Matthew Farmer

working around work and zombies January 19, 2011

There is always zombies, right?

So, my work situation has changed slightly. Losing one member of my team means we have to make up gaps in the roster, since there is no budget to hire new people, and we think we can cover the gaps easily enough. It means I now move from a regular 9-5 job, to a rotating 6 day 4 day week working on every second Saturday, and some later starts, 11 to 7 shifts, even some 1 to 9 shifts.

My first reaction was- darn. Home late, irregular hours. But, and especially with the 11-7 shifts, I have now re-worked my thinking. I have decided that I will actually start work at 9, just, this work will involve sitting in one of three cafes near my office job, with my laptop, coffee, and possibly a pastry treat.

I often find myself at the end of the day with a weary head, tired and just wanting to rest the brain. I know that I have to take a deep breath and work in the time in between to get what I want manifest. Novel written, re-written, out there… I know I need to fit it into my time out of the 9-5 job. So now, I can do it. And it will feel like real work. Dont waste the time before work, use it to feel like a real writer.

So, I have been writing on the way into work this week, all three days so far, and at lunch. Not lunch yesterday though. It’s hard to write in the staff room. They need to watch Oprah on the tv, even thought the reception is awful. But, I am slowly grinding out the words. I am either gathering my forces together for the final push, or procrastinating in my novel with far too much dialogue so I dont have to get to the end yet. Not sure which. I have spent the better part of five years with these characters. And I am quite sure I will be spending many more years with them yet, what with publishing and editing and re-writing and ‘just one more book’ to make a little bit more money off the ‘verse. *smirk*

But regardless, I am recognising that I am slowing the pace down. So as soon as the final character arrives, I’m going to run a blitz and sack the quarterback! Heh, I have been watching some NFL finals. But yeah, I plan to pick up the pace and rush to the finish, bowl over some characters. Not everyone will survive!

I also did some brainstorming on my growing idea, my steam punk world. Havent got a strong story arc yet, just idea threads, but something brewing. Came up with some magic ideas, the corner shop mage, simple home brew spells, a good practical reason why there are round goggles in my verse. I mean, steam punk, without goggles? GOSH NO! So rather than forcing that trope into my verse, it now makes sense.

So, Zombies. One of my hobbies is dream interpretation. I love dreams and I love dreaming. Some of the crazy stuff that can be born from the unconscious and some of the grand stories that grow from this place are just wonderful.

Back in April 2009 I had a dream which had zombies in it. Piles of dead bodies, and zombie children chasing me down. I did some work on the dream with some friends, and I determined that for me, the zombies represented all these ideas that I have, but was doing nothing with. They were hanging around but not alive. And zombie children? My inner child, the source of my creative? Wanting life? Wanting my braaaaaaains…..

So, strange as it may seem, zombies are a kind of writing totem for me. I have my dragon, sitting up there watching me write. I have my writing hat, with its only one bell that rings (i really need to get that second bell replaced…), and I also have my zombies.

In the past I have procrastinated in real life, done nothing, said lots of things and planned many things, but gone no where with my writing. Okay, that sounds a little bit harsher than it should. I’ve written 9 novels through Nanowrimo, many short stories through my writing group. So, I’ve done stuff. But, I know, and others know, I can do more. So, for me, to have zombies as a writing totem kind of feels justified and warranted.

Sunday night I had another zombie dream. But this time, it was a positive zombie dream. Now there’s a sentence I don’t think you’d expect to hear. A positive zombie experience..

So my dream was set in the land AFTER the zombie apocalypse. So, its the world for me. The normal existence of many ideas not given life. But in this dream, the end of the dream had a load of symbology which I found crazy at first, but exciting in reflection. The planning of a new house, by my friend who is currently working 3 jobs to earn enough money to start her dream. So to be led, by her, in my dream was inspiring. The building of a new house, in dream symbology is a new place to dwell, which is where I wish to be.

There was also the symbol of ants eating a turtle. Industrious little creatures devouring a creature that likes to hide in it’s shell. Again, not such a pretty symbol, I know. But it made me feel, energised. Like my subconscious was getting annoyed and saying COME ON! LETS DO THIS!

Who knows. Maybe just by putting the intent out there, the universe is saying – I will if you will…

…zombies….