I had a dream a few weeks ago. This dream could be the beginning of the plot of one messed-up, intense, and pretty cool novel. I woke up kinda freaked out and very inspired.
I have yet to finish my 2nd novel...and the first one is chilling up there on the shelf.
The other day while doing the dishes, I was thinking about a tumultuous period in my own life. Bigger-than-life characters, unbelievable plot twists, darkness, true love, betrayal, they all jumped to my mind in an instant. I stood there kinda freaked out and very inspired.
Still haven't finished the 2nd nor the shelved.
I remember reading last year about jotting down new ideas while focusing on your current story. It warned newbies like myself not to get caught up in the 'grass is greener' mentality that comes when you're more than 3/4 of the way through your book. I understood the wisdom of it, but didn't fully understand the temptation of the shiny new story that I haven't already hacked to pieces.
A few days ago while I was wrestling with these three absolutely different (different genres, different tone, even different styles) stories that are fighting for supremacy in my mind, I realized that although I have hacked my 2nd book to death, and the wrinkles I have left are impossible to reconcile right now and I have less than 20000 words left followed by eons and eons of revision...it is the story I love the most.
It is the path of most resistance, but in the end, I will be better for following it.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
SUCCESS!!
I have done it!! I have managed to figure out a way to write during my hectic day! I feel like I have caught a life preserver thrown by...myself!
In my job, I do not have the ability for a Twitter-inspired (and supported) #1k1hr, so I was not sure how to incorporate writing into my workday. When I get home, after Thing 1 Thing 2 and Squishy (poor baby, I'll have to change her nickname before she ends up with a complex) are in bed, I am so done I just want to relax with a glass of wine and a book that's already been written.
But I have found the magic formula - instead of #1k1hr where I aim for 1000 words in an hour, I am going to aim for the more reasonable #1/4k/1/4hr where I go for 250 words in 15 minutes, and try to hit 4 of these in a day.
Ahhh...sanity restored!
Annnnd...GO!
In my job, I do not have the ability for a Twitter-inspired (and supported) #1k1hr, so I was not sure how to incorporate writing into my workday. When I get home, after Thing 1 Thing 2 and Squishy (poor baby, I'll have to change her nickname before she ends up with a complex) are in bed, I am so done I just want to relax with a glass of wine and a book that's already been written.
But I have found the magic formula - instead of #1k1hr where I aim for 1000 words in an hour, I am going to aim for the more reasonable #1/4k/1/4hr where I go for 250 words in 15 minutes, and try to hit 4 of these in a day.
Ahhh...sanity restored!
Annnnd...GO!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Is someone trying to tell me something?
It's so hard to tell sometimes if my lack of ability to find the time to write is due to my lack of ability to find something to write about; lack of time to do anything other than work, parent, coach, and sleep; lack of talent or lack of get-up-and-go. Since I don't lack ambition or energy in other areas of my life, I find it very strange that I don't have the energy to write - to finish the last 10000 words of my book or start the crazy awesome new book that's floating around in my head.
What is wrong with me?
What is wrong with me?
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