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!

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.

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.