Monday, 26 September 2011

A lesson from a spider


There is a spider in our garden (all right then. Our courtyard). In fact, there are probably lots, but this one keeps making his web across the doorway, and inevitably, someone walks into the web, and he has to start all over again. I inadvertently destroyed it again last night, and by this morning, it was completely re-built. He must have been at it all night. But I have decided to move him to another spot, where he can build undisturbed, for while I am not a particular fan of spiders, I'm a great believer in the live-and-let-live thing.

But is there a lesson to be learnt here? I asked myself this morning. For those of us who keep writing and find that what we write isn't sufficiently wanted/needed/appreciated, should we perhaps move our little writing webs into another place; another genre? My agent wants me to insert something "dark" - a secret, perhaps - into my next book, and I am reluctant to do so. But if I follow her advice and move out of my comfort zone, maybe, just maybe, I shall be a blockbusting overnight success.

I might even dedicate it to the spider.
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5 comments:

  1. no26 September 2011 at 14:38

    I've come over all spec fic. I love it!

    Love how the spider has inspired you, there.

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  2. Librarian27 September 2011 at 07:38

    A book dedicated to a spider - well, why not!
    Like you, I am not particularly fond of them, but they are quite inspirational, aren't they. In 2009, I wrote a very short piece about a spider in my blog: http://librarianwithsecrets.blogspot.com/2009/09/in-middle-of-nowhere.html

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  3. Frances Garrood27 September 2011 at 09:14

    Thanks, Aliya. I'm now wondering whether to take its advice...

    I'll try to find your piece, Librarian. I once had a letter in the Times about spiders in the bath, so they can't be all bad.

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  4. Rosemary Gemmell27 September 2011 at 09:25

    I've always liked spiders, as long as they're not trying to walk all over me. Funnily enough I've been watching a rather large spider in our garden. He sits patiently in the centre of the lovely web every day in the hope of striking lucky. I even wrote a poem about such a spider and web many years ago - so they must inspire an awful lot of us!

    By the way, I love novels with secrets and mysteries!

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  5. Frances Garrood27 September 2011 at 10:41

    Rosemary, it's thinking up the secrets and mysteries that's the problem...any ideas?

    Apropos the spider, I think he's seen sense and moved himself.

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