Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Writing While 'Roiding

Last night I slept like a baby for 6.5 blissful, uninterrupted hours.

Darn.

After my near-sleepless but productive Sunday night, I had looked forward to continuing my writing streak. The marketing plan for a non-fiction book. A scene from my much-talked-about (by me) one-woman show. The grocery list. (Hey, with the way I have to eat these days, that's like writing a novella.)

It's probably just as well that I slept through the night. Trish had cautioned me about the possible perils of writing while on a jittery, steroid-induced high. Who knows what edgy, raw drivel I was churning out. But then the jerky wheels began to turn and I thought, "What if I create a flash fiction anthology blog for 'roid writers?"

I'd get submissions from eosinophil sufferers, asthmatics and arthritics, not to mention post-transplant patients. (No ball players; that's a different kind of steroid.) Was I on to something?

No, that just seemed a little too narrow. What if I opened up submissions to all insomniacs? I could call the blog the Night Writers instead of the 'Roid Writers.

Who isn't sleeping these days? The grieving. The lonely hearts. Parents of infants. Parents of teens. Any woman over 50.

And, of course, the crummy economy has been responsible for keeping countless eyes wide open in the middle of the night. A recent story in the LA Times about the growing use of sleeping pills ended with this line from a sleepless college student, "I'm stressed out about the rest of my life."

So, I guess the better question would be, "Who IS sleeping these days?"

Um, that would be me. Even with the 'roids.

3 comments:

Ann said...

I'm awake too! My problem involves the teenager being on spring break. Add a dash of vindictiveness on her part concerning the little incident the other night and voila, the perfect recipe for a sleepless week. Meeting with the realtor this weekend. :)
I can't wait to read what you've written for the flash fiction blog.

Susan C said...

Ann, I hope you and Chris will be able to get your own place soon.

The flash fiction will be published in June. You should try your hand at it, Ann.

Nelle said...

My sleep is so problematic since my estrogen went south. I had a hysterectomy nine years ago but had the patches until a breast cancer ended that. Since then I am lucky to get seven hours in a row. Since I have such a rigid workday it has been a real problem. Somedays I am awake since 3 and it makes it difficult to think straight by the afternoon. Thank God for caffeine!