h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yeah, but only in English, and archaic English at that. It'll surely be a finer song in Welsh.

Sleep...now there's an idea.

'Night, nadia. May peace attend thee...

Pin(hoping that wasn't too corny, but meaning it all the same)

Hey, nadia.
It's been a while. You OK, you and Fatty?
I hope you are. Let us know, all right?
Pin

Well, Lizardy is less than good. She had an abcess in her butt cleavage and had to stop in hospital for a few days. The number of pain in the ar*e gags has been phenominal.

I'm improving slowly. Still up and down a lot and I'm back off the antidepressant, it made me manic - rather spectacularly while at work . I'll wait to see a shrink before I try that again. The writing bit of my brain is quietly starting to work again though, so I'm going to try to pick this back. No promises though, ok.

Hope things are good with you and I'm glad you're back Mr Prima Donna.

N

Well, it all sounds better than bad even if not actually good.
Love to Lizardy. That smarts
You take it easy, nadia. Maybe not the easiest of times for medication, what with SSRI-fuss, I guess. Whenever you're ready. No pressure.
Things are good with me, thanks. Bit quiet, lazy even. These last few years I've come to an agreement with myself, that I can slack off shamefully now and again on the clear understanding that within a fortnight I'll be bored stupid and itching to work again.
Pin

I was taking Efexor, which is an SSRI but not one of the more evil ones. They are, supposedly, much less likely to cause mania than tricyclics. Phah. Our housemate was on Seroxat for about six months, he only stopped taking it a few weeks ago. That one is really awful. I think that the stress of dealing with his mood swings and suicide attempts was a big part of what has made me ill. Well, that's not entirely fair. It surely didn't help but I monumentally mismanaged my illness. I was so determined to stay on top of everything and not put more stress on G that I ignored and hid the warning signs then completely fell apart. But it passes and while I am still up and down I'm not as up or as down and I can think in whole sentances again. Maybe I've even learned something.

I intend to write the chalk pit section as an isolated piece. If you want me to cover him fleeing to France or anything else I'll do it seperately. I've got all the information lined up in my head and I know more or less what I want to do with it but I'm undecided on who to focalise with - Dadd or his father. There are advantages to either. I don't want it to be just more of the same and using a different voice would get around that. But it would be a bit lazy. I don't feel that I've said everything that I should say with Dadd yet. I certainly haven't done justice to the range of the illness and switching focaliser seems like a bit of a cop out. But it would be interesting.
I might write both and see which turns out better. If you have a preference weigh in.
I'll write it on Wednesday. Can't do it tomorrow. Tomorrow I get older and my girl has plans for me. Quiet, non painfull plans, possibly involving the viewing of many Audry Hepburn films.

*Lizardy smiles wanly and waves*

N

Happy Birthday!
I won't weigh in. I'm not rushing you - if you're ready, you do it. If you want to write it two ways, then you do that too. FWIW, I usually do when both of two options seem promising.
(Don't want to steer you one way, but I'm intrigued to see if you could convincingly tell a scene in the voice of a character who doesn't survive it.)
I can't say if you've learned something, but you certainly teach something. Next time I get stressed with my 'Grace', I'll think how much tougher it would be to be looking out for myself too. You're a star, nadia.
Enjoy Ms Hepburn, and cherish the company
Pin
*waves back*

Hi Pin!!

(The fat ickle lizzard waves frantically, and scratches at the bandage on her...tail)

Wo nadia and Lizardy both

Just noticed you were O/L.
Here's hoping you're well and being good to each other

Pin

Hey.
Right in the head again and getting back into life. Not the same life as was but when is it ever.
Sorry to have been so unreliable, strange time. Wanna pick this back up?
N

Hey nadia.
It's just three days ago that I was looking up into a Cardiff night and wondering how you were.
Unreliable? In the context of this place, much of its attraction is that no-one relies on you. Don't worry about unreliability on that score.
And we all change. If you feel ready to write, that's great.
I'd love to pick the Fairy Feller up again.

Great.

I'm working on it now. Barring distractions I should have something for you later this evening.

N

A2643536

I should probably hold this back till I'm happy with it but I want to leave it a bit before I redraft, so you might as well see where it's at. I tried to fix it up today but wasn't getting very far. I don't quite know what's wrong, the elements are there, mostly, but they don't want to play together. Some distance then a through redraft should do it.

I have some substantial changes in mind for the Egypt and Rome sections so I'll start on those, if that's ok with you.

I haven't abandoned the idea of writing the chalk pit section from his father's perspective but that needs some more time and thought.


N

Strange thought, he was only four months younger than I am now.

N

It's very good already.
I'm not sure what you're looking to change/improve, since this seems a very convincing rendition of madness. Are you seeking to make it more coherent? Perhaps you shouldn't, because some of its effectiveness derives from the discontinuity.
I am going to read it all some more and have a good think. The complete narrative will probably need some more third party stuff too. I have some more scraps somewhere, written months ago.
Time to pick up and dust off ideas.

Actually thinking less coherent, if anything. It would be nice to catch the flight of ideas, cyclical thoughts and word play that go with mania. Might not be possible to get that authentically and still have it be readable though. Mostly though, it's in the writing that I'm not happy with it. It reads a bit flat and slow to me, needs a good shine.

N

Never did get round to redrafting. Probably a bit late now. I hate leaving a piece like that. Feels like it should have a big red 'could be better' stamp on it. I don't know if I could redraft it now. Different place entirely and I'm on to the next thing.

I love what you've done with it. It feels dishonest to take any credit for it, you've done all the hard work and put it together with coherency and style that I simly could not have matched. I did dig up a snippet that I never posted. It was going to be a lead into the Chalk Pit from his father's POV. Too late to put it in (don't think it would have fit anyway) but I thought I might as well post it as not.


28 August, 1843

When Robert Dadd spoke to his son after he had seen Dr –?– he seemed improved. He was buoyant and smiling and he seemed happy. What parent can resist the persuasions of their child when they have been unhappy and now, suddenly, are not? But he said many strange things that day, admitted that his thinking had been confused and that he had suffered torment that he did not wish to recollect. He admitted also that his thinking was still not what would be called normal by the generality of people, but he was persuasive in his claim that he had reached a new way of thinking and understanding and that he was at ease with the new thoughts that had come upon him. He said that the conflicts in his mind that had so distracted him had resolved themselves, that his new mode of thought was different, but essentially whole. He said that his art would benefit from this revelation.
Robert Dadd spoke candidly to his son… ‘Your mind has been disordered and you need care…you must hide nothing now…there have been too many strange ideas festering in you…you must talk to someone….’ Richard pled that he could not speak openly with a man he did not know but humbly extend the promise that he would disburden him mind to his father. So it was arranged that they would go away together so that Richard might tell his father everything and Richard chose Cobham as their destination.

N

Hi nadia

Probably a bit late for the new bit too.
I think the piece hangs together OK as it stands, so we'll leave it, yeah?
You posting that text, though, that's reassuring. You've still got stuff to hand. You're still writing, too.

You feel dishonest taking credit, and so do I. You know what that means? It means each one raised the other's game. We should do it again sometime.

Come back when you can. Till then, all happiness to you both.

Pin

Hi Pin

Nice to see how thee and she can make such a frabjuous piece! Evidently, your writing works well together.

With love,

Fatty

Hi Fatty

Neat that you got on-line. I'm torn between imploring you both to come back, and leaving you to better things.

She can certainly write, that girl of yours. I came here to learn. Mostly it's been field study, picking bits up here and there by observing the wild animals. Not many actual teachers.

And only a couple of mentors, but I count her as one. It was a privilege to be part of writing the Dadd-thing.

One day we'll do it again, maybe. Till then, enjoy those better things.

Pin