A Lucky Break? by Sarah Nicholson
"Break a leg!" is a common phrase heard in the theatre. It is said without malice and means the complete opposite. I Googled to find our why but the exact
origin is unknown.
Before Christmas I slipped on the ice and broke my arm – is that
a writerly equivalent I wondered? "Hey - Break an arm!" Writers obviously use their arms more than
legs.
Of course, it’s my right arm that’s broken, my writing arm,
if I’m using pen and paper. Although I am typing this with both hands using most
of my fingers, so even with a broken arm my hands and fingers still work.
I should count my blessings, most of me still works,
although I find I am feeling more creaky as the years pass. Slowing up or should
that be slowing down?
Perhaps my brain is seizing up as well, although I didn’t
land on my head, just my ample behind, which started aching a few days later,
and the arm that I put out to quite literally break my fall.
There is no cast on it, no visible sign to the outside world
it is broken, so I keep reminding people and moving it up and down as
prescribed on the sheet of paper from the hospital.
Just for research I Google “break an arm” to see if that is even a saying? Surprisingly it doesn’t appear to be and I soon shut down that line of enquiry when
I spied a site “how to deliberately break an arm.” WHY????
Instead, I looked up “writing superstitions” and found two blogs
published 3 years apart by different authors with exactly the same words, I won’t
be repeating them again here. This is all my own drivel.
But two facts from my search I did find amusing, were superstitions held by authors who have written books I have enjoyed.
Isabel Allende (In the Midst of Winter, The Japanese Lover) starts writing all her books on the 8th
January. At first purely from superstition, but now it is common knowledge she always gets complete solitude on that day.
So on the 8th of this month, I shall buy a new hat and start
writing a bestseller – if all goes well, “break an arm” will one day be the
thing to say to all aspiring novelists!!!!
*Although Sarah is certain she didn’t land on her head, she
unreservedly apologises for this month’s nonsense. Normal service may or may
not resume next month!
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