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What do I have against spelling things correctly? This was typed with my Royal Quiet De Luxe on a random scroll of handmade paper in my art supply box. I don't know where it came from.
Banning the Big Black Box
5 hours ago
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16 comments:
I respond beautifully to peer-pressure deadlines. NaNo was perfect for me - the public word counts kept me in check.
There is a National Novel Editing Month (NaNoEdMo) in March. I don't know if they've instituted a punishment-based program, but they do have an online set-up a little like NaNoWriMo.
We need a NaTypMo - National Typecasting Month. Maybe that would get me off my ass and posting to the blog.
Join a graduate-level writing workshop, preferably one that is selective (e.g. no sci-fi geeks). The workshop will give you deadlines, and the group forces you to make your work public. Yes, you may receive harsh criticism, but that can only strengthen and help you. (Besides, you can probably differentiate between worthless personal attacks---easily dismissed--and legitimate insights into the shortcomings of your writing.) At the very least, it demystifies the writing process, makes it less of a closeted activity. If the teacher-group dynamic is positive, some very illuminating discussions can develop. I like workshops better than writing groups, which often degenerate into polite coffee-clubs and are somehow too cozy. You are not looking for friends but serious, objective criticism. Workshops are more professional, meeting at schools rather than private houses, and they are free of the socializing aspects of writing groups while still creating a sense of community. Good luck!
GET OUT OF MY HEAD.
Seriously, though, you hit the nail right on there. I sped through my NaNo with superhuman celerity and then promptly got bogged down by...life. I've been struggling with stunted motivation ever since. I think i may have written about 10,000 words in 60 days. Maybe a new typewriter would help...
As far as the exercise bit goes, my wife realized that I, too needed a punitive system of motivation as well. In this case it's public humiliation: she made us join Weight Watchers. Sigh...
Um, yeah, guilty as charged. Despite being able to carve out writing time all November, I seem unable to even set aside time to finish up the summary of the novel, much less start actual editing. Add me to the communal guilt pool.
I too.
Disincentives - hm, maybe having to send copies of the worst parts of your first draft to others if you don't revise them by a certain date?
I am thinking I may threaten to start writing and posting handwritten and/or typed fiction here on Strikethru. Maybe I can cram it in its own section. I am thinking of a long, rambling post-apocalyptic tale.
Monda, I believe there is a nano-blog something-o as you describe.... I will have to look it up.
I actually was in a graduate school writing program for a brief time in the 1990's. Have thought about going back, but would have no one to write me letters of rec anymore... I haven't been in school in 1,000 years!
People-- join me in my randomly renewed commitment to write something on a regular basis.
I'll write one...Send me the details.
"...but it's not known for brilliant wordcraft..."
*Points to great sci-fi wordsmiths like Gene Wolfe, Alastair Reynolds, Ben Bova, Nancy Kress, Gene Wolfe (AGAIN, because he deserves to be pointed to twice), Iain M. Banks...*
Alright, so maybe the statement would be more accurate if you only talked about Fantasy authors. Science Fiction has its fair share of brilliant wordsmiths.
/sci-fi geek.
//And yeah, send the details and I'll write, too. *Looks over at the SM-3 dubbed "Mr. Universe"*
For me the only thing that has worked for both exercise and writing is to add a specific time block to my schedule and force myself to stick to that until I'm in the habit. Once I've gotten to that point, I'm annoyed and discombobulated if I have to change my schedule...motivation enough to stick with it. ;-) Communal bribery and threats would probably work, too...self-bribery and self-threats never do for me.
I've started going to a coffee house on my way to work most weekday mornings and grabbing half an hour or an hour to write, free from the distractions of home. That has worked so far this year. I'm still on-track with my New Year's resolution. I've yet to finish my NaNo story, but it's progressing slowly but steadily. I've probably added about 40k, still figure I have maybe another 25k to go, then some paring and editing.
As for actually showing any of my work to anyone...well...that's a whole different ballgame.
"Alright, so maybe the statement would be more accurate if you only talked about Fantasy authors."
Yeah. Tolkien and Gaiman and L'Engle--what a bunch of hacks.
So that we're clear here, I am definitely talking about average serial fantasy authors (which are probably unfair of me to single out, since bad writing is present in all genres of fiction). My point is, your average 18 year old amateur fantasy writer is not very good. I can say this definitively, from repeated exposure.
Synchronicity is not just a Police album.
I attended my very first ever writer's group meeting this past weekend. Not sure how it's going to pan out, but it's the first time I've done anything that might lead to me actually whipping one of my three NaNo rough drafts into some type of read-worthy shape.
Someone needs to create an online Zine for typewritten fiction. I would totally read that, and would maybe even down enough Ativan to be able to submit something.
You've guilted me into it. I worked almost the entire weekend on wrapping up my summary of my novel, only have about 4 days left of the original writing to wade through. This is the first time I've bothered to re-read any of it, and I'm struck by three things:
1) The obscene amount of typos. Really glaringly bad stuff. Comes from 5am noveling, I think.
2) The utter lack of story order I had in the middle section. Half my word count must be all the re-re-re-re-re-writes of certain sections and dorking around with the chronology. I'm still not sure I understand what happens when.
3) It's not that bad. I might even share the draft. Maybe.
Thanks for the cyber kick-in-the-pants.
My one and only writing group experience involved YOU, whatever that counts for. It was great fun, but as you well know, I tend to easily get sidetracked by socializing too much, on top of my hideous lack of discipline.
But I do love your disincentive idea, and the idea of no coffee at all unless I write for a certain amount of time or words could possibly work. I've tricked myself into other tasks, such as chores, by promising myself a handful of chocolate chips as a reward.
I can totally see that after-Nano collapse of inertia happening to me if I forced myself to write that much.
I wish I had some kind of writing exercise...but these literature classes are thoughougly scaring me. Haha.
My tastes? Angst. My goodness do I wish I could get away but happy sap makes my eyes and brain bleed.
Also, literary fiction-like. It's my dream in live to purge up something like that some day. Did you know that? I think you do, I don't even remember who I tell anymore, that's a sure sign college is kicking my ass.
Lovely paper by the way, gave me a headache, but I can't help but love the green color.
Dori, I like your chocolate chip tactic. As it stands, I just eat the chips without having to work for them.
And Elizabeth, I should try the AM coffee shop idea.
Zines... writing projects... thinking... thinking...
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