McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Bread & Butter Writing
prophet224:
This kind of struck a chord with me, at least the part about nothing going out. I have one full short story written, one in progress, a bunch of ideas laying around on note cards, and a novel I've finally started working on. I've always had a problem with (as one person put it) "the bear". I feel down on myself until I just don't want to try, so I don't actually do the writing. Ok, sorry, so that was about me... this comes back to the topic below, I swear! ;)
Fortunately my complete short story had already been critiqued, edited, reviewed, etc. So I sent it out. We'll see what happens, but just doing that seemed to free me up. It's in limbo. Maybe I'll never get a response, and it doesn't matter. For the last 2 weeks, I've finally felt free to write the novel that's been brewing, because I'm trying to get out there, instead of just thinking about it a lot, and I've been able to get much more work done than in the previous several YEARS!
I also don't think that there is anything wrong with switching tracks now and then. Basically what I'm saying is that it probably is a good idea to finish your draft first, then let it lie a few months (that's common advice). That's the time to work on some short stories. Get your ideas out into a more fleshed-out format, and see if any of them start to take you somewhere farther. These are just some thoughts, but the more samples you have, the more likely someone will pick up your screenwriting too. Whatever your format is, though, "shorts" are good for exercise and experimentation. Shorts are also a lot easier to get published, and you can try a lot of different things with them.
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: blgarver on July 14, 2008, 02:09:03 PM ---Yeah, that's good advice. I don't compare my work with other writers, it's more my writing habits that I compare. Like, I kick myself in the ass when I make some lame excuse for quitting my session for the day, when after his accident, King would sit at his desk until he was in tears from the pain in his back and physically couldn't do it any longer. Pretty hard core.
--- End quote ---
Well, yes, but...
Reading On Writing, one thing that was very clear to me is how much of King's working approach is shaped by how bad his memory is. It seemed strongly implied to me that he needs to be sitting down and working every day in order to be able to remember enough of what he is doing.
The published genre novelist whose working patterns I know best, in that we are married - seven novels published, nominee for several major awards over the years and winner of a couple, not a bestseller but a respectable midlist success, and one of the main reasons why my real name is not out - works in spurts, and frequently has months on end of not being able to get any writing done. What matters is not words set down at the end of the day. It's words set down at the end of the year whether you do a couple of hundred daily, or a couple of thousand weekly, or, like Iain Banks a novel in six weeks and spend the rest of the year lazing about.
(I am not married to Iain Banks.)
blgarver:
Yeah I get that...and if I was already published and professional, on whatever level, I wouldn't feel bad about going weeks without writing. Well, AS bad anyway. Right now I feel like I should be working toward my goal every chance I have.
dogsoldier:
King's word on that is to write at least 2k words a day. I have so many post-its in my copy of "On Writing" it's not funny.
blgarver:
2k a day is pretty steep for me, after working 8 hours, but it's what I try to hit. In fact, I'm off to work on today's quota.
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