OK, I promise this will be my last accolade, or blowing my own horn for NaNoWriMo, but the value for NaNoWriMo (try typing that fifteen times!) is fantastic.
For me, it proved that I, (me, Daren, who ever since high school wanted to write, but was just too damn lazy and didn’t have the foggiest notion of where to start) could in fact write 50,000 words in a month. It also proved that I can actually write…”a little”. My grammar and punctuation sucked, and I am sure my eighth grade English teacher, Mrs. Washburn, would’ve bled all over my manuscript if she read it, but who cares….that’s what editing is for; editing and rewriting is what I will be doing after the holidays.
The other valuable lesson of NaNoWriMo (still typing!) was a solid taste of what it’s like to be a writer. We all had a deadline to meet and we all had to sit down and “just do it”. A lot of my contemporaries chose to cram at the end and stay up late multiple nights, but I took the day by day approach. If you divide 50,000 by 30 you get 1666.6666666666666666666666666667. So, I wrote at least that many words each day of November. Sure, I missed a few days and there were other days I was so lost in my writing that I closed the entire world out and cranked out double and one day triple base word count. I think Teddy Roosevelt said “How do you eat an elephant?....Bite by bite.” That, my friends, is exactly what I did. Day by day writing. I loved it. There were days when I actually could just write all day – and did…I imagined I was Stephen King, Ernest Hemingway, Dean Koontz, or any of the other thousand American writers.
Nano was fun and sort of a rite of passage for me. Completing it was a personal goal and I am extremely proud of myself for pulling it off. I look forward to participating in NaNoWriMo next year as well and am already excited about what my book will be about.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
Moving Forward
Moving Forward
Now that NaNoWriMo is successfully behind me, I can go back to some semblance of a normal life. However, this time, now that I know I am capable of writing 50,000 words in a month, I am going to keep my writing goals more in line and more realistic.
I am already working on three projects…well maybe four; I gotta decide what my 2009 Writing Goals will be. First and foremost because of its importance is a white paper I intend to send to President Elect Obama on National Service. I will be posting this whitepaper once I am finished with it, but suffice to say our country needs some serious unity, direction, and development from within. Next is, I started a story about my brother-in-law called ‘My Own Private Idaho’. Initially, I wanted this to be my NaNoWriMo piece, but the thoughts really weren’t gelling so I put it on hold until now. I will probably use an outline to some degree for this project, but am still formulating the theme, tempo, and potential length. The final project is an interview and subsequent publishing of a magazine or newspaper article – I’m shooting for magazine.
So, near term, that’s it. Now that the boat is put up for the winter, I should have a bit more writing time available, however, I just took my children skiing yesterday (a rare treat for November!!!) and like any good ADD adult, I will always choose play over work…”life’s short eat dessert first!”.
Now that NaNoWriMo is successfully behind me, I can go back to some semblance of a normal life. However, this time, now that I know I am capable of writing 50,000 words in a month, I am going to keep my writing goals more in line and more realistic.
I am already working on three projects…well maybe four; I gotta decide what my 2009 Writing Goals will be. First and foremost because of its importance is a white paper I intend to send to President Elect Obama on National Service. I will be posting this whitepaper once I am finished with it, but suffice to say our country needs some serious unity, direction, and development from within. Next is, I started a story about my brother-in-law called ‘My Own Private Idaho’. Initially, I wanted this to be my NaNoWriMo piece, but the thoughts really weren’t gelling so I put it on hold until now. I will probably use an outline to some degree for this project, but am still formulating the theme, tempo, and potential length. The final project is an interview and subsequent publishing of a magazine or newspaper article – I’m shooting for magazine.
So, near term, that’s it. Now that the boat is put up for the winter, I should have a bit more writing time available, however, I just took my children skiing yesterday (a rare treat for November!!!) and like any good ADD adult, I will always choose play over work…”life’s short eat dessert first!”.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
2008 NaNoWriMo Is a Wrap.
On Thanksgiving Day I completed the 2008 NaNoWriMo Challenge! Thanksgiving was special for me this year. We had my grandmother down, who just turned 90 in September, I just got a new job, my son’s high school football team made it to State, and I completed (and this is the real biggie) National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). “Wooooohhhhooooo!”
As you can see from below, completing NaNoWriMo was one of my 2008 writing goals and I am pretty stoked about pulling it off. NaNoWriMo is a big deal. The objective is to basically write a book in 30 days (50,000 words are required to win) – and November of all months too! It doesn’t cost anything, there is no big prize at the end, and no one calls you, but the reward is in knowing you did it – you wrote an entire novel in a month. My novel was 52, 201 words.
My novel is called ‘The Ring’. I really don’t like that title and if I actually do submit it to a publisher, I’ll probably rename it. When you hear the title, you think of the spooking Japanese/American movie by the same name – I’d like to get away from this connotation. My novel is nothing like the movie. My novel is about a young man who inherits a ring from his grandfather, benign as anything, right? Well, the ring comes with baggage; the ring comes with a memory. This memory is shared with my main character, Aubrey, in the form of extremely vivid and powerful nightmares. It takes him little over half the book to figure it all out, but let’s just say the ring plays back what his beloved grandfather did long before he was the sweet, dedicated, caring, family patriarch, and Aubrey’s grandfather. Aubrey with the never ending moral support of his longtime girlfriend, Dawn, eventually figures it all out. By confronting the past, Aubrey atones for his grandfather’s actions and ultimately is rewarded and the savior at the same time. I liked the story line and had it cooking in my brain for sometime.
Getting back to Thanksgiving and finishing my novel….I was trying to wrap up my novel for the November 30 submittal date and had been cranking away on Thursday. Through the entire month, I had been ahead on my word count and never felt pressured, but knew my climax and end were going to be tricky and required flawless timing. So, there I was hunched down in the Ikea ‘writing chair’ with my trusty Dell Latitude hammering away and really quite caught up in the scene I was writing when my wife, who completely oblivious to the challenge or emotion at hand says…”Hurry up! We have to go, come get the turkey and put it in the jeep!”. We had to drive ten miles to my sister-in-law’s house for the big Family dinner…and we had the turkey, which cooked all day. So I continued typing, telling my story, creating my scene and tears were rolling down my cheeks. It was the strangest thing….I was totally into my story/novel/scene (thank God for iPods and classical music!) – completely emotionally committed, I couldn’t help it, the tear came. My son actually came to me to enforce my wife’s command and said…”Dad! Come on let’s….are you crying? What’s wrong with you?” I also ignored him. So, there they were: my daughter, son, wife, and grandmother all with their coats on and everyone except my grandmother carrying something staring at me……I just kept on typing – I had to finish or I would loose the mood and flavor of my scene and ultimately the climax. Yes, I was rushed. Yes, I need to revisit the climax. No, I didn’t yell at anyone.
I couldn’t have done NaNoWriMo by myself without all the motivation from other NaNos, friends, and the various writing Podcasts I follow. Thanks to those digital writers out there that kept me motivated – kept me engaged…Mur Lafferty, JR Murdock, Holly Lisle, and Jordan Castillo Price. ”Thanks guys!”
Next projects? I am continuing work on ‘My Private Idaho’, a letter to Prez elect Obama on National Service, and one other story that is “speaking to me” but not yet defined.
As you can see from below, completing NaNoWriMo was one of my 2008 writing goals and I am pretty stoked about pulling it off. NaNoWriMo is a big deal. The objective is to basically write a book in 30 days (50,000 words are required to win) – and November of all months too! It doesn’t cost anything, there is no big prize at the end, and no one calls you, but the reward is in knowing you did it – you wrote an entire novel in a month. My novel was 52, 201 words.
My novel is called ‘The Ring’. I really don’t like that title and if I actually do submit it to a publisher, I’ll probably rename it. When you hear the title, you think of the spooking Japanese/American movie by the same name – I’d like to get away from this connotation. My novel is nothing like the movie. My novel is about a young man who inherits a ring from his grandfather, benign as anything, right? Well, the ring comes with baggage; the ring comes with a memory. This memory is shared with my main character, Aubrey, in the form of extremely vivid and powerful nightmares. It takes him little over half the book to figure it all out, but let’s just say the ring plays back what his beloved grandfather did long before he was the sweet, dedicated, caring, family patriarch, and Aubrey’s grandfather. Aubrey with the never ending moral support of his longtime girlfriend, Dawn, eventually figures it all out. By confronting the past, Aubrey atones for his grandfather’s actions and ultimately is rewarded and the savior at the same time. I liked the story line and had it cooking in my brain for sometime.
Getting back to Thanksgiving and finishing my novel….I was trying to wrap up my novel for the November 30 submittal date and had been cranking away on Thursday. Through the entire month, I had been ahead on my word count and never felt pressured, but knew my climax and end were going to be tricky and required flawless timing. So, there I was hunched down in the Ikea ‘writing chair’ with my trusty Dell Latitude hammering away and really quite caught up in the scene I was writing when my wife, who completely oblivious to the challenge or emotion at hand says…”Hurry up! We have to go, come get the turkey and put it in the jeep!”. We had to drive ten miles to my sister-in-law’s house for the big Family dinner…and we had the turkey, which cooked all day. So I continued typing, telling my story, creating my scene and tears were rolling down my cheeks. It was the strangest thing….I was totally into my story/novel/scene (thank God for iPods and classical music!) – completely emotionally committed, I couldn’t help it, the tear came. My son actually came to me to enforce my wife’s command and said…”Dad! Come on let’s….are you crying? What’s wrong with you?” I also ignored him. So, there they were: my daughter, son, wife, and grandmother all with their coats on and everyone except my grandmother carrying something staring at me……I just kept on typing – I had to finish or I would loose the mood and flavor of my scene and ultimately the climax. Yes, I was rushed. Yes, I need to revisit the climax. No, I didn’t yell at anyone.
I couldn’t have done NaNoWriMo by myself without all the motivation from other NaNos, friends, and the various writing Podcasts I follow. Thanks to those digital writers out there that kept me motivated – kept me engaged…Mur Lafferty, JR Murdock, Holly Lisle, and Jordan Castillo Price. ”Thanks guys!”
Next projects? I am continuing work on ‘My Private Idaho’, a letter to Prez elect Obama on National Service, and one other story that is “speaking to me” but not yet defined.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
I'm Ahead in My Word Count!
My word count is 31,582 right now. This puts me 1,582 ahead of schedule. Math is not one of my strong suits...just like spelling and grammar! And I want to be a writer? "WTFO?" Anyway, the way I figure it....NaNoWriMo's objective is 50,000 words in the formulation of a 'novel' by November 30, right? OK, so, if you divide that out, 50,000/30 - you get
1666.6666666666666666666666666667
If you take that and multiply it by 18, which is where we are today, you get 30,000. So, I am ahead!!! Yeah!
Keeping my word count up shouldn't be much of a problem because my plot is evolving and my characters are starting to drive the story - all I am doing is tapping on my keyboard. My daugter keeps asking me what the prize is for completing NaNoWriMo and I tell her I get a certificate. She makes a face and wonders whatelse I'm supposed to get. It is difficult to rationalize a monumental word count of 50,000 for a chintzy certificate. I explain to her that it is a matter of pride and achievement. I told her it's like working on her science project. You do more than you're supposed to and you get an "A". You feel good because you got an "A", but you also feel good because you did more than you were supposed to because you felt that was important and because of that, you have been rewarded and told "good job!".
1666.6666666666666666666666666667
If you take that and multiply it by 18, which is where we are today, you get 30,000. So, I am ahead!!! Yeah!
Keeping my word count up shouldn't be much of a problem because my plot is evolving and my characters are starting to drive the story - all I am doing is tapping on my keyboard. My daugter keeps asking me what the prize is for completing NaNoWriMo and I tell her I get a certificate. She makes a face and wonders whatelse I'm supposed to get. It is difficult to rationalize a monumental word count of 50,000 for a chintzy certificate. I explain to her that it is a matter of pride and achievement. I told her it's like working on her science project. You do more than you're supposed to and you get an "A". You feel good because you got an "A", but you also feel good because you did more than you were supposed to because you felt that was important and because of that, you have been rewarded and told "good job!".
Friday, November 14, 2008
Getting Closer
Well, my word count is up to 26,199. I wonder what 26,199 looks like in book format? How many pages is that? How thick of a book is that? Is it like a tech manual that cam with your new computer...that most people never read...just like my novel? YIKES!
Anyway, like I said before, I am not writing this novel to be published (but it'd be nice if it were), I am writing it to finish NaNoWriMo. I just gave them $25 donation so they can reach out to educate young adults....oh, and, uh, I get a postcard and two stickers - check out the Viking helment on the left - I love Viking shit. I love Viking shit because I am a sailor and have Viking ancestors! Ever hear Immigrant Song by Led Zepplin? That's them, my ancestors.
The only crappy thing about participating in NaNoWriMo is it's so easy to give in to the ADD and check email, check facebook, look at CNN, or Yachtworld. Heck I just emailed my friends a link for a boat I'd like to get...someday....Here, check it out:
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/boatFullDetails.jsp?access=Public¤cy=USD&listing_id=1761&units=Feet&boat_id=1933083
I hate sailboats! And email....and CNN....and Facebook....and my iSnod.
Anyway, like I said before, I am not writing this novel to be published (but it'd be nice if it were), I am writing it to finish NaNoWriMo. I just gave them $25 donation so they can reach out to educate young adults....oh, and, uh, I get a postcard and two stickers - check out the Viking helment on the left - I love Viking shit. I love Viking shit because I am a sailor and have Viking ancestors! Ever hear Immigrant Song by Led Zepplin? That's them, my ancestors.
The only crappy thing about participating in NaNoWriMo is it's so easy to give in to the ADD and check email, check facebook, look at CNN, or Yachtworld. Heck I just emailed my friends a link for a boat I'd like to get...someday....Here, check it out:
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/boatFullDetails.jsp?access=Public¤cy=USD&listing_id=1761&units=Feet&boat_id=1933083
I hate sailboats! And email....and CNN....and Facebook....and my iSnod.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Still Writing....and Writing
24,454 is my offical word count today. It isn't that hard. The only problem is that I am getting a little bored with my novel and have diviated a bit from my outline...remember "word vomit"? Well, I do sort of have an outline - actually wrote it out...otherwise I'd be all over the place - worse than I am not.
I will finish my novel and I will sucessfully complete NaNoWriMo. Unfortunately, I dont' hold much promise for my novel to go any farther than my first NaNoWriMo triumph. God only knows how shitty it it!! But, who the hell knows? After November 30, I am going to actually read it and see what I have created. If I like it and it engages me, then maybe I'll send it to someone or maybe just do an internet release. I just don't like it that much and it just doesnt' seem very 'deep'. The content and literary promise of my novel is secondary, right now, to the role it plays in my life objective of writing a novel. So, I am good with that.
I will finish my novel and I will sucessfully complete NaNoWriMo. Unfortunately, I dont' hold much promise for my novel to go any farther than my first NaNoWriMo triumph. God only knows how shitty it it!! But, who the hell knows? After November 30, I am going to actually read it and see what I have created. If I like it and it engages me, then maybe I'll send it to someone or maybe just do an internet release. I just don't like it that much and it just doesnt' seem very 'deep'. The content and literary promise of my novel is secondary, right now, to the role it plays in my life objective of writing a novel. So, I am good with that.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Writing Continues...
My word count is up to 22,445 - an new all time high for me. I have never written ANYTHING this long in my life. Very exciting stuff!
The novel is progressing nicely. Most of my characters are slices and small bits of people I have known throughout my life. The setting is places I know well and can describe in detail. Since this is my first novel, something I've always wanted to do, I wanna stick with things I know...."write what you know". Of course my grammer and punctuation sux, but that's OK. I am following a rough outline, yet letting my characters and the situations dictate the direction of the novel. I am always there looking over them from above and bring them back if they start going astray.
Over the last several days, I cranked out some serious word count. To complete NaNoWriMo, you need to write at least 1,666 words each day. At first, this sounded insurmountable, but not any more. My average since begining has been about 2,500 words a day.
Looking forward to leaving work so I can write....oh, yeah, there is my "lunch break", right?
The novel is progressing nicely. Most of my characters are slices and small bits of people I have known throughout my life. The setting is places I know well and can describe in detail. Since this is my first novel, something I've always wanted to do, I wanna stick with things I know...."write what you know". Of course my grammer and punctuation sux, but that's OK. I am following a rough outline, yet letting my characters and the situations dictate the direction of the novel. I am always there looking over them from above and bring them back if they start going astray.
Over the last several days, I cranked out some serious word count. To complete NaNoWriMo, you need to write at least 1,666 words each day. At first, this sounded insurmountable, but not any more. My average since begining has been about 2,500 words a day.
Looking forward to leaving work so I can write....oh, yeah, there is my "lunch break", right?
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Thanks NaNoWriMo!
Without the motivation of the folks at the National Novel Writing Month, I'd never be able to say this and mean it....
20,141 Words!!!.....only 29,859 to go!....Yikes!
"No sweat".
I am taking the "word vomit" approach to my novel. There is no outline, no rough draft; only a notion of a plot. My fingers translate even the smallest notions of plot from my mind and allow the plot to develop. I admit that often my characters drive the story and I mearly write what they are doing. They have been behaving and the "arrangement" has been working well.
When I sit down to write, I like to listen to classical, instrumental, or earth sounds.
My story is sort of dark and deals with transferance. Some of the characters in my novel are drawn from my persoal past and the notion for the story comes from a strong desire to write "Dark Fiction". It is easier for me to write dark....in my next novel, I want to write something happy, something uplifting where no one dies.
One of the things I like to do is get writing prompts from friends and family....do you have a writing propmt for me? "What's a writing prompt, you say?" That's where you give me a little push....for example. 'The car just stopped right there in front of the Burger King....or 'Just as Katie turned around she was confronted by.....'
Send me a note.
20,141 Words!!!.....only 29,859 to go!....Yikes!
"No sweat".
I am taking the "word vomit" approach to my novel. There is no outline, no rough draft; only a notion of a plot. My fingers translate even the smallest notions of plot from my mind and allow the plot to develop. I admit that often my characters drive the story and I mearly write what they are doing. They have been behaving and the "arrangement" has been working well.
When I sit down to write, I like to listen to classical, instrumental, or earth sounds.
My story is sort of dark and deals with transferance. Some of the characters in my novel are drawn from my persoal past and the notion for the story comes from a strong desire to write "Dark Fiction". It is easier for me to write dark....in my next novel, I want to write something happy, something uplifting where no one dies.
One of the things I like to do is get writing prompts from friends and family....do you have a writing propmt for me? "What's a writing prompt, you say?" That's where you give me a little push....for example. 'The car just stopped right there in front of the Burger King....or 'Just as Katie turned around she was confronted by.....'
Send me a note.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Vacation
Wow, that was quite a long vacation....at least from the Blog. Whew! I am exhausted! Well, I really have not been doing a lot of writing up until now and have not really felt like updating my blog because I've been on Facebook lately.
Anyway, I missed most of my 2008 writing goals, sort of. This month, I joined National Novel Writing Month aka: NaNoWriMo (http://www.nanowrimo.org/). Basically, the goal is to write your first, or second, or third novel in a month - of at least 50,000 words by November 30. Yikes! Scary! Well, we are just past the first week in November and I am up to 17,000 words on my novel.
Anyway, I missed most of my 2008 writing goals, sort of. This month, I joined National Novel Writing Month aka: NaNoWriMo (http://www.nanowrimo.org/). Basically, the goal is to write your first, or second, or third novel in a month - of at least 50,000 words by November 30. Yikes! Scary! Well, we are just past the first week in November and I am up to 17,000 words on my novel.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Writing Goals for 2008
Sorry it's been a while, actually not sorry to you out there on the web since I have no following, but sorry for me. I am goal oriented person. Not to the point where I forsake all to meet my goals...well, it actually depends. Work goals are different and it I don't complete them, my supervisor tells me about it. This is usually not a problem since I usually set my own goals even at work. My personal goals are much more serious to me and are the ones that really get under my skin if I fall short, behind, or otherwise don't complete them. Sometimes when I don't meet my personal (and work) goals, I begin this very destrucitve habit of "negative self-talk". This is where you chastise yourself for not doing what you promised to yourself. This is where the little voice in your head give you shit for not completing something. Not meeting goals for me is about 97% because I lack time management. I am not all over the place, I just sometimes don't want to work and sometimes, and I need to admit it, writing is a bit like work. Writing is not easy. Writing is fun and very rewarding, but it takes commitment. Funny, in my mind, I am a writer because I have taken the first steps to actually do something with my desire. What I am finding, though, is that after the romantic notion of sitting down with the intent of writing, the ADD demons find their way in and often, I let them in. This has got to stop! I have to remain focused. I have to stick to meeting my goals.
The intent of this blog is to focus on writing and in particular, focus on my writing and to see how it turns out. Goals....OK, here are my writing goals for 2008:
> Finish the first draft of 'The Ring'
> Submit at least three manuscripts for publication in magazines (free/pay)
> Keep Wannabewriter up to date
> Write five short stories
> Read one book every two months
> Complete NANOWRIMO
The intent of this blog is to focus on writing and in particular, focus on my writing and to see how it turns out. Goals....OK, here are my writing goals for 2008:
> Finish the first draft of 'The Ring'
> Submit at least three manuscripts for publication in magazines (free/pay)
> Keep Wannabewriter up to date
> Write five short stories
> Read one book every two months
> Complete NANOWRIMO
The toughest goal her is NANOWRIMO by far. 50,000 words in a month?! Thats like 1666 words a day! There'd be some cross over with some of my other goals, but the intent of NANOWRIMO is to sit down and commit to writing a 50,000 word manuscript.
Finishing my first draft of 'The Ring', which by the way is not about the movie, shouldn't be too bad, I am already 12,694 words. But this is sporadic and I write when I feel like writing. To meet my self imposed goals, I'm gonna need to get beyond sporadic, I am going to have to become really commited. Well, that really is the point of goal setting, isn't it? You set goals to measure your success and to keep yourself on track. I clearly stated at the onset of this blog that I want to write. I need to set goals to meet my own mission.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Time Writes On....
Work on the book continues, but I have to admit, I am deviating from my storyboard. Funny, I consult the storyboard before I start, but invariably I add something, some tidbit of something, a hit of a scene to come and "bang" before I know it, I like "where the hell did that come from?" My lead in sentenc of the paragraph is usually the culprit because I feel obligated to help the sentence stand with help of the other words in the paragraph. Of course I am too lazy to actually delete entire paragraphs, at least for right now. Right now, it is all about word vomit. I am vomitting words all over my story. Not a big deal, I'll clean it up later.
Didn't Stephen King say in 'On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft' that a First Draft minus 90% + 10% = final draft.....? Did I get that right, Steve?
Speaking of Steve, I really have enjoyed his books and have taken a lot away from them and use some of that in my fiction writing. I find it easy to write about spooky, erie, ironic, sad, and otherwise dark topics. Not sure why, just has been that way. I try to write heartwarming family tale and the dad ends up coming home as homicidal maniac after driving through a timewarp tunnel on the way home just after picking up a bucket of extra crispy Kentucky Fried Chicken. I just find it easy. Nice stuff takes too much thought. Spooky stuff come easier.
My word count is still paltry and I have not yet experienced the three hours of solid writing that I seek like the Holy Grail....or a Starbuck Tiple Ventie Dolce. I have experienced extended periods of writing where I am merely the medium for putting words on paper (or a computer screen). The story flows, the characters speak and all the while my writing music is in the background. When I awake from this stupor of have to take a leak, it is there; my five hundred word segment. I take enormous pride and satisfaction in periods like this because it makes me feel like there is hope and that maybe I have a shot.
My coffee pot just finished. Not Starbucks, but just as good and made at home!
Didn't Stephen King say in 'On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft' that a First Draft minus 90% + 10% = final draft.....? Did I get that right, Steve?
Speaking of Steve, I really have enjoyed his books and have taken a lot away from them and use some of that in my fiction writing. I find it easy to write about spooky, erie, ironic, sad, and otherwise dark topics. Not sure why, just has been that way. I try to write heartwarming family tale and the dad ends up coming home as homicidal maniac after driving through a timewarp tunnel on the way home just after picking up a bucket of extra crispy Kentucky Fried Chicken. I just find it easy. Nice stuff takes too much thought. Spooky stuff come easier.
My word count is still paltry and I have not yet experienced the three hours of solid writing that I seek like the Holy Grail....or a Starbuck Tiple Ventie Dolce. I have experienced extended periods of writing where I am merely the medium for putting words on paper (or a computer screen). The story flows, the characters speak and all the while my writing music is in the background. When I awake from this stupor of have to take a leak, it is there; my five hundred word segment. I take enormous pride and satisfaction in periods like this because it makes me feel like there is hope and that maybe I have a shot.
My coffee pot just finished. Not Starbucks, but just as good and made at home!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
January 8, 2008 At Work
Well, once again, here I am at work. Sitting in front of my computer thinking about writing my book, but instead working for the man. Well, there is always lunch time, right? Well, that is a problem too since by the time lunch rolls around, I don't really feel like writing. Actually, this is an excuse for laziness. My optimum writing mood hits at home in the confines of my writing cave with the right music, the right lighting, and the right happy writing thoughts.... I need to get beyond this and "write where I am". When I first started writing seriously (we'll talk more about this later) I was on a commuter bus using a PDA and a stowaway key board. This worked great! I looked forward to an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon on the bus blissfully cranking out pages of my original stuff. It was effective as well. I produced portions of several stories and even finished one....'Bobby's Story' , and this is where the notion of being a writer actually hit. For years, I had wanted to write and had felt the calling to write. So, being 43 years old and not getting a second younger, I decided now was a good to time to try to find out if I could not only write, but become a writer.
So, here I am trying to be a writer by doing what writers do....write. Speaking of writing, I attached an exerpt from 'Bobby's Story' in the upper right corner of this post. Sorry in advance about the poor placement...I am still figuring out my blog.
Over the last year, I have read a number of books by writers on writing and recently, I have discovered podcasts on writing which I have been downloading and listening to like a fiend. This has been sort of my self education on writing. Of course, I read a lot - probably two books per month. This constant reading affords me a chance to not only enjoy a good read, but also to analyze the works of other writers and learn from their writing.
My focus is waining right now because some people have come into my work pod and the writing "wa" inside my cube is faultering......So, I am going to sign off now.
So, here I am trying to be a writer by doing what writers do....write. Speaking of writing, I attached an exerpt from 'Bobby's Story' in the upper right corner of this post. Sorry in advance about the poor placement...I am still figuring out my blog.
Over the last year, I have read a number of books by writers on writing and recently, I have discovered podcasts on writing which I have been downloading and listening to like a fiend. This has been sort of my self education on writing. Of course, I read a lot - probably two books per month. This constant reading affords me a chance to not only enjoy a good read, but also to analyze the works of other writers and learn from their writing.
My focus is waining right now because some people have come into my work pod and the writing "wa" inside my cube is faultering......So, I am going to sign off now.
Monday, January 7, 2008
January 7, 2008 The Road Ahead
This is the first time for me to set up a blog. I am not sure if I will have time to keep this totally up to date or not since most of the time I am busy working, being a dad, or writing.
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