Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Junk

My daughter came home from a friend's house with an exquisite, homemade valentine box and asked, "Mom, why don't you have a drawer full of old scrapbooking junk? They always make cool art projects. I want to make stuff like this at home with you."

To which I replied, "It's because Mommy is a writer. All of my junk is stored up here." Taps forehead. "And that's where I like it because I take it with me wherever I go."

Daughter studies me with a frown. "What do you mean?"

"When I'm on the treadmill at the gym, my junk comes to life and it's like watching a movie while I exercise. Only, no one else can see it."

"Is that why you never hear me the first time I talk to you?"

............... long pause...............

"Did you say something, Sweetie?"

Daughter rolls eyes.

Is it just me, or are all writers' heads filled to the brim?

BTW, check out Cole's blog for a hilarious post about stalking your characters. And here is an awesome contest for those of you seeking an agent!

41 comments:

Carolyn V. said...

How funny Bethany! I am always missing what my kids are telling me when I am writing. Plus I am a terrible scrapbooker. Give me a pen and lined paper anyday!

Olivia Carter said...

Eeekkk! I'm the same way. My poor kids took up the habit of YELLING to get my attention when writing so I've learned to tune my ear to "Excuse me" the new "get mom's attention device" I taught them. Much better than, "MOM! MOM! MOM!"

Anonymous said...

Yes. Our brains are always full. Always writing. Always looking at something/someone. Always trying to remember something to put in a future piece of work. It never stops. At least for me.

Unknown said...

:) Reverse those roles and you have me. But I still have to get good grades. It's very entertaining, though.

Amber Lynae said...

I am the same way while I exercise, paint, or cook I'm thinking about my 'junk'. But I'm still perfecting my tuning out process.

Shannon O'Donnell said...

Yep - ditto here, too! Thanks for the agent contest link. :-)

Stephanie Thornton said...

My brain never stops. 9 times out of 10, when my husband asks me what I'm thinking about it has to do with my books.

Poor guy!

A.L. Sonnichsen said...

Oh, I am so relieved to read this! I feel so bad when my brain is in a plot line and I don't realize people (especially whiny children) are talking to me. Horrible! But I'm glad I'm not alone.

Thanks for posting!

Sandy Williams said...

Chances are, if I'm not talking, I'm thinking about my stories. This makes me wonder what nonwriters think about when they'e not talking. I mean, I always have characters in my head who entertain me. Nonwriters must get bored easily.

Jemi Fraser said...

A junk drawer in my brain! I love that description - & yup I've got one!

Unknown said...

That is too funny! I can't stop smiling! lol! Yes, I often wonder how much more junk I can store up there!

And isn't funny when you're playing a story out in your mind and the people around you start asking why you're smiling? Haha! Is that just me?

Stina said...

Yeah I was a terrible scrapbooker. For kid #1, I made two scrapbooks for the first two years. One book for kid #2 (first year). And nada for kid #3. By then, I didn't have the time and it was expensive.

I can totally relate to the 'filled to the brim' part. Apparently I have a "look" 'cause my oldest is always asking if I'm thinking about my book. :D

Thanks for the links! I think I know about the agent one, but I'm definitely going to read Cole's.

Unknown said...

My brain never stops working, I have the perfect job, I am a data analyst which is just a fancy way of saying I put information in a computer, I think about my characters all day long so that when I get home I know exactly what I'll write about!

I'm terrible in the evenings I talk and talk while falling asleep, luckily my husband doesn't mind, and this is even better because I also talk in my sleep, what can I say no rest for the creative!!

Hardygirl said...

Ha! This is great!! Unfortunately, my junk often comes spewing out of my head and spills out all over the place. Makes for a confusing existence for my children, I'm sure!

sf

Rhonda said...

My head is definitely filled to the brim. I'm always looking for ideas, filing away characteristics of interesting people I see, plotting while standing in line at the supermarket. This is probably why it's best that I don't have children!!

Cole Gibsen said...

Ha Ha! Love this! And thanks for linking my page:)

Unknown said...

Very funny!

And, oh dear, then there are those of us who have the junk drawer in our brain AND for our scrapbooking stuff. Not that I'll ever get around to any of those projects. :)

Christina Lee said...

LOL!!!!!!! My husband always says "Now I know what it feels like," when he has to repeat everything he's said for the past five minutes!

Michelle McLean said...

lol yep, definitely happens to me. My husband has the eye roll down to perfection now :D

Valerie Ipson said...

I love you. Thank you so much for validating my distaste (and ineptness) for scrapbooking. You made my day!

Tere Kirkland said...

I don't scrapbook, but since I got serious about writing, my art supplies have been sorely neglected, only to be brought out during Halloween and Mardi Gras and any other time I need to get crafty with a quickness!

Sounds like your daughter is starting to understand the writing life you live! ;)

Krispy said...

I'm a pack rat, so I've got tons of "junk" even though I don't scrapbook - maybe I should?

Such a cute post, and so true. My parents are always saying I daydream too much and always wonder what it is I'm thinking. XP

Anonymous said...

LOL love the "junk". I do the same thing...especially in the car. Something about the car makes all my junk get up and run around.

But I look at it as payback for all the times I have to repeat my daughter's name 15 times because she's zoned out in the TV or Ipod or computer.

I recognize the eyeroll...my daughter does that so much I've considered getting it checked.

Jackee said...

Ha, ha! Our brains ARE all over the place, but never full of the here and now. (And at least in my case, my paper drawers are always full of other kinds of paper products... post-its, notebooks, printer paper, etc.)

Bethany Wiggins said...

My dear friends, you make me laugh! Justification is always overflowing with the amazing writing/blogging community. Thanks for making my day, all of you!

Danyelle L. said...

It's good to know that we're all in this together, and that I'm not the only one that gets spacey when I'm thinking. O:)

lotusgirl said...

I love it. It's so true.

Unknown said...

The problem is half my junk spills out my ears and I forget half of it! I used to have a memory like a steel trap, but now days, if I don't write ideas down, I lose them.

Southpaw said...

Great story!

DL Hammons said...

And like all that real life junk, I'm always forgetting where I leave the writing kind. If my brain were a closet, no amount of mothballs could help!!

Julie Dao said...

Haha YES. My head is constantly overflowing with junk! I like to imagine that I can file away the junk in neat little drawers in my brain, but it's difficult. Sometimes I have to write the junk down and capture it in a notebook so it doesn't flow out of my ears.

Natalie said...

Sometimes I wish I could unload it for a little while so I could focus on just one idea.

But I guess it's good to have a lot going on up there. Maybe we won't get Alzheimer's.

Anonymous said...

I prefer to think of it as a selective thought process. I just happen to be stuck on one mode. ;)

Unknown said...

I have an award for you over at my blog!1

Wendy Sparrow said...

I have both junk for scrapbooking and mental junk. I'm very junky. :)

kanishk said...

It's good to know that we're all in this together, and that I'm not the only one that gets spacey when I'm thinking.

Work from home India

Bethany Wiggins said...

Thanks, Kanishk!

G. B. Miller said...

Mine is most perculating while I'm doing my hour-to-hour work related activities.

Keeps me occupied without going batty, although I have a tendency to lose people when I talk to them sometimes.

magnoliaamber said...

You that my cousin sometimes think I am a bit autistic... (shaking head)

Indeed your post is so funny! You've got something so attractive in your words...I can't describe it well but I know for sure I have to go back to this page and read more!
Thank you for your comment... you write in such an eloquent way!

have a nice day, xoxo

Kelsey (Dominique) Ridge said...

No, all writer's heads are choc full of crazy nonsense.

I picture my head as high shelves full of identical white boxes containing the data and ideas I might need to get my hands on. This image is supported by the trouble I sometimes have locating the right box. Fricking inadequate cross-reference system...

Diana Paz said...

Oh Bethany, I burst out laughing when I read that about not hearing the first time she talks to you! My daughter accuses me of that ALL THE TIME!!!!

I hope you've been well :)