The Cool before the Heat Wave
Update 9 2-8Aug. 2021
Last week was relatively cool, at least where I live. I actually had to add a blanket back to the bed, and I live without AC. So, that was nice and comfortable.
So, let’s just get right into the main topic and then we’ll have a little talk for a while. Every week, I have three main days I do my writing, and the other four days of the week I outline, plan, or work on other things. I have mentioned a bunch of times about how I often feel immense guilt when I don’t write every day. It has taken me a long time to get happy with only writing on the three days I DO write.
One of my other problems is that I sometimes open up my Scrivener, or Word, and I look at where I’m at in the manuscript and just DO NOT WANT TO WRITE that chapter today. This sucks, and as I write this blog post, I am having that problem today. I opened up Scrivener and looked at the chapter I need to write, and just don’t feel it.
Dealing with the Problem
Normally, I would just move on to the next chapter or a later one and start writing that. That usually works. But sometimes it doesn’t. So, what I would then do is try to break down the offending chapter into goals. What does the chapter want to accomplish? What are the three (or more) things it does to push the narrative forward. Usually sitting down and working on this on a piece of notebook paper will get my thoughts running and I’ll then be able to write it.
Sometimes… actually more often than not… I just start writing anyway. I don’t know if this happens with other writers so I definitely want to mention it here, and I would love to here from you in the comments or on my Facebook or twitter if you followed links from there to this post. I sit looking at the screen and my whole body just doesn’t want to write. But then I start typing and after a few minutes I never want to stop. Today it has not been working. I did do a quick revise of a chapter to send it off to a prereader and I am writing this post, but I still don’t want to work on the manuscript today. Which is bad.
I’ll work it out. I think part of the problem is also that all of my agent’s are closed or on hiatus, so I’ve been unable to send out the second batch of query letters. And I only heard back from one of the agents in the first batch. It’s disheartening. But I will continue on. After all I have all of you reading this… and I don’t want to fail so publicly.
Back to Last Week
Back to the opening paragraph. I usually have 3 days of the week wholly dedicated to writing. Last week I only managed to use one of them!
First, I went away for the weekend, but I mentioned that in last week’s post. So, my Sunday was spent at a flea market buying comics and time spent with my best friend. On my second writing day, I did get in a rather good session, and those numbers will be listed in a little while. But on my third session day, I had to go to the eye doctor and work on my Podcast. And of course, my eye doctor decided to dilate my eyes, and I had a heck of a time driving home, and then couldn’t read, write, or even just watch tv for hours.
The point though is, I still made word goals, not my weekly goal but I killed my daily goal and came pretty close to weekly. And the real point, is that I forgive myself and keep moving on. Though I am a little disappointed right now, that I am having trouble with writing right now.
Last Week’s Word Count
I knocked out an entire chapter, chapter 14, and made 4200 words last week. The novel is now sitting at 59,510 words and I’m only a handful of chapters away from what I consider the middle (turn) of the novel.
I still need to work on the outline and chapter cards for the last half of the book, and perhaps that is what I will work on the rest of today? That will make me feel like I’m back on track. (Took a quick pause to look at my plotting for the last half of the novel, and yeah it needs a lot of work. This might not be “half way”).
New Glasses, Free Comic Book Day, and Podcasting
The rest of this week is also going to be very busy, and today marks the first day of a five-day heat wave. No AC. Wish me luck.
I should have my new glasses before the end of the week, and thanks to aging and the fact that I do a LOT of reading, computer work, and paint small figures; I am moving into the world of bifocals. (boo!) Yet another reminder of my age.
This weekend we’re having Free Comic Book Day, the craziest day of the year for comic shops across the nation. We didn’t have one last year, obviously, and this is the first one I’m having as an employee. My co-worker has been filling my head with horror stories for the last two weeks., I have a feeling that next weekend might be hell. You’ll find out when I write the next post!
Podcast. We had a production meeting. Worked out that we’re going to a bi-weekly release schedule and then worked out the rest of the season. All of our topics are fixated on and currently being written into outlines and figuring out the order of programming. I’ve been enjoying the heck out of the experience and I think we just get better every week.
What’s To Come…
So, you should see more outlining and chapter work on the novel. More podcast news. And I’ve been thinking about talking about comics each week. Like My top picks of the previous week? I don’t know if you would interested in that?
I should be doing a new Curse of Strahd post soonish, but the game hasn’t happened in two months, so again I don’t have enough material to push on with the series. I will be starting a journal for my characters in my other D&D game. I just don’t know if I should do the Tuesday game or the Saturday?
Would you like to hear about the adventures of a monster hunter in a world of shadows, constant rain, and hate filled peasants? Where hunters are hailed as heroes when they do something good for the people, but as soon as the good deed is done, they’re run out of town or treated with suspicion. OR would you rather hear the story of three professors from a magical Oxford University that are heading to Fantasy Egypt to rob tombs? (Not really, but its funnier that way).
I love both characters and I really think they could be entertaining. With the first choice I could start putting up journals sooner, as I have notes from almost a dozen games already. With the second We’d have to wait another month or so to get started. Again, make some comments here or back at the link you followed to here. (For those of you subscribed via email… then you can pick whichever way you want to stay in touch).
Outro
I had intended to talk comics, movies, and some other such here. Maybe some gaming. But we’re getting on the longish side and I think I’ll let you go for this week.
Thank you again for reading.
