Yeah, I'll go ahead and make the Christmas post early to make up for lost days. A combination of busted car batteries and then holiday traveling immediately following the fix didn't really lend to decent time to post on a blog. No big deal, still got some good things done.
I am very close to completing the material I want to send out as sample chapters, and and synopsis of the novel would take me half an afternoon to write. Telling the family about all this makes the idea much more real to me as well as them. When you can explain that, yes, one could make money off of an advance for a book, then all that time their kid spent as a child writing in notebooks seems like a good thing (long story there).
The only mistake was that I forgot to bring that Writer's Market book with me to show the parents and family. Would have been boring but made the idea somewhat more legitimate. Ah well, there's always next year. Of course, by then I'd actually like to have something published. We'll just make that the New Year's Resolution, to publish a novel. How many people you think put THAT on the list?
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
What? You thought I gave up?
Wow, a whole week goes by without an update. I suppose that's what the holidays and work can do to you. Since I've spent so much time getting things ready for family time and presents, not to mention my additional responsibilities at work after the promotion, there hasn't been much time for writing. That's why a week went by, because there wasn't really anything to blog about. I keep updates to show how the process has been going, but since nothing really has happened, then no updates.
Not a day went by that I didn't right something at least. You have to write, even if it's only a few sentences long. If that doesn't happen, the main character will die a slow death because you didn't keep the idea of him/her alive to know what they're supposed to do. It sounds odd when I word it like that, I know, but it's the truth.
I chose today to get back into the swing of things because I finished all my Christmas stresses, I mean, Christmas shopping, so some proper amount of writing was done. It's writing sessions like the one I had today that really get me going on doing this professionally. See, I was stumped on how to handle a certain sequence in my story. The characters had met, they had to meet, but the next incident couldn't happen for awhile yet, so I was stumped at how to handle their interactions for a the next few story days. So, like any writer who is stumped/blocked, I did the only logical thing: I kept writing, knowing damn well that what I was writing would most likely be crap. What happened? I gave the characters something to do that not only better developed both their personalities but provided a balance to story elements I had already planned. That, my friends, gives a man hope.
On top of this, my friend Dustin lent me a copy of "The Writer's Market," an almanac of publishers, so that I know who to contact once I feel that the first few chapters are in good order and a synopsis is complete. Best case scenario once I send out some query letters would be that somebody likes the idea I have to offer and gives me an advance to finish the novel. I wouldn't quit my day job if that happened, but you can believe I'd lose some sleep making sure the advance meant something. Here's to hoping!
Not a day went by that I didn't right something at least. You have to write, even if it's only a few sentences long. If that doesn't happen, the main character will die a slow death because you didn't keep the idea of him/her alive to know what they're supposed to do. It sounds odd when I word it like that, I know, but it's the truth.
I chose today to get back into the swing of things because I finished all my Christmas stresses, I mean, Christmas shopping, so some proper amount of writing was done. It's writing sessions like the one I had today that really get me going on doing this professionally. See, I was stumped on how to handle a certain sequence in my story. The characters had met, they had to meet, but the next incident couldn't happen for awhile yet, so I was stumped at how to handle their interactions for a the next few story days. So, like any writer who is stumped/blocked, I did the only logical thing: I kept writing, knowing damn well that what I was writing would most likely be crap. What happened? I gave the characters something to do that not only better developed both their personalities but provided a balance to story elements I had already planned. That, my friends, gives a man hope.
On top of this, my friend Dustin lent me a copy of "The Writer's Market," an almanac of publishers, so that I know who to contact once I feel that the first few chapters are in good order and a synopsis is complete. Best case scenario once I send out some query letters would be that somebody likes the idea I have to offer and gives me an advance to finish the novel. I wouldn't quit my day job if that happened, but you can believe I'd lose some sleep making sure the advance meant something. Here's to hoping!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Location, Location, Location (and some books)
I always have to wake up early to get to work. This morning I figured Why not just do the blog in the morning when I'm attentive, instead in the evening when I'm groggy? Personal history has taught me to always listen to the voices in my head, so morning time entries it shall be. The best blogs, vlogs, etc. I've seen over the years put in early morning updates, like newspapers. You wouldn't put much faith in the Times if they didn't release their stuff around dinner time now would you?
What a hell of a day yesterday was for me though. After waking up on a friends couch, I headed out and went to get some breakfast at Ernie's in Columbia, taking my notebook with me. I wrote a little before my meal came, then stuck around for 30 minutes afterwards to keep writing and refilling my coffee. When Columbia Public Library opened, I went over there to write. I realized in all this that where one writes can really affect how efficient they are. I got through two pages while at Ernie's and then another seven during a two hour writing period at the library.
Since I was at the library, I thought I'd see if they had any books on the subject of writing that the kids in college would want to get their hands on. It turns out that, yes, there's a book here and there; by which I mean entire sections full of the things. I couldn't check them all out, so I to scan the shelves to see what looked good. I didn't know how to tell, thus the eyes-closed-and-point method was used. If that didn't work I just grabbed whatever looked good. Ended up going with four books, as that was all I felt like carrying out of there: "Master Class in Writing: Techniques from Austen, Hemingway, and Other Greats," "How Fiction Works: Secrets to Writing Successful Stories That Sell," "The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)," and my personal favorite just based on the title, "Novelist's Boot Camp: 101 Ways to Take Your Book from Boring to Bestseller." As I move forward with drafts and the like, I'll try to give more details on how much help each of these volumes give to me.
What a hell of a day yesterday was for me though. After waking up on a friends couch, I headed out and went to get some breakfast at Ernie's in Columbia, taking my notebook with me. I wrote a little before my meal came, then stuck around for 30 minutes afterwards to keep writing and refilling my coffee. When Columbia Public Library opened, I went over there to write. I realized in all this that where one writes can really affect how efficient they are. I got through two pages while at Ernie's and then another seven during a two hour writing period at the library.
Since I was at the library, I thought I'd see if they had any books on the subject of writing that the kids in college would want to get their hands on. It turns out that, yes, there's a book here and there; by which I mean entire sections full of the things. I couldn't check them all out, so I to scan the shelves to see what looked good. I didn't know how to tell, thus the eyes-closed-and-point method was used. If that didn't work I just grabbed whatever looked good. Ended up going with four books, as that was all I felt like carrying out of there: "Master Class in Writing: Techniques from Austen, Hemingway, and Other Greats," "How Fiction Works: Secrets to Writing Successful Stories That Sell," "The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)," and my personal favorite just based on the title, "Novelist's Boot Camp: 101 Ways to Take Your Book from Boring to Bestseller." As I move forward with drafts and the like, I'll try to give more details on how much help each of these volumes give to me.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Change We Can Believe... that I really flipping need!
I know I'm dedicated to the writing. Even on busy days like today where I have increasing involvement at work, chores to take care of around the apartment, practices to go to, I still manage to get something written down.
The problem is that nothing's happening. I guess I'm impatient. I know I'm a ways off from sending anything to a publisher, the desire remains to write something that people will actually see and hopefully enjoy. In short (and this will be a short entry) the next project for me will be finding better outlets online and in print, whether it be for short stories, articles, or submitted fragments of a greater work. Just something that I can point to and say "yeah, I wrote for that." Call me crazy, but that's what I feel, and I could never be anything besides honest on this blog.
The problem is that nothing's happening. I guess I'm impatient. I know I'm a ways off from sending anything to a publisher, the desire remains to write something that people will actually see and hopefully enjoy. In short (and this will be a short entry) the next project for me will be finding better outlets online and in print, whether it be for short stories, articles, or submitted fragments of a greater work. Just something that I can point to and say "yeah, I wrote for that." Call me crazy, but that's what I feel, and I could never be anything besides honest on this blog.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
If it's boring to write, it must be boring to read!
I realized today that some moments in a planned novel, if you have a synopsis made out that you wish to follow, can be pretty boring to write about. For instance, in the story I'm working on now, I've got the main guy, a high school student, who will meet up with the love interest at the end of the first day of his senior year in high school. In my outline I tell myself, "John goes through each class of the day, you describe each teacher."
There are two main problems with this.
1) I didn't bother to write out each teacher in the outline because I had no idea how each would be affecting the story. If it turns out that a major motivator for the protagonist to act is advice from his jolly old english teacher, then it'd be a problem if they guy was old and bitter when I went through my first draft.
2) Simply describing each class as John goes to it, with on bearing on the action of the story or John emotions is pointless, and just no fun at all to write. One thing I refuse to do is write something that I do not enjoy writing about. What is this, college? The moment I write something that isn't for a grade is the second fun time starts. If I wanted to spend a page describing my hero's worst childhood memory as a writing exercise, I'd go back to school and let some bitter husk of a fictional writing teacher tell me to (just speaking from personal experience, nothing against academics in general).
The most important thing I realized in this process what the importance of the first draft, it's simply that: first. It's like Connery said in the movie, write with your heart the first time, then go back and start thinking about it. If I keep thinking about the first draft, it'll never leave my mind and leap onto the page.
There are two main problems with this.
1) I didn't bother to write out each teacher in the outline because I had no idea how each would be affecting the story. If it turns out that a major motivator for the protagonist to act is advice from his jolly old english teacher, then it'd be a problem if they guy was old and bitter when I went through my first draft.
2) Simply describing each class as John goes to it, with on bearing on the action of the story or John emotions is pointless, and just no fun at all to write. One thing I refuse to do is write something that I do not enjoy writing about. What is this, college? The moment I write something that isn't for a grade is the second fun time starts. If I wanted to spend a page describing my hero's worst childhood memory as a writing exercise, I'd go back to school and let some bitter husk of a fictional writing teacher tell me to (just speaking from personal experience, nothing against academics in general).
The most important thing I realized in this process what the importance of the first draft, it's simply that: first. It's like Connery said in the movie, write with your heart the first time, then go back and start thinking about it. If I keep thinking about the first draft, it'll never leave my mind and leap onto the page.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Studying the past masters
Today, in addition to the normal slew of writing, I also began reading a biography of Alexander Dumas, whom most of you would know as the author of The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Man in the Iron Mask, and a number of other great classic novels that bland, mediocre movies have been made out of. Considering the scope of Dumas' works, I'd really like to get a grasp on what kind of man it took to produce such books that were equal parts massive and captivating.
In addition to that library book, I also picked up a biography on Ayn Rand. I like her novels, though I'm not quite as militant as she was with such ideologies. After reading both The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, one could only be curious what Rand was like in real life, if she lived what she preached. I'm hoping not, because that would be both frightening and quite dull.
In addition to that library book, I also picked up a biography on Ayn Rand. I like her novels, though I'm not quite as militant as she was with such ideologies. After reading both The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, one could only be curious what Rand was like in real life, if she lived what she preached. I'm hoping not, because that would be both frightening and quite dull.
Monday, December 8, 2008
The Strangest Writing Zones
Well, back to it after a weekend break. I'm not sure if I want to always break like that on Saturdays and Sundays. Both felt kinda slow without the blogging aspect behind them.
Work on Monday's always goes a little long. On short days I get off of work around 2 pm. Today it was around four. I come home and don't really have much of a chance to write because I really want some time to freaking relax and watch some of those Netflix movies that have been laying on my DVD player for weeks now.
Around 6:30 pm I finally decided to break out the pen and notebook, only to get a call from some friends inviting me over to watch TV and eat chicken. As I've mentioned in a previous post, I put a lot of importance in spending time with other people, so of course I said I'd come by immediately. To stave off the feelings of guilt and laziness, I took the notebook with me.
When I arrived, I realized they had invited me over to watch pro-wrestling. I liked wrestling when I was a kid, but in adulthood it doesn't do much for me. I had some chicken, sat down to try and watch it. Normally I just make fun of the shows, which is where most of the joy for my friends comes from. Then I started jotting down a few things here and there. After a while those few things turned in a page, and then another page. Even after taking a lengthy call from an old friend of mine who's out in California right now, I still managed to nearly complete three pages.
Most people go to coffee shops, the park, the library, or bars to write. Tonight, I watched pro-wrestling to write. Life's an amazing complex and bizarre thing when it comes to writing. Just another reason for me to love it.
Work on Monday's always goes a little long. On short days I get off of work around 2 pm. Today it was around four. I come home and don't really have much of a chance to write because I really want some time to freaking relax and watch some of those Netflix movies that have been laying on my DVD player for weeks now.
Around 6:30 pm I finally decided to break out the pen and notebook, only to get a call from some friends inviting me over to watch TV and eat chicken. As I've mentioned in a previous post, I put a lot of importance in spending time with other people, so of course I said I'd come by immediately. To stave off the feelings of guilt and laziness, I took the notebook with me.
When I arrived, I realized they had invited me over to watch pro-wrestling. I liked wrestling when I was a kid, but in adulthood it doesn't do much for me. I had some chicken, sat down to try and watch it. Normally I just make fun of the shows, which is where most of the joy for my friends comes from. Then I started jotting down a few things here and there. After a while those few things turned in a page, and then another page. Even after taking a lengthy call from an old friend of mine who's out in California right now, I still managed to nearly complete three pages.
Most people go to coffee shops, the park, the library, or bars to write. Tonight, I watched pro-wrestling to write. Life's an amazing complex and bizarre thing when it comes to writing. Just another reason for me to love it.
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