"And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt."-Sylvia Plath (compliments of SJW)
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I need to learn how to be a pushy broad. Seriously, one of the parts of writing and trying to get published that I dislike is the need to keep putting myself out there. Again and again. I sent my Black Dragon manuscript to a publisher almost 8 months ago. I finally, just 2 days ago, sent out a letter inquiring as to the status of the manuscript. And I was tempted to let it go even longer (because I always feel like I'm nagging), but I want to send it to the Delacorte Press First YA Novel Contest and it can't be out to anyone else at that time. The deadline is coming up (Dec. 31) and I need to trim it down to 224 pages. Definitely doable--but it means I am no longer revising Free Lunch; now I'm revising Black Dragon.
And of course what I really want to be writing right now is IFFY. Or a second Mary Monologue. (after all, Christmas is coming up.) Sigh. Oh well. I'll finish the Black Dragon rewrite by Dec. 31, then I'll aim for finishing the Free Lunch rewrite by Spring Break. THEN I can work on IFFY. The Mary Monologue, well, maybe I can squeeze that in there somewhere. And I've got a poem I'm working on--but that comes whenever I'm stuck.
How do you decide what to work on when? And how do professional writers manage to keep it all straight in their heads? I mean, they have to be working on several things at once, what with rewrites, line-edits, and new stuff. How the heck do they do it?
Oh, and did any of you manage to take a break from family and get something written this Thanksgiving? Not me. I really wanted to, but somehow the time slipped away with family and cleaning and kids. It was fun, but now I feel like I need a vacation just for me. Ha ha. That's funny, trust me.
And of course what I really want to be writing right now is IFFY. Or a second Mary Monologue. (after all, Christmas is coming up.) Sigh. Oh well. I'll finish the Black Dragon rewrite by Dec. 31, then I'll aim for finishing the Free Lunch rewrite by Spring Break. THEN I can work on IFFY. The Mary Monologue, well, maybe I can squeeze that in there somewhere. And I've got a poem I'm working on--but that comes whenever I'm stuck.
How do you decide what to work on when? And how do professional writers manage to keep it all straight in their heads? I mean, they have to be working on several things at once, what with rewrites, line-edits, and new stuff. How the heck do they do it?
Oh, and did any of you manage to take a break from family and get something written this Thanksgiving? Not me. I really wanted to, but somehow the time slipped away with family and cleaning and kids. It was fun, but now I feel like I need a vacation just for me. Ha ha. That's funny, trust me.
5 comments:
Well, as a matter of fact, I did get some writing done. I started my Sounds of Nature. It's amazing when you stop and think about all the sounds out there. What would spring be without a chorus of spring peepers, summer without crickets chirping, or fall without the rustle of leaves to name just a few.
I have a hard tiime working on multiple things, although I do. I like the pieces that write themselves from beginning to end in one sitting. Then there's time to revise, find just the right word, etc. And I'm only writing less than a 1,000 words. I just can't imagine multiple novels.
I had a piece published in response to some clown who thought we should be planting pheasants in the spring so the young would be wild. He claimed we had millions of acres of habitat going to waste. Putting out adults in the spring after being pen-raised all winter is futile. They're too much like chickens. The predators would have a field day. Farmers apply pre-emergent herbicides to kill emerging weeds, then plant Round-Up ready corn or soy beans that can be repeatedly sprayed to kill any weeds. Pheasant chicks feed on insects which feed on weeds and in the vfall birds need weed seeds for food.
"How do you decide what to work on when?"
Sarah,
I recently started a chapter on change and philosophy and got 4 pages out then stopped writing almost everything all the time.
However, yesterday I read an interview with jazz player Sonny Rollins, who talked about practicing every day, and how he could see a difference in his playing when he didn't do this.
It reminded me how important it is to keep a daily practice of writing. Even if it's just scales, or moving the pen on the page. Writing scenes that have no place to go - that aren't related to any story or book that I'm working on, that just pop into my head.
Julie Cameron writes about the importance of doing the 'morning pages' for a writer. And Carolyn See recommended that a novelist produce 6 pages a day. Norman Mailer went for 3,000 words a day.
You're lucky to get poetry when you get stuck. And I'm eager to hear your next Mary monologue.
Mike
Mike;
You hit the nail right on the head!! There are lots of opportunities to "practice" our writing; e-mails, this blog and others, etc. We should be crafting our e-mails as carefully as our prose.
What you're describing is almost journaling. I used to do it almost daily, but have gotten away from it. And I have the perfect opportunity as I take walks almost every night around our property. Always something new to discover or observe.
Like muicians, we need to practice every day. The difference musicians make more money.
Larry-
"I like the pieces that write themselves from beginning to end in one sitting."
Where do I get me some of them type pieces? I'd love something that wrote itself!
BTW, how do you feel about coyotes encroaching on more urban areas? I just read an article about it.
And Mike-
I didn't say I get good poetry! In fact, the only reason I can write poetry when I get stuck is precisely BECAUSE I don't care if it is good.
And when/if I get the Mary Monologue piece done, I'll send it your way.
So finally, here is some of that "great" poetry for you all. (Never say I didn't give you anything!)
I call it Christmas Comes.
Babies blood runs river red
looking for a king.
Women wailing
Angels hailing
Walmart runs a sunrise sale.
Peace and conflict here on earth
murder done at dawn.
Would King Herod trample shoppers
just to catch the early deal?
Silent night
yet bells are ringing
adding up our christmas cheer.
Times have changed
but this is certain:
there can only be one king.
If Christ is born
in manger lowly,
why do we seek him
in the mall?
Hear yea, hear yea
heed this warning
wise men find a new way home.
Sarah;
I think coyotes moving to the suburbs will keep free-roaming cats under control. I don't have anything against cats--we have one--but responsible owners need to keep them at home. I've seen close to a dozen different cats wandering around our yard and fields. Every farmer can't always use another cat. Irresponsible cat owners need to quit dumping them in the wild to fend for themselves or become someone elses problem. Cats are super efficient predators on rabbits and birds. Not only that, but by letting them run free, owners put them at risk of being hit by cars or bred by any old tom, resulting in wild feral cats that have to kill to survive. And if cats get mice, what's left for the fox, owls, and other predators? I have to license my dogs, get rabies shots, and keep them on a leash or confined. Why not cats? I relenquish my stump.
Maybe they don't exactly write themselves, but the words and thoughts just seem to flow. I have too few days like that. I'm working on my Sounds of Nature and I'm realizing and in some cases, actually purposely utilizing illiteration. I have to be careful not to overdo and make tongue twisters. Try saying swans swooshing five time fast. But I like winds that whisk, whipoorwill, whipoorwill, whipoorwill, or buzzing bees.
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