Writing is a journey, not a destination.

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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Get Busy Writing

Once more the NAF tallies are in and the stats revealed for how our current WsIP progress.

Dismal.

For me. I can't judge the others by their numbers. Only they know how much they've cut before adding.

Reading The Iguana's post about The Hero's Journey as illustrated by Avatar the anime series, I considered that I have no hero's journey in Past Ties. I have them in my first two books. I have them in other books I intend to write. Why not this one? Is that the problem?

TT: I have so many problems listed at this point I should just write a book about all the reasons I can't write this book. At least I'd be writing something.

Who would be the hero in Past Ties? Not Shah. She has all the right elements, but it just isn't there. Maybe because she starts depressed. Could be William (formerly Orell, formerly Petrov, formerly Parok, poor guy) but that would really shift the story to uncharted territory. Plus, while surrounded by people who could kick his tail, he doesn't automatically have the ability to kick back, unless I change the qualifiers for tail-kicking. It pre-exhausts me to think about it.

It isn't Luckfellow. I fear she will never change.

It could be Gavran. I'm going to try it with him. I like hero's journeys. I'm going to hang out in Gavran's head for a while, viewpoint-wise, and see if I can get this thing moving.

Frankly, I don't know why I'm still trying to work on it. I'm avoiding the computer because of it. I had a nice block of writing time set aside last night and found all kinds of ways to fill it with other stuff. Not even FV stuff. I must be desperate.

Can I blame Anne Lamott, that odd duck I mocked who suffered writer's block for 3 years? Would be poetic justice, wouldn't it?

No. I have only myself to blame, and only myself to write my way out of the mess.

That's okay. My new, improved, proactive self is up to any challenge.

Hope Gavran is.

3 comments:

  1. You have just given me an idea for a blog post.....

    Thanks, Turtle :).

    Oh, and btw, I have a surprise for you. Coming soon.

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  2. I can see how that WIP thing would be depressing. I wouldn't even begin to be able to start a chart like that one because I never have the SLIGHTEST idea before a project starts how long it is going to be. I have never written a story under 7500 words, and a novel is minimum 90,000 words, but beyond that? No clue whatsoever.

    For me, I just found having a blank page come up to be enough. And Word conveniently never runs out of paper! Someone "encouraged" me to "set a goal" in January. I'd probably be looking at some depressing chart right now if I did. Instead, I just write. Number of words written since January 1st: 115,034. But I bet if I had said in January that I wanted to write 100,000+ words in three months, I'd have choked and wouldn't have it now.

    Maybe you're not a goal person. Maybe you're a "just sit and write what comes out" person. There is no wrong or right way, you know. I cannot do NaNo to save my life. But I can plug away at stories and finish them eventually, even if I don't have a timetable or the slightest idea how long they will be when I start.

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  3. I have to say, Caprice, I seemed to write more before I knew about word counts. Ah, well.

    Kat, so happy my misery inspires you. Write on!

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