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Another NaNoWriMo is coming to a close and I have, yet again, failed to complete the 50,000 word goal set by the contest. I haven't really lost anything, just the bragging rights, and I got a few great ideas to develop into something. Of course, who knows when that will be.
Clearly the problem with me writing is the lack of discipline. Though, I do work two jobs which makes dedicating time to write a little difficult. I don't want to stay up late to meet word deadlines only to feel exhausted at my paying jobs the next day. Yet somehow, J.K. Rowling was able to do that and raise her kids so I should really stop finding excuses.
Hope everyone out there had a better turn-out than I did!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The Writer's Tale by Russell T. Davies & Benjamin Cook
Also, please see the following quote I discovered in Russell T. Davies book, The Writer's Tale, on Page 42 of the paperback edition:
"That's the thing about writing. It's all doubt. Doubts about plot, story, character, etc, let in every other doubt, the real doubts, about yourself, your very self."
I could not identify with this more than I do right now. Sitting down and trying to push through National Novel Writing Month but running into the walls of my own self doubt. I get caught up in whether or not this is a good story, are the characters interesting, can I possibly do this at all. I think I've even resigned myself, more than once, to the idea that maybe I am not a writer at all. Of course, it is this self doubt that is keeping me from continuing. In this part of Davies' book, he is talking about embracing everything in order to write. How the mundane things about his day to day existence make their way into his writing. That there is this soup of creativity in his head with ingredients from science fiction as well as reminders to call mom on her birthday. It's your life experiences that make you who you are and help to make your characters richer and more believable.
What I am liking most about this part of the book is that we see the sheer panic he's feeling as he approaches his deadlines. It's nice to know that famous writers go through the same highs and lows that the yet unpublished wannabes authors experience in the same process. It definitely gives one the feeling that anyone with a desire to sit down and create could do what Davies' is doing. It's just sticking with it and pushing through those self doubts. Feeling one's fears and doing it anway.
"That's the thing about writing. It's all doubt. Doubts about plot, story, character, etc, let in every other doubt, the real doubts, about yourself, your very self."
I could not identify with this more than I do right now. Sitting down and trying to push through National Novel Writing Month but running into the walls of my own self doubt. I get caught up in whether or not this is a good story, are the characters interesting, can I possibly do this at all. I think I've even resigned myself, more than once, to the idea that maybe I am not a writer at all. Of course, it is this self doubt that is keeping me from continuing. In this part of Davies' book, he is talking about embracing everything in order to write. How the mundane things about his day to day existence make their way into his writing. That there is this soup of creativity in his head with ingredients from science fiction as well as reminders to call mom on her birthday. It's your life experiences that make you who you are and help to make your characters richer and more believable.
What I am liking most about this part of the book is that we see the sheer panic he's feeling as he approaches his deadlines. It's nice to know that famous writers go through the same highs and lows that the yet unpublished wannabes authors experience in the same process. It definitely gives one the feeling that anyone with a desire to sit down and create could do what Davies' is doing. It's just sticking with it and pushing through those self doubts. Feeling one's fears and doing it anway.
Monday, November 15, 2010
The Writer's Tale by Russell T. Davies & Benjamin Cook
I am currently reading The Writer's Tale by Russell T. Davies & Benjamin Cook. I just received it yesterday in the mail and, after struggling through an eight-hour shift at my part-time job, I was able to dive in last night. It was much larger than I expected and the format was not accurately described in the Amazon description. I assumed it was going to be a memoir about the last full season and subsequent TV specials; written in prose and telling a story from start to finish. It's actually an epistolary novel that covers the entire final season. I'm already about sixty pages into the book and loving it. Have you ever wished you could read the e-mails exchanges of this writer or that artist? Somehow get inside their head and understand the genius that lives there?
Started with the intent of writing an article about the writing process that takes place for a hit television show, I can understand how it quickly became the textbook size tome that it is. It appears to be an unedited dialogue between Head Writer for Doctor Who, Russel T. Davies, and Benjamin Cook. Written through e-mails Davies is explaining his writing process as he is crafting Series 4, David Tennant's last full season, of Doctor Who for the BBC. Davies is also constructing series 2 of Torchwood and The Adventures of Sarah-Jane (Both Spin-offs of Doctor Who) at the same time, so there is a bit of a bleed-through on his thoughts and ideas.
What has struck me the most, at the very beginning of this book, is the honesty with which Davies writes. His e-mails to Benjamin Cook are full of a self-doubt one would not expect from a successful television show writer. (Davies has created several shows in addition to resurrecting Doctor Who.) He talks about his procrastination problems and looming deadlines for the shows. Mistakes he's made in his life have served as inspiration for his art. And we even see him repeating story formulas from the previous seasons as a means to get over writer's block. Knowing how the fourth season turned out, I am anxious to see how he came to those decisions from his original ideas. (For those Doctor Who Fans out there: apparently Donna's character was not intended to return for an entire season, merely a one off story or role in the finale.) I'll keep you posted on the developments or interesting quotes I may come across.
Started with the intent of writing an article about the writing process that takes place for a hit television show, I can understand how it quickly became the textbook size tome that it is. It appears to be an unedited dialogue between Head Writer for Doctor Who, Russel T. Davies, and Benjamin Cook. Written through e-mails Davies is explaining his writing process as he is crafting Series 4, David Tennant's last full season, of Doctor Who for the BBC. Davies is also constructing series 2 of Torchwood and The Adventures of Sarah-Jane (Both Spin-offs of Doctor Who) at the same time, so there is a bit of a bleed-through on his thoughts and ideas.
What has struck me the most, at the very beginning of this book, is the honesty with which Davies writes. His e-mails to Benjamin Cook are full of a self-doubt one would not expect from a successful television show writer. (Davies has created several shows in addition to resurrecting Doctor Who.) He talks about his procrastination problems and looming deadlines for the shows. Mistakes he's made in his life have served as inspiration for his art. And we even see him repeating story formulas from the previous seasons as a means to get over writer's block. Knowing how the fourth season turned out, I am anxious to see how he came to those decisions from his original ideas. (For those Doctor Who Fans out there: apparently Donna's character was not intended to return for an entire season, merely a one off story or role in the finale.) I'll keep you posted on the developments or interesting quotes I may come across.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
National Novel Writing Month - November 2, 2010
We are only on the second day of NaNo and I am already behind. My total word count for yesterday: 326. The saddest part is when I went to verify the word count on the official NaNo site. They keep track of writing streaks and failure streaks, so I am already showing a failure streak of 1 day and I'll need to write 1710 words a day for the rest of the 29 days to make up for not meeting my 1666 word count for the first day.
On one hand, it's a very handy calculator that helps me adjust my goals. On the other it's kind of depressing to see how far behind I've already gotten. The problem is that I already hate where my characters are and I don't want to start all over again, though that is probably the best course of action. Let me know if you have any helpful hints.
On one hand, it's a very handy calculator that helps me adjust my goals. On the other it's kind of depressing to see how far behind I've already gotten. The problem is that I already hate where my characters are and I don't want to start all over again, though that is probably the best course of action. Let me know if you have any helpful hints.
Monday, November 1, 2010
November Reading List 2010
Changeless by Gail Carriger (10/16/10) - Started 10/24/10
Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas (6/01/10) -Started
The Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (05/01/10) - Started
The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl (07/01/10)
The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl (07/01/10)
A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin (08/01/10) - Started 10/25/10
Lamb by Christopher Moore (11/01/10)
Harry Potter Series Re-Read (9/01/10)
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