Am I driving everyone batty with incoherent, repetitive Nano posts?
Good. Insanity love company.
Yesterday I was taking a break from my procrastinating for lunch and I happened upon another Star Trek marathon. This one with different movies from last weekend. There’s something about Star Trek that’s conducive to writing because I made pretty good progress while I was watching.
At one point, early in the evening, I was conscious of being close to my daily word count but I wanted to “just finish this scene” before I stopped. Before I knew it, I’d not only reached yesterday’s word count, I finished today’s as well. Go me!
Slowly I’m learning to ignore distractions, like the television (I’ve been using the lap top in the living room a lot), games, blogs . . . I’ll open up spider solitaire, but then close it up again because I want to type just another few words first.
Dare I hope this will last?
Nov 17, 2008
Nov 16, 2008
Nano, Day 16
Well, I’m over the hump. I’ve passed the 25K mark. To celebrate, I bought myself a tub of Nestle French Vanilla ice cream.
I have stopped obsessing over the fact that my prime writing time seems to be after 1 a.m. I spend all day writing a word here, a sentence there, but come 1 a.m. I start to get serious and I probably write a thousand words between 2 and 3.
Why is that I can focus so well at that time and not any other? Yeah, I know I just said I’m going to stop obsessing over it (it’s not like I have any pressing need to get up early in the morning so it’s not the staying up so much, it’s the writing itself) but it would be nice to be able to generate that kind of focus at other times during the day. Just think of the kind of output I could have! It would make the difference between staying home to write and having to go out to work for a living.
The story itself is progressing well. In the beginning I tended to skip ahead just to get the word counts in, now I’m slowly filling in the gaps. The first 30 pages are more or less seamless now, and I’m hoping by the end of the day this will be the first 35 pages (I’ve got my document set for single, not double spacing) and they haven’t even got to his planet yet.
Hmm. Maybe I’ve just answered my own question. I’ve been skipping ahead to get the word counts in, and when I start my writing for the day I start to fill in the gaps. This could be why I get off to such a slow start. Gap filling can be hard work - it strains the brain. While it’s important to fill in those gaps, it’s more fun to skip ahead.
Today’s mission, should I choose to accept it, is to pay attention to what changes that allows me to focus when the writing is going quickly.
I have stopped obsessing over the fact that my prime writing time seems to be after 1 a.m. I spend all day writing a word here, a sentence there, but come 1 a.m. I start to get serious and I probably write a thousand words between 2 and 3.
Why is that I can focus so well at that time and not any other? Yeah, I know I just said I’m going to stop obsessing over it (it’s not like I have any pressing need to get up early in the morning so it’s not the staying up so much, it’s the writing itself) but it would be nice to be able to generate that kind of focus at other times during the day. Just think of the kind of output I could have! It would make the difference between staying home to write and having to go out to work for a living.
The story itself is progressing well. In the beginning I tended to skip ahead just to get the word counts in, now I’m slowly filling in the gaps. The first 30 pages are more or less seamless now, and I’m hoping by the end of the day this will be the first 35 pages (I’ve got my document set for single, not double spacing) and they haven’t even got to his planet yet.
Hmm. Maybe I’ve just answered my own question. I’ve been skipping ahead to get the word counts in, and when I start my writing for the day I start to fill in the gaps. This could be why I get off to such a slow start. Gap filling can be hard work - it strains the brain. While it’s important to fill in those gaps, it’s more fun to skip ahead.
Today’s mission, should I choose to accept it, is to pay attention to what changes that allows me to focus when the writing is going quickly.
Nov 13, 2008
One Wave Short of a Shipwreck or Nano, Day 13
I’m having one of those days where I feel like everything I’m writing is crap. Even the sex scenes (which I’ve actually been really enjoying writing) sound boring and repetitive. According to my Nano Newsletter, this is called the second week slump. Apparently, I’m in it.
I’m feeling jusifiably proud of myself that I keep writing anyway. Trust me it’s not easy. As you well know, my normal reaction would be to go find a Fantasy Island marathon on television and forget all about writing. The trick is, to avoid going back to re-read what I’ve written. Yeah, maybe a lot of what I’m doing is crap. But there might be some good stuff in there too and I don’t want it to end up guilty by associating with crap and get cut.
See what I mean? Did that last sentence even make sense?
Of course it doesn’t help that my stomach is doing more back flips than a dying fish on a beach. ‘Tis the season to get flu bugs. Sorry, I don’t have time to be sick right now. I just passed the 20k mark for Nano, only 30k more to go.
I’ll make myself a deal. Five hundred more words (which will put me at 21k) and then I can go curl up in the living room for awhile.
Sounds fair to me.
I’m feeling jusifiably proud of myself that I keep writing anyway. Trust me it’s not easy. As you well know, my normal reaction would be to go find a Fantasy Island marathon on television and forget all about writing. The trick is, to avoid going back to re-read what I’ve written. Yeah, maybe a lot of what I’m doing is crap. But there might be some good stuff in there too and I don’t want it to end up guilty by associating with crap and get cut.
See what I mean? Did that last sentence even make sense?
Of course it doesn’t help that my stomach is doing more back flips than a dying fish on a beach. ‘Tis the season to get flu bugs. Sorry, I don’t have time to be sick right now. I just passed the 20k mark for Nano, only 30k more to go.
I’ll make myself a deal. Five hundred more words (which will put me at 21k) and then I can go curl up in the living room for awhile.
Sounds fair to me.
Nov 12, 2008
It’s A Kind of Magic or Nano, Day 12
Despite my misgivings about the story lasting as long as the word count, I’m finding a magical thing occurring. I start what I think is just a minor scene, but it starts to stretch out. And it’s not just filler to boost my word count either. It’s important stuff that moves the story forward.
Be still my heart.
I’m also seeing places where I’ll be adding wordage when December rolls around and it’s time to start the dreaded editing.
The best part of all is, I’m still enjoying the story. I want to know “what happens next”. I haven’t included this minor conspiracy thread that I had originally envisioned, but it’s still there if I want it. The brother is turning into not as bad a guy as I’d figured; if I use the conspiracy thread at all he’ll have been coerced into it.
I used to think it was a dangerous thing, keeping a story in my head. My memory’s not what it used to be (not that it was ever great) and I was always afraid of forgetting the story before I could get it down on paper. But now I’m beginning to realize, for me at least, if I can work out the entire story in my head and it’s still in there when I start to type, then it’s a story worth remembering.
Which in my books makes it a story worth writing.
Be still my heart.
I’m also seeing places where I’ll be adding wordage when December rolls around and it’s time to start the dreaded editing.
The best part of all is, I’m still enjoying the story. I want to know “what happens next”. I haven’t included this minor conspiracy thread that I had originally envisioned, but it’s still there if I want it. The brother is turning into not as bad a guy as I’d figured; if I use the conspiracy thread at all he’ll have been coerced into it.
I used to think it was a dangerous thing, keeping a story in my head. My memory’s not what it used to be (not that it was ever great) and I was always afraid of forgetting the story before I could get it down on paper. But now I’m beginning to realize, for me at least, if I can work out the entire story in my head and it’s still in there when I start to type, then it’s a story worth remembering.
Which in my books makes it a story worth writing.
Nov 11, 2008
B12 or Nano, Day 11
I have a serious lack of B12 in my system. Most people do and don’t realize it, and in most people that’s fine. But one of the first things they check for (or should check for) with depression, is your B12 level. Mine was non-existent, hence the need for supplements.
You’re wondering what this has to do with writing. Well have patience, I’m getting to that.
One of the benefits of B12 is it's an energy boost. However, I have found that before I get the energy boost I get tired. Sort of like the water pulling back before the wave rolls in. If I take the B12 with breakfast, I get the energy sink just after lunch, but I’m fine late in the afternoon and the evening, which is when I’ve been getting my writing done. However, because I get such a late start to the writing, I end up staying up later to get what I’m working on finished.
I wanted to change this. I’d like to get my writing done during the day like a normal person, and then relax in the evening and go to bed at a normal time.
So the last few days I’ve been taking my B12 at supper time (you have to take it with food or it won’t be absorbed into your system). The energy sink hits around 11 p.m., but by the time I’m ready to go to bed, say 12:30 or 1, the energy boost has kicked in. Last night I was up until after 3, at which point I went to bed, but it was still a good hour before I fell asleep. There has got to be a happy medium.
I just have to find it.
Meanwhile, I’ll just keep plugging away between naps.
You’re wondering what this has to do with writing. Well have patience, I’m getting to that.
One of the benefits of B12 is it's an energy boost. However, I have found that before I get the energy boost I get tired. Sort of like the water pulling back before the wave rolls in. If I take the B12 with breakfast, I get the energy sink just after lunch, but I’m fine late in the afternoon and the evening, which is when I’ve been getting my writing done. However, because I get such a late start to the writing, I end up staying up later to get what I’m working on finished.
I wanted to change this. I’d like to get my writing done during the day like a normal person, and then relax in the evening and go to bed at a normal time.
So the last few days I’ve been taking my B12 at supper time (you have to take it with food or it won’t be absorbed into your system). The energy sink hits around 11 p.m., but by the time I’m ready to go to bed, say 12:30 or 1, the energy boost has kicked in. Last night I was up until after 3, at which point I went to bed, but it was still a good hour before I fell asleep. There has got to be a happy medium.
I just have to find it.
Meanwhile, I’ll just keep plugging away between naps.
Nov 10, 2008
Groovy! Or Nano, Day 10
It’s late at night. The hubby’s in bed because he has to be up early for a bowling tournament in Toronto. I find a Star Trek marathon on the television to distract me from my writing. I have a cat curled up on the foot of my recliner. All of a sudden, I realize I’m paying more attention to my writing than the movie.
Insert open-mouthed look of shock here.
We’re not just talking any movie, we’re talking Star Trek VI The Voyage Home, my all time favorite movie. Is it possible? Could it be? I’ve finally found my writing groove.
It’s no longer about the word count. It’s about getting the story done. I keep getting distracted from my distractions by wanted to add just a few more words, finish that scene. One of the pep talk letters I received in my e-mail from Nano states: “. . . once you’ve established a daily rhythm of work, you’ll find it energizing and sustaining in itself. Even when it’s not going well.”
They’re right. Even when I’m having trouble with a scene I still keep plugging away, and eventually I work past it and before I know what’s happened I’ve added another few hundred words.
Persistence plus a whole lot of determination just might see me through to the end this year.
Insert open-mouthed look of shock here.
We’re not just talking any movie, we’re talking Star Trek VI The Voyage Home, my all time favorite movie. Is it possible? Could it be? I’ve finally found my writing groove.
It’s no longer about the word count. It’s about getting the story done. I keep getting distracted from my distractions by wanted to add just a few more words, finish that scene. One of the pep talk letters I received in my e-mail from Nano states: “. . . once you’ve established a daily rhythm of work, you’ll find it energizing and sustaining in itself. Even when it’s not going well.”
They’re right. Even when I’m having trouble with a scene I still keep plugging away, and eventually I work past it and before I know what’s happened I’ve added another few hundred words.
Persistence plus a whole lot of determination just might see me through to the end this year.
Nov 7, 2008
Nano Day 7
I was up until 3 a.m. again last night, but at least this time I made my word count. Today I been plugging away at it, but I’m still short by about 500 words. I’m hoping to get them done this evening.
I’ve noticed for a lot of Nanoers (Nanites?) that they tend to have low word counts during the week, but make up for it over the weekend. I have just the opposite problem. I can keep up the steady word count during the week, but the weekend is when I usually start to fall off.
I know why this is. Week nights, the hubby bowls two nights and goes back to the office the other two. But the weekend he’s hanging around the house a lot. He just doesn’t understand that even if I’m sitting here staring at the computer screen that he shouldn’t interrupt me unless the house is on fire.
I love you but I do not need to know who’s winning the car race or the hockey game, nor do I care about what happened at bowling this morning. You’ve just derailed my train of thought, for the twelfth time, and the track that train runs on is very fragile indeed.
Nano is turning me into a night owl. I’m starting to have a real problem getting creative until after the sun goes down, and the last couple of nights my optimum writing time has been between 12 a.m. and 3 a.m.
Maybe it has something to do with the B12 I've been taking. I've been taking them with breakfast but maybe I should take them with supper instead. Then the burst of energy I've been getting in the wee small hours of the morning will be at a more reasonable time of day.
Hey, at this point I'm willing to try anything!
I’ve noticed for a lot of Nanoers (Nanites?) that they tend to have low word counts during the week, but make up for it over the weekend. I have just the opposite problem. I can keep up the steady word count during the week, but the weekend is when I usually start to fall off.
I know why this is. Week nights, the hubby bowls two nights and goes back to the office the other two. But the weekend he’s hanging around the house a lot. He just doesn’t understand that even if I’m sitting here staring at the computer screen that he shouldn’t interrupt me unless the house is on fire.
I love you but I do not need to know who’s winning the car race or the hockey game, nor do I care about what happened at bowling this morning. You’ve just derailed my train of thought, for the twelfth time, and the track that train runs on is very fragile indeed.
Nano is turning me into a night owl. I’m starting to have a real problem getting creative until after the sun goes down, and the last couple of nights my optimum writing time has been between 12 a.m. and 3 a.m.
Maybe it has something to do with the B12 I've been taking. I've been taking them with breakfast but maybe I should take them with supper instead. Then the burst of energy I've been getting in the wee small hours of the morning will be at a more reasonable time of day.
Hey, at this point I'm willing to try anything!
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