I’m escaping. The silence has become unbearable. I have lots of ideas why I’m escaping. I have many plausible theories that might be sufficient for a psychologist or the impartial Observer of all human affairs as to why.
I know what I’m doing. Know it but can’t control it. I know how to analyse escapism while seeming rationale and calm. It’s just (what an innocuous word ‘just’) that this time I don’t care to stay in control so much.
Since I last wrote about Rebus, seven weeks ago, I’ve jumped another six novels in the series. This is a good time, before we come to Rebus’ retirement in another five books, to chart how the series has changed and to acclaim some impressive developments.
The six new books are:
§ Let it Bleed (1995)
§ Black & Blue (1997)
§ The Hanging Garden (1998)
§ Dead Souls (1999)
§ Set in Darkness (2000)
§ The Falls (2001)
Within these six books there are three things that stood out for me.
The 2011 Jessup compromis has been out now for a few months and as I’ve gotten my claws further into the problem my initial optimism has deepened into a resigned scepticism.
I have a pet theory that the compromis was drafted in two halves. One half was drafted by those who understood the law and knew how to engage the law by providing relevant provocative facts. The second half was drafted by those who tried to be legalistic, but provided a jumble of half explained and ill-conceived facts that failed to engage any substantive law.
If you don’t write it down it never happened. Yet most of us are utterly apathetic to writing.
We don’t even make conscious choices to not write. We have a default position of not writing.
We believe that our goals, ideas and experiences will be preserved by memory. We believe that memory will give an accurate picture. We believe that we can always come up with the original idea later; when it’s needed.
Let me tell you something you already know. Things didn’t happen the way you remember them. You’ve forgotten thousands of original ideas. You’ve got goals you can’t remember.
What price will you pay for forgetfulness?
I could tell you that the single common habit of successful people is to keep a note book with them to record ideas, develop plans and measure their progress.
Would that make you more of a writer?
I love reading press reports about daily fluctuations in the stock market. No other journalists strive so sincerely to provide a false sense of security.
A Disorganised Mind 