Juiced On Writing

Take one ultra new shiny (quite literally) laptop, complete with the best graphics card possible, and a new operating system (vista) and one so-called writer.

What do you get?

This is no joke, though.

You get no writing done.

The jokes on me, then.

Two weeks in, and I’m still stumbling around Vista wondering where on earth my downloads have gone to, and how to uninstall all those little – and not so little programs the manufacturer deemed it not only necessary to include but also to include in the start-up programs so that they terrorise your system bar.

Vista and superior graphics do have their good points. I’ve spent my entire life on Second Life, living a new life vicariously when my real one simply isn’t that nice to me.

I’ve sat for hours watching the slow tick of death as my old files copy over from my old laptop onto a USB stick, and then another half day copying them onto the new laptop.

I’ve taken the liberty to only install my much needed programs, and enjoyed the two second boot up rather than the ten minute one of old.

I’ve not looked up any instructions on using Vista, and played around like some male driver unwilling to admit they’re lost and have no map or sat-nav.

I’ve not written at all. I’ve barely kept up with the normal stream of emails, and not at all kept up with Twitter or Facebook or any other social media. With second life, the IMs come at you anyway, and my inbox has been full of more messages than ever.

I’ve not written at all. In fact, the new whiz-bang graphics card do-daddy has had a lot to do with that. When sold to me, the computer sales attendant even pointed out I can go and download a free software upgrade for the nvidia card which makes everything 3D.  Everything – as long as I wear those glasses all day while staring at the computer monitor. I have a laptop which has a 19 inch monitor now. This wasn’t intentional, but it came with the model which had all the rest of the features I needed.

The laptop is hefty – I’m not going to lug it along to a coffee shop or writer’s meet at any time without risk assessment. But it does keep my lap nice and warm and cosy. If only we weren’t heading into summer.

So, back to actual writing, then. My first attempts at getting motivated involve attending some writing meet-ups and events in Second Life itself. Unfortunately due to a timing issue, and a lack of willingness to attend the numerous poetry events which appear to happen daily, I’ve only attended one so far, and it really wasn’t anything much to do with writing – although there were many fellow writers scattered in the audience along with me, as we watched a gothic / horror inspired fashion show in Second Life.

I have an editing task I must get on with, and my mind is busy behind the scenes with the development of a plot for my next novel. My third novel seems to need to stew or perhaps steep around the storyline, like a fine quality brew of tea. It doesn’t yet want to come out and be written, and perhaps it even is one that will write itself, and not need copious plot planning. I’m not sure yet. But it is getting nearer.

Now, for my last dirty little secret- I’m now admitting that for the first week of my infatuation with Second Life, I actually dreamt it, in colour. I dreamt my dreams as though they were animated 2D avatars in a virtual world. We moved around in that stuttery way that the mouse or keyboard arrows provide, doing 90 degree turns to change direction, or flying or teleporting to our next destination. Our environment was made of pixels, and we directed it by ‘touching’ it.

Thankfully in the second week of 2nd Life, my dreams – and sleep – have returned more to normal.

But I’m still escaping far too much into that virtual world as much as I would into any good novel I might be reading. In the past some writers have been renowned for their own obsessive addictions – whether it be opium, alcohol or the more socially acceptable writer’s diet of caffeine or chocolate.

With Second Life I may have discovered – for me – my own personal ‘dirty habit’. I wonder how many stories and novels are being created and actually acted out by second life inhabitants which will never be written down into a book?

A Second Life Update

1. I left my rental tiki, and went out and bought myself some corner beach land.
2. I then spent an entire week looking for a pre-fab house, furniture and landscaping.
3. I also added tropical and beach sounds, an animated seal and rock-crab, and seagull, all of which circle around particular areas on my land / sea.
4. I have landscaped, with a waterfall, palms – some of which drop coconuts on my head, and tropical furniture
5. I have changed outfit, and hair, a number of times.
6. I have added a pet pug dog and black cat to my household. They both sit, come here, beg, lie down and stay. They also wonder around randomly, and all the animals are far too vocal.
7. I have annoyed my new neighbours most probably with the barking sounds (seal and dog), and loud purring and meowing (seagull and cat) and horrific grasshopper chirping and owl hoots coming from my side of the sand dunes.
8. I have added media – in the form of an internet radio to my house, and programmed in some classical and chill out stations.
9. I have used up all my prim allowance and can no longer add one single palm tree or piece of furniture to my beach side pad.
10. I have been unsuccessful in convincing my own husband to join me in my second life, and therefore am still a little lonely.
11. I have attended one writing-related event – that of a fashion show.
12. I turned up one day early to a UK Writing Legal Talk because the clocks changed on second life.
13. I have missed many other writing meets, because they are set at two o’clock in my morning – or later, unless it’s poetry. Apparently poetry is okay for around 3pm UK time. Go figure.
14. I have dreamt in second life form.
15. I have considered my own mentality on many close occasions over the last week or so.
16. I have turned to my second life and tropical beach pad to relax myself after my real life which has been filled with worries and lousy points recently.
17. I have now turned around to starting thinking about new writing projects now.

It’s all good.

My New Beach Pad - at Midnight

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