I finished about 8,700 words into my writing tonight. That does not include this post, which will put it over 9,000 words. But I asked myself tonight what that really meant. To me, it means ability to push myself to keep writing, even when I would rather do other things. Trust me, I am a big NHL fan. Not just hockey (Go Seattle T-Birds), but the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are special to me.
Especially tonight when the Canucks attempt to stave off history. They were up 3-0 in the seven game series, lost the next three, and are fighting off the lowly defending champion Blackhawks. BTW - if you are Blackhawks fan, you must hate your team. Big Buff was a great player your GM traded away for a few rental players and some unknown rookies. Not good.
That is nonsense and vaudeville but I have to tell you, it pulls me away to want to watch that rather than write. But I sat at the bar with my IPad2 and chose writing as my outlet. If that's what I want to do, it needs to be what I do the most. It doesn't matter whether I want to screw off with friends, I need to think first and foremost about writing. It doesn't mean I can't do specific things with my time, but writing needs to be the central focus.
Tonight I drafted a short story that was pretty good. Lately, I've been in a science fiction mood, especially for dystrophia. Have no explanation for it but that I've just found my focus there. When I write something, a million more separate ideas on the same subject get compounded together as different stories. I put them as lines in my IPad2 Notepad feature and then utilize them whenever I need a new story to write. Not all of these stories are going to be winners, as I am sure that an NBA player doesn't hit every practice shot they hit. But if you don't work on it, you don't improve.
I used to avoid Dystophia stories about futuristic land because I thought that it made my writing negative. But I started to embrace it as a way to separate myself by making some type of enjoyment coming out of this type of story. There is no reason to believe that the human species would exist in a dystophia if there were no entertainment involved. Why people live in Detroit? I have no clue, but I hear its getting close to seeing an entire decay of a city. They lose 500,000 people per year and have only about three or four years to go before the entire city should be entirely empty. There won't be drug dealers or criminals, because they have to have someone to sell to or someone to rob.
Always interesting to believe in a ghost city.
Well, I've done enough tonight. Thanks to my new bluetooth keyboard, I don't have the arm aches that I had previous when typing. Yes, as my friends tell me, I should be hired to sell Apple's new IPad2. I'm just that much of an advocate of it.
Showing posts with label words. Show all posts
Showing posts with label words. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Flush the distractions, start writing
I got a little distracted today. Take that back, I got a lot of distraction today. It ruled my life, confused my mind and made me near catatonic to writing. One of those types of multiple work issues which overwhelm your life for the time that the employer owns it. By the time I left for work, I noticed that I had not written any of my 5,000 words today. See, it's that ritual that you break that soon becomes a wrong-headed habit. At least, that's my saying. Yeah, I just made it up. Learn to deal.
There are a lot of challenges to writing. Several of them transform into life issues. The kids you have, the job you work, everything else. I had five major issues that ruled my life today. My old job still had my retirement account (not rolled over, about to expire). The light company sent me a second notice that I had not paid my bill of $44.79 (which I had, using their online billing system and had proof through Chase) which took time. I had two meetings with key people at work. Neither was bad, but it drained me of time. And then finally, I had to deal with a friend who needed me to listen to them as they went through a job issue.,
All of this amounts to the 225 words I have written to this point. Make that 240 words.
That's not what I signed up for. I was supposed to hit 5,000 words each night. And looking at 4 p.m. Pacific, it looks like either write my ass off or sit there with about a thousand words in the bank, and totally break down because I failed myself. And really, at the end of the day, it's about failing yourself if you don't hit your goals.
I have two short stories which I could have worked on. I haven't up to this point.
I could have worked on the novel which is a follow-up to Crunk and about ready to really be cut down to be sent off to my personal editor for review (as well as my friends, who read my stories to ensure they do not suck).
I could have worked on two or three novel outlines of potential works that I haven't started yet, but have firm ideas where they are headed.
Right now, I'm at 403 words. That's not a good start, but I'm going to keep writing as long as I can until I get to 5,000. See, the point is that the task is daunting when you allow it to be. I could worry about my car payment, or the fact that my truck still has issues with its last tuneup, or do a lot of other things that could keep my mind influx. Or I can flush it.
That's my term for it. You just flush everything, get selfish and start writing.
Some of you reading this have children. You have jobs. You have life issues like that crazy ex that keeps texting you.
My advice is for you to be selfish (to a point). Feed the kids, get off work, and turn off the damn phone (and file a restraining order against the crazy ex because that's not good if they keep texting you).
Writing is an internal, highly focused activity. I can have the Stanley Cup playoffs in the background, but damn it, if I'm serious about this, I won't give it more than a few glances (boy, Pittsburgh is in trouble with Sidney Crosby).
5,000 words doesn't mean just to ramble and write a bunch of all-work-and-no-play-makes-jack-a-dull-boy nonsense. It means really focusing on something, giving it your all, and cranking out every idea in your toolbox in order to improve your writing overall. The more you get out of you, the better you will be at it. That's why baseball players do batting practice, football players perform grueling minicamps (or did until the lockout) or why hockey players slapshot the goalie 45 minutes prior to the drop of the puck. You can never have enough practice, and as long as it is focused on your goals, it isn't a waste.
Quick side note - I knew a community college basketball team that practiced every day. But they didn't do anything in terms of play creation and it reminded people of open gym efforts. When they played games, they didn't win, because none of them had the focus or knew the play development as well as the other team. They were still loose, trying to perform at a pick-up game level. Those teams never win and I've seen a lot of them in my time.
Right now, it's 801 words that I've written. That means I have less than 4,200 words to go in order to make my goal, to be happy, and to prevent apathy or atrophy of my writing skills. There are a lot of people who are sitting in front of a computer at this moment, either reading this while delaying their own writing or still finding distractions while a blank screen with a blinking cursor dares them to do something.
Again, I used the old communication professor comment that our radio students received when they didn't give a great effort. 'If that's all you've got, I could get a diesel tech program student to do it.' Sounds harsh, but seriously, shouldn't a little tough love be a good thing? Dr. Laura had her time in the sun, too bad she decided to become a political mouth-piece rather than a person with actual values.
So, you are waiting for this blog entry to end. While eating that bran muffin or doing this quirky things in order to ensure that you are ready to start writing. Are you beginning to write or kidding yourself? How many of your 5,000 words are in? I'm only 4,000 away.
There are a lot of challenges to writing. Several of them transform into life issues. The kids you have, the job you work, everything else. I had five major issues that ruled my life today. My old job still had my retirement account (not rolled over, about to expire). The light company sent me a second notice that I had not paid my bill of $44.79 (which I had, using their online billing system and had proof through Chase) which took time. I had two meetings with key people at work. Neither was bad, but it drained me of time. And then finally, I had to deal with a friend who needed me to listen to them as they went through a job issue.,
All of this amounts to the 225 words I have written to this point. Make that 240 words.
That's not what I signed up for. I was supposed to hit 5,000 words each night. And looking at 4 p.m. Pacific, it looks like either write my ass off or sit there with about a thousand words in the bank, and totally break down because I failed myself. And really, at the end of the day, it's about failing yourself if you don't hit your goals.
I have two short stories which I could have worked on. I haven't up to this point.
I could have worked on the novel which is a follow-up to Crunk and about ready to really be cut down to be sent off to my personal editor for review (as well as my friends, who read my stories to ensure they do not suck).
I could have worked on two or three novel outlines of potential works that I haven't started yet, but have firm ideas where they are headed.
Right now, I'm at 403 words. That's not a good start, but I'm going to keep writing as long as I can until I get to 5,000. See, the point is that the task is daunting when you allow it to be. I could worry about my car payment, or the fact that my truck still has issues with its last tuneup, or do a lot of other things that could keep my mind influx. Or I can flush it.
That's my term for it. You just flush everything, get selfish and start writing.
Some of you reading this have children. You have jobs. You have life issues like that crazy ex that keeps texting you.
My advice is for you to be selfish (to a point). Feed the kids, get off work, and turn off the damn phone (and file a restraining order against the crazy ex because that's not good if they keep texting you).
Writing is an internal, highly focused activity. I can have the Stanley Cup playoffs in the background, but damn it, if I'm serious about this, I won't give it more than a few glances (boy, Pittsburgh is in trouble with Sidney Crosby).
5,000 words doesn't mean just to ramble and write a bunch of all-work-and-no-play-makes-jack-a-dull-boy nonsense. It means really focusing on something, giving it your all, and cranking out every idea in your toolbox in order to improve your writing overall. The more you get out of you, the better you will be at it. That's why baseball players do batting practice, football players perform grueling minicamps (or did until the lockout) or why hockey players slapshot the goalie 45 minutes prior to the drop of the puck. You can never have enough practice, and as long as it is focused on your goals, it isn't a waste.
Quick side note - I knew a community college basketball team that practiced every day. But they didn't do anything in terms of play creation and it reminded people of open gym efforts. When they played games, they didn't win, because none of them had the focus or knew the play development as well as the other team. They were still loose, trying to perform at a pick-up game level. Those teams never win and I've seen a lot of them in my time.
Right now, it's 801 words that I've written. That means I have less than 4,200 words to go in order to make my goal, to be happy, and to prevent apathy or atrophy of my writing skills. There are a lot of people who are sitting in front of a computer at this moment, either reading this while delaying their own writing or still finding distractions while a blank screen with a blinking cursor dares them to do something.
Again, I used the old communication professor comment that our radio students received when they didn't give a great effort. 'If that's all you've got, I could get a diesel tech program student to do it.' Sounds harsh, but seriously, shouldn't a little tough love be a good thing? Dr. Laura had her time in the sun, too bad she decided to become a political mouth-piece rather than a person with actual values.
So, you are waiting for this blog entry to end. While eating that bran muffin or doing this quirky things in order to ensure that you are ready to start writing. Are you beginning to write or kidding yourself? How many of your 5,000 words are in? I'm only 4,000 away.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Just Write 5,000 words
I realize that everyone is not the same. However, I encounter a lot of procrastination out there.
The old adage is that opportunity is 50% showing up. I agree with that.
A lot of people, with a lot more talent that I have, don't chose to write. They see that looming empty page and sit there, worried about how they should fill it.
I tell myself that I did not accomplish my tasks without a good 5,000 word week. That doesn't mean I write 5,000 words, then stop writing. But it means if I cannot generate 5,000 words (not even good words, but words in a halfway coherent form), then I didn't do what I set out to do at the beginning of that week.
Sometimes it is very difficult. Job, stress, family issues, friends, whatever. But I tell myself that other people are challenging me for the right to be a good, successful writer. That is the goal. If that is the goal, it is something I need to focus on, above all else.
Sometimes, you need to be greedy in order to do things in life. Opportunity is not there when you want it, but comes when you least expect it.
When I sat down to write this blog, I had nothing to write about. Seriously, I was asking myself, what do I want to write about today? But then I remembered the challenge I set about myself when I created this blog: I will write at least one post per day. I have noticed that I write more than one post per day, but that doesn't allow me to become lazy by not posting one day (because I have so many additional posts already up on another).
It is a challenge, but a task that I want to be up for.
Today, I've crossed the 3,000 word mark. Not just in this post, but in other forms of writing; developing short stories, trying to finish the last real redraft of my second full crime novel which will be a follow-up of Crunk (side characters from the first book will be main characters in the second but a new adventure).
Those are the challenges we all face. I am a friend to make stand-up comedians in Spokane where I live. If half of them didn't work on their material, they have no one to blame but themselves when they go up in front of a crowd to perform. Think I'm kidding? Please, try stand-up sometime. You'll run back to the word processor, ready to write about 50,000 words in a day just to keep from going up on stage. Especially if you have nothing to say.
Glad I wrote this post. I feel better. Now, back to work on writing more great stuff...
The old adage is that opportunity is 50% showing up. I agree with that.
A lot of people, with a lot more talent that I have, don't chose to write. They see that looming empty page and sit there, worried about how they should fill it.
I tell myself that I did not accomplish my tasks without a good 5,000 word week. That doesn't mean I write 5,000 words, then stop writing. But it means if I cannot generate 5,000 words (not even good words, but words in a halfway coherent form), then I didn't do what I set out to do at the beginning of that week.
Sometimes it is very difficult. Job, stress, family issues, friends, whatever. But I tell myself that other people are challenging me for the right to be a good, successful writer. That is the goal. If that is the goal, it is something I need to focus on, above all else.
Sometimes, you need to be greedy in order to do things in life. Opportunity is not there when you want it, but comes when you least expect it.
When I sat down to write this blog, I had nothing to write about. Seriously, I was asking myself, what do I want to write about today? But then I remembered the challenge I set about myself when I created this blog: I will write at least one post per day. I have noticed that I write more than one post per day, but that doesn't allow me to become lazy by not posting one day (because I have so many additional posts already up on another).
It is a challenge, but a task that I want to be up for.
Today, I've crossed the 3,000 word mark. Not just in this post, but in other forms of writing; developing short stories, trying to finish the last real redraft of my second full crime novel which will be a follow-up of Crunk (side characters from the first book will be main characters in the second but a new adventure).
Those are the challenges we all face. I am a friend to make stand-up comedians in Spokane where I live. If half of them didn't work on their material, they have no one to blame but themselves when they go up in front of a crowd to perform. Think I'm kidding? Please, try stand-up sometime. You'll run back to the word processor, ready to write about 50,000 words in a day just to keep from going up on stage. Especially if you have nothing to say.
Glad I wrote this post. I feel better. Now, back to work on writing more great stuff...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)