunted by the idea of trying. The requisite is: 1000-3000 words, theme is 'Time'. What would I write about? Could I even write that many words? (without writing things over & over like, 'I must not pull grey hairs out with the tweezers'). Could I manage a work of fiction, or should I write something from real life? The task seems fraught with difficulty. I feel silly even discussing this, because I doubt I would be able to concoct any kind of competition entry. Even if I could, what would be the chances of winning an Australia-wide competition?! The whole idea is just ridiculous. And yet, maybe if I start to enter writing competitions now, I will start to write better prose. Then one day, when I'm as old as the hills, I might just win something. I could peer with rheumy eyes at my new laptop and smile a crooked smile at the achievement.
With that image in mind, I'm going to return to thinking. Time...... what could I write about on the topic of time? (reader input is beseechingly requested!)
21 comments:
Jelly,
“Learn as if you were going to live forever. Live as if you were going to die tomorrow.” -Mahatma Gandhi
I'll be back later, after I've thought on this a bit.
rel
Hi Rel, thanks for visiting my blog (I know this is not your first comment, but I'm just getting around to saying hello to you now!). Thanks also for flexing your brain power on my behalf!
Jelly, just off the top of my head, something about the different ways that life events change your perception of time. When you are anticipating something the way time seems to drag (or one of those days at work when you want to go home and it isn't 11 am yet!), but when you are experiencing somethign wonderful time just flies (a week's holiday at the beach, watching your kids grow up). Just a couple of thoughts.
Having started reading through your archives, I know that you can do it!
Enjoy your new laptop and your trip.
Have you counted the number of words in the typical blog you already write?
Just keep doing what you're already doing.
First of all don't worry about the 1000-3000 words because once you start writing you'll surpass that and have to cut your composition down.
I was thinking about Time the other day and how we perceive it and how it's measured. I was wondering about Biblical characters and the longevity of their lives in years (900 years) and comparing it to our average life span and wondering why the big difference.
I was reading something scientific that told about the earth rotating in a larger orbit now than it did 2000 years ago, therefore making our years longer (timewise). The earth used to orbit much closer to the sun, making a year go by faster, but it has slowly moved out farther away from the sun as the core of the earth has cooled. We still measure it as a year in time (the revolution of the earth around the sun.
So I am putting two & two together and have decided in my mind that years ago 900 years is the same as 80-100 years today...timewise. Because a year is still measured by the earth's complete rotation around the sun, but in a larger orbit now.
This was pure hypothesis. I was just relaying what I was thinking about the other day, which makes absolutely no sense.
I think Thisisme has a nice idea.
Singer Jim Croce once wrote a little song called "Time In A Bottle." That might be a good starting place.
What is time? Time can be wasted, time can be nervewracking (tick tock, tick tock), time can be interminable, time can pass slowly or fast, there's never enough time, time is something that once it's gone there is no going back. There's a time warp, a time machine, time on my mind, and taking time to smell the roses. But, most importantly, there's never enough time to do everything you want to in your lifetime, like starting with the A's in a library and reading all the way through to the Z's. A child's time seems to stretch and elongate while an old person's time flies like the wind. If only there was time to live another day, or another month, or another year, says the terminal patient -- if only.
Time -- what an interesting topic to write about. I hope we get to read what you will eventually write about time.
Firstly, let me start off by thanking you for your lovely response. How thoughtful of you. It's funny you should mention time at this juncture as I found it very sweet of you to take the "time" to respond to my comment on your blog.
When you told me you had just visited Qualicum Beach. My goodness this is really a small planet. Yes it is beautiful here. I just moved to Qualicum Beach year and half ago and I love it. The scenery is breath taking I live not far from the water, eagles are a regular occurence here as are the deer as well as the occassional bear. I hope you enjoyed your stay.
I like the comments that "thisisme" said about time. How we take it for granted. How we try to hurry it up when we are children and try to slow it down when we are adults. The millions of dollars that are spent on trying to cheat time.
I to enjoy writing, but I am not a creative writer. I like to write about real issues from a philisophical stand point. I am one of those people who often write's letters to the editor and yes I have been published many times. Front and center on occassion. Like you I won a writing competition when I was in grade 3...won myself a trip to camp I did. They said that I wrote beyond my years. I remember preparing for that essay competition. Writing and re-writing. Didn't have computers then. So it was a lot of scribbling out and holes on the paper. It was a 350 word essay on "why I wanted to go to camp". It was for our whole region. I remember the principle coming to the class saying that she had an announcement to make. Wow did I feel proud.
So, jellyhead, if you have a desire for writing, just do it. You will be glad u did in the end. At least you can say to yourself that you tried.....and who knows.....you might win. So believe in yourself. I believe in you.
So cheers from the great westcoast. Hope you find your way back here sometime soon. And come visit my site again......all the best.
Go for it, Jelly! I love the way you write. I think you stand a very good chance of winning the contest. :-)
You go for it, Jelly! I think you could win. You blog writing is always funny, insightful or touching. I always enjoy your blog. Reference time: I say this to my love. "Every hour with you is like a minute; every minute away from you is like an hour." So, time is relative - unless your "relatives" are visiting - then it just drags on!!!!hahaha
Time: use it wisely, never take it for granted, look at it as a gift.
The perception of time depending on people, age, circumstances is really an interesting thing to think about because it can't be pinned down. How often have I thought "Gee, that week went fast since such and such happened" and a little later I might think that the same event seemed like "ages" away. Why does that happen?
Sorry, I've asked a question rather than giving you any ideas.
Jelly,
Golly, all of your regular blog visitors (posters ;-) ) have sited some terrific ideas.
I wanted to take some TIME to peruse a few more of your past posts before rendering an opinion.
I tend towards verbosity so bear with me please.
You are a talented writer, succinct usually but still you cover a topic fully.
Your piece about the IV drip says alot; you have the skill but you are fearful of failing. When you forge ahead you prove to be successful.
In your desciption of the dance class you've demonstrated your keen observational skills. Beyond that however, is your abliity to write down what you observe in a way that paints a very clear picture.
The emotion you put into the essay about your blog friend who disappeared from the blogsphere pulls at every reader's heart strings.
Oh, yes Jelly, there is no doubt, you can do this and do it well.
A search of Wikipedia on "time" will yeild a plethora of timely concepts of all sorts of time.
Some have been listed by your blogger friends, I'll mention some as food for thought.
Michael Crichton's "Timeline"
Audrey Niffeneggor's "The time traveler's wife.
Again; Jim Croce wanted to put time in a bottle.
Time in medicine can be the enemy or the cure.
What is time? Is it some nebulous concept? Is there no time? Is there only now.
If you had 37 days to live, what would you do?
Time is money
Time-space continuum
Horology (timepieces)
Solomon's; there is a time for everything.
It's time for me to stop before I reach a thousand words( about time .)
p.s. I also would like to see your submission:-)
rel
WOW - you better watch out, it looks like some of these bloggers have already started on their entry for the contest, they are coveting your laptop, Jelly, so you better get going!
Just to mirror everyone else's thoughts - YOU CAN DO THIS!
Maybe to get into the mood you could do the Time Warp dance from Rocky Horror:
It's just a jump to the left
And then a step to the right
With your hands on your hips
You bring your knees in tight...
You most certainly can produce a very worthwhile entry for this competition, Jelly. Even if you don't win, the actual task of producing your entry will have been worth more than the prizes themselves. You will learn a lot about writing, and about yourself, in the process.
Go for it - and jolly good luck to you. Please send me an email from your new laptop!!
There's this also:
“There is a season for everything, a time for every occupation under heaven: A time for giving birth, a time for dying; a time for planting, a time for uprooting what has been planted. A time for killing, a time for healing; a time for knocking down, a time for building. A time for tears, a time for laughter; a time for mourning, a time for dancing. A time for throwing stones away, a time for gathering them up; a time for embracing, a time to refrain from embracing. A time for searching, a time for losing; a time for keeping, a time for throwing away. A time for tearing, a time for sewing; a time for keeping silent, a time for speaking. A time for loving, a time for hating; a time for war, a time for peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:1
Thanks so much everyone! You've all been so creative, and given me lots of food for thought.
(..off to do more thinking, and then eventually some writing, I hope!)
No advice for you Jelly. Just make sure your passport is up to date for your trip!! Oh and make sure the laptop you win doesn't have a faulty battery!!!
shelly
Ok, I didn't see if this was fiction or non-fiction..but here's my litterbox of ideas:
Fiction:
-someone who can control time
-a place where time stops
-a school where time is the only subject
Non-fiction:
-time as the enemy
-kids' perspective of time
-a minute in the life of ???
Once upon a time.....I remember a time.....if only I had more time! What's the time Mr. Wolf? Are we there yet? What a great subject!
I'm thinking about how people compare the present time to the past....how things always seemed better (less crime, no drugs, kids behaved better, etc.) At least that's what Gram (my MIL) used to say ("these are the end times"...she used to say that too). I have every confidence that you can do it Jelly! You're a wonderfully innovative writer. Don't enter to win...that's too daunting. Just enter to enter!
Good luck! We'll all look forward to reading your essay!! (too much pressure?) OK, so don't show us :)
Go Jelly!
Wow, your blogfriends have given you so many good places to begin. Good luck with your effort. I'm looking forward to the results.
Wow, what a lot of trouble everyone went to with suggestions for me. THANK YOU! again.
I'm thinking of writing something about a middle-aged couple, spending an evening together, each with their private contentedness and private dissatisfactions - thinking of their marriage so far, and their marriage yet to evolve. Might be hard to write. I'm still mulling it over!
So how's the writing contest coming? Don't think too much, put on your Nike's and JUST DO IT!
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