Truckin' along

[megwrites]

Ah, progress notes. Proof that I'm not just piddling around in my jobless wonderdom. I've noticed that a lot of people on my f-list are going through financial and career woes right now.

The good news? It doesn't cost a damn thing to write a good story. Costs money to publish it, costs money to buy it - but when the lights get cut off and you're eating ramen, you still have your imagination.


Project: Tower!Guy

Wordcount: 61,622 (+ 3673)

Goal: < 100,000 words

Deadline: Sept 1st (or thereabouts)

Reason For Stopping: Lunchtime!

Exercise: Walking/jogging at 6:45am. I am currently still bewildered at how I've managed to do this for two weeks, because I am the anti-morning person.

Stimulants/Chemicals: None

Musical Inspiration: Iron & Wine - "Boy With A Coin"; Nina Simone - Summertime; Rais Khan and Sultan Khan - Bhairavi (Rough Guide To Indian Music); OneRepublic - All Fall Down

Other Creative Activities: Journaling

Reading Materials: The Queen's Bastard - C.E. Murphy

Darling du Jour:

"It's a fine horse you have," she commented, softly. "Did you name it?"

"Is 'damn you' a name?" Sephon asked.

Mean Things: Lying, abandonment, intense physical pain, finding out one of your parents is a mass murdering bitch, loveless marriages, planned regicide, husbands who might murder you in the night, slow motion suicides

Things Learned/Discovered: It is entirely possible to just nail your butt to the chair and write. And there's really no difference in quality in the finished product. Also? Trying to search for the perfect song is such a time suck. Occasionally, just turning off the music helps.

Comments

[scififanatic.livejournal.com]

...but when the lights get cut off and you're eating ramen, you still have your imagination.

Oooo, that gives me an idea! :o)

[kara-gnome.livejournal.com]

Great post! That last one, things learned/discovered, is so true, meaning both points *g*

Also, it's amazing, once you get nailed and going, how hard it is to stop, and how much gets done.

I find that's true about the music as well. While I'm in nail-doing, I can't find anything. Once I'm going, anything will do because I'm not paying it any mind anyway, and it's just something to keep everything else busy while the muses and going to town. Funny how it all is, really.

Hey, yay about the walking and jogging thing, too, you go, girl! And great word count.

I love posts like this, I feel very motivated, too. Thanks for sharing.

[denoue-moi.livejournal.com]

"Is 'damn you' a name?" Sephon asked.

Eeehehehe

[fiction-theory.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes. I just couldn't pass up sticking that in a book somewhere. For lo, it is genius.

I totally love that you got it.

And don't worry, if this puppy ever sees daylight, I will so totally be putting you in the dedication.

Are those two sexy chicks making out in your icon that I see? Moar hot wimminz! Moar, I sez!

[fiction-theory.livejournal.com]

I love when I can inspire people. :) Care to share your stroke of genius?

[denoue-moi.livejournal.com]

=) Cool, you rock!

Those 2 chicks are Jenny and me. Don't worry, I'm sure I'll continue to spam the intarwebz with moar cuddly lesbian pics. :P

[fiction-theory.livejournal.com]

There are not enough cuddly lesbian pics in the world, yanno?

In fact, I don't even think there are enough *lesbians* in the world.

[denoue-moi.livejournal.com]

That's funny. We're always out recruiting.

[scififanatic.livejournal.com]

I haven't written by candlelight in a long time so I decided to give it a go tonight. Tough on the eyes but lots of fun for evoking a mood in my writing!

New Friend

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

I saw that you added me to your Friends list -- thank you! -- so I dropped by here to browse.

>> I've noticed that a lot of people on my f-list are going through financial and career woes right now. <<

Sadly so. My partner and I both lost jobs in January. I'm working on freelance writing/editing while looking for more regular gigs. If you know somebody who wants to hire a wordsmith, let me know, eh?

>> "Is 'damn you' a name?" Sephon asked.<<

*laugh* I love it!

>> It is entirely possible to just nail your butt to the chair and write.<<

This is true...

>> And there's really no difference in quality in the finished product.<<

... but this varies from one person to another. I can, by dint of many years' practice at writing, now write while asleep or sick or otherwise off my edge. What comes out is capable; it sells, so evidently other people don't notice a difference. But I do. Stuff I have to drag out line by line while I'm wrecked is never quite as good as stuff that I write when I'm alert and working smoothly. On a truly good day, when the words catch fire and I'm flying -- nothing can touch me. What I write then is so good that looking at it later, I can hardly believe it came from me, or more aptly, through me.

So for me, my state of body and mind does make a difference. When I'm in good space, I do the most demanding work. When I'm tired or off my edge, I work on stuff that's less demanding and/or important.

This doesn't mean that butt-nailing is a bad plan. I developed this level of skill through lots and lots of practice, including slogging through some things that had to be done by a certain date and I was wrecked at the time. But it's a good idea to keep an eye on quality, because not everyone necessarily gets the same pattern. For me, I can write nonfiction and some kinds of poetry while wrecked; fiction and complicated poetry require more of my brain to be available. I know other folks who can write fiction but not nonfiction when they aren't at their best.

Re: New Friend

[fiction-theory.livejournal.com]

I saw that you added me to your Friends list -- thank you! -- so I dropped by here to browse.

You're very welcome! :) I would've gotten around to it sooner, but I'm a bit airheaded.

Sadly so. My partner and I both lost jobs in January.

That's very unfortunate. I'm sorry to hear that. I'll cross my fingers for your both. And if I hear anything about people hiring freelance, I'll make sure to send up a smoke signal.

What comes out is capable; it sells, so evidently other people don't notice a difference. But I do. Stuff I have to drag out line by line while I'm wrecked is never quite as good as stuff that I write when I'm alert and working smoothly.

Hmm. Stuff written while being wrecked I can notice a difference in, but stuff written when I'm "slogging" and stuff written when I'm flying through never seem to be that different to me. :)

Again, you're absolutely right, it does vary from person to person. There are very few universal absolutes with writing.

I also tend not to write at all when I'm not in a condition to. So when I'm sick, overtired, exhausted, or otherwise out of commission, I just don't even open the file.

I can write nonfiction and some kinds of poetry while wrecked

Nonfiction is no issue for me. I used to regularly put off my papers and projects until the last minute, because otherwise they'd hardly be interesting at all to do. I did my midterm paper and project in twenty minutes for my senior English seminar. Not to mention that I did most of my work in my geology class while under the influence of a killer kidney infection and then a wisdom tooth that was nearly the death of me and still got an A.

But like you, I need all my canons firing for fiction.