I should've realised

 Two days ago I blogged that I'd fallen asleep writing. Four hours later I returned to the laptop and said 'Just took some painkillers as, for some bizarre reason, my neck and upper back aches like mad and I keep getting pains in my chest.' That was a red flag! That night I woke up after being asleep for a couple of hours and couldn't move my neck. PAIN. It hadn't been that bad for years. I get bouts of this pain, but it's been some time since I've woken up not being able to move without crying out in pain. Needless to say, I had little sleep and didn't do much yesterday. Same scenario last night - poor Jon got shoved off into the spare room so I didn't spend all night trying not to wake him. I had the light on for quite a lot of it. Spent all morning in bed trying to nap but got up about lunchtime. Everything above the waist aches and I am walking around with a heated scarf around my neck (I know hahaha). Many movements lead to an 'arrrggh' but I have swept the kitchen floor and made macaroni cheese for Reece and Tasha. I didn't manage to go and help Nikki with Albie, which I was supposed to as the school was closed today. I feel awful about that because she had to do her training day online, but I couldn't have driven there or walked, let alone do anything when I got there. But, as the quotes have been saying, it's OK to fail. Sorry Nikki!

Good news today! I think it was around the 19th Jan that I did a rewrite for PF. The editor felt it was too long and needed some tweaking here and there. I did what I hoped she wanted and today they bought it. Rewrites often take as long as writing a story in the first place, but often it is worth the effort. They don't always buy the rewrite, but I've had a good hit rate with them.

Leia is beside me, tuckered out, as she's just had her second big walk of the day...this time from Louise. Every time I stroke her I get a little contented sigh. 

One upside of being stuck in bed is that I did find a way to read Richard E Grant's autobiography. I've not finished it but am probably about 3/4 of the way through. It was good to get some momentum and really get into it. I've just been to the Oscars ceremony with him and it has been interesting hearing anecdotes about various 'celebrities', some of whom appear to be truly incredible people and some of whom do not. I don't read celeb mags or anything like that, but reading letters he and his late wife received before she died from some of these people who were good friends to them was very moving.

Owen Wilson was one person he spoke about and apparently his persona is exactly how he appears on screen. Breezy, wowed by everything, positive, optimistic, gives one hundred percent attention to the person he is with but then he can be gone in a flash, off to the next thing that needs his attention. When filming, he is left to his own devices as he adlibs and improvises. I've always liked him on screen so am happy that he is as he appears. Funnily enough, he was in a film I saw on Sky Cinema last night when Jon was out at the football where I should have been (Marry Me, with Jennifer Lopez). A nice easy watch. Loved it.

Enough waffle. I am going to try and get to the cinema tomorrow night as it's the last night of Tar and it sounds amazing. Apart from people, dogs, books and some other things, my Cinema Unlimited Card is my very favourite thing. I'm praying they don't go bust because being at the cinema, engrossed in a movie, is like nothing else for me. The world stands still, you forget all your problems, and everyone else's problems, and inhabit a different world entirely. If it makes me cry with happiness or sadness, it's done its job.

Helen Frankenthaler:

There are no rules.

That is how art is born,

how breakthroughs happen.

Go against the rules or

ignore the rules. That is what

invention is about.

The Creative Writing MA I did talked about rules a lot, and how they should be ignored. Create your own boundaries. Smash the glass ceiling. 

And have fun doing it.