I’m completely off my highly rigid writing schedule in favor of sleeping in the morning. Getting up at 5:00 a.m. was how I did all of my writing, pre-dawn, before the world (aka my clients) needed me. Happily padding into my office in my pajamas, robe and slippers with a cup of coffee. It’s been a month since I’ve strung two writing days together back to back. I feel completely shitty. And when I tried to write the other day, I quit after two hours of destroying my manuscript like a toddler having a tantrum. I just learned the different between a meltdown and tantrum.
Can you guess what it is?
Filed under: Uncategorized |
Betsy Lerner 
John C. Krieg
Yeah – the difference lies in who is in control. A meltdown just happens. You get overwhelmed and the next thing you know you’re sleeping until noon, not answering your phone, and ignoring your emails. A tantrum is like a teakettle ready to blow. You know it’s just a matter of time, and if you’re good at managing them, they can be a lot of fun. They are self-indulgent and patently stupid, but what the hell; they just feel so good. A meltdown can drag on for weeks, sometimes months. A tantrum is akin to an orgasm. It’s short-lived and you’re thankful for the release and then it’s back to business as usual. I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts that you started in on reworking that destroyed manuscript the very next day.
Tantrum — it will pass and it’s necessary sometimes to yell, scream, pound your fists, pull your hair and let out a primal scream that will have the whole neighborhood wondering who married a banshee.
Meltdown — Being down and not knowing if you’ll get back up. Everything falls apart and the fangs that pierce your soul only stop penetrating when they need resharpening. Often accompanied by lashing out at others although it’s your own eyes that see the truth.
Either way, you’re confronting your fears. How do they look on paper?
After a tantrum, you pick up the pieces. After a meltdown, you are the pieces.
John C. Krieg
Well written. A good economy of words. Also, so true.
Many thanks. Such lines come rarely, but I appreciate them when they do.
Tantrums are exothermic, while meltdowns are endothermic.
Login difficulties, on the other hand, are entropic. (Yes, this is all me, my energy dissipating in pointless pairs of comments.)
When you figure it out let me know.
Hi. A tantrum needs 1 pint of Haagen Dasz Belgian double chocolate chip ice cream. A meltdown requires a gallon a day for as long as it takes to find an equilibrium.
I hear you. I see you. I used to take a hot bubble bath and eat ice cream before I broke my hip. Now I just eat ice cream. Not all bad. Almost forgot…looking at or counting calories is strictly verboten!
Tantrums are to get attention and manipulate, meltdowns are when the system is overloaded & can’t function
meltdowns send me into a frozen state that sometimes takes weeks to thaw; although I’m well aware that I want to do the things, I just can’t, because I’m only using energy to survive.
tantrums require yelling “fuck” a few times and it’s over and I’m ready for the next adventure.
p.s. compulsiveness is a main attraction at my show. My husband keeps me reined in and I need his calm.
p.s.s. i love your blog and your writing. I’m validated.
p.s.s. my name is Birdie. 🙂 and, are you currently accepting submissions?