“Goals are dreams with deadlines.”
~Diana Scharf Hunt
This morning I sat for my son’s pre-school orientation.
It was the fifth time I’d seen the show.
Last year was the fourth, which is really where this post gets started.
Mia had started Kindergarten a week earlier, and I’d just written her little cupcake of a chapter book. The only thing I’d laid down besides, was a short story, which I’ve no problem admitting was a spectacular embarrassment to the tongue.
As I sat, trying to remember how things were worded differently the year before, my mind moved to my mental manuscript, and then began to tinker.
I removed the notebook and pen I happened to have in my lap (a staple now, but a whim that day) and started to scribble the prologue to what would, later that evening, become the first few pages of my novel.
I’ve been thinking about the novel a lot. Mostly because that’s what I do when I’m in no way touching it.
It’s true, I’m embarrassed to admit, but I haven’t worked on it in…. oh… about seven weeks.
Since I started Writer Dad, that’s the direction my fingers have danced.
I was in the middle of the third draft, and just kind of left it middling. I’m tempted to put it aside, so I can write something breezy, which the novel is anything but.
There are parts that are really good, and parts that are really bad.
The problem is, I can only sporadically tell them apart.
The book has too many ideas in too little space, and I don’t quite know how to bend them around.
It was my first attempt at fiction, and I’ve learned a lot since.
There’s a marvelous gem, but it’s deep in the mine, and I’m unsure if I’m ready to dig.
Sitting in the orientation, realizing that a year had passed since I first put pen to paper for potential, it was clear that I cannot let that world born inside my head, rotate too far from its natural orbit.
There’s something else too; a steroid to these feelings.
Rita’s getting published.
That’s BIG time.
There’s been a lot of discussion about her encounter with the publisher.
I’ll say this.
Imagine we’re holding a bag of five dollar popcorn, watching that scene in the restaurant play out on the screen. The appropriate music swells the background, and everything’s twinkling and pretty.
When Rita said, “Oh, I almost forgot to give you this,” then slips the woman her manuscript, we’d feel like applauding.
She handed her words to the right person. But if they’d been lousy, Rita never would’ve had a deal.
The lesson here isn’t that publishers can be hornswaggled.
It’s that when the right person sees the right manuscript, a deal is made.
Which means it’s time for me to get to work.
Writer Dad
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About Sean Platt
Hi Writer Dad,
Just a quick comment to say hi and cheer you on on your writing project.
Just so you know, I don’t comment on your blog as often as you do on mine, not because I don’t read your posts but mostly because by the time I get here, you have dozens of comments. I don’t like to comment just to leave my link, I don’t like to comment without reading what everybody else wrote, and I don’t like to comment where it doesn’t add much to the post.
I’ll pop in if I happen to be one of the lucky first few and have something to say! But in the mean time, carry on, my friend.
ari
Hi Writer Dad,
Just a quick comment to say hi and cheer you on on your writing project.
Just so you know, I don’t comment on your blog as often as you do on mine, not because I don’t read your posts but mostly because by the time I get here, you have dozens of comments. I don’t like to comment just to leave my link, I don’t like to comment without reading what everybody else wrote, and I don’t like to comment where it doesn’t add much to the post.
I’ll pop in if I happen to be one of the lucky first few and have something to say! But in the mean time, carry on, my friend.
ari
Beth – “The only difficulty is getting out of editor mode when I write.”
I HEAR YOU!!!
Beth – “The only difficulty is getting out of editor mode when I write.”
I HEAR YOU!!!
I’ve been working on a novel for about three years now and still no where being half-way done. It’s all in my head really. In my head it’s beautifully written. I guess I just have to have my head tell my ass to get going and finish the book already.
I’ve been working on a novel for about three years now and still no where being half-way done. It’s all in my head really. In my head it’s beautifully written. I guess I just have to have my head tell my ass to get going and finish the book already.
@Beth and Brett
Last year, I did NaNoWriMo. I didnt’ quite get a novel, I got about 39,000 words….but wasn’t one continuous story. (rather, a random collection of thougths and short stories).
Lots of material there. I need to figure out what to do with it all.
@Beth and Brett
Last year, I did NaNoWriMo. I didnt’ quite get a novel, I got about 39,000 words….but wasn’t one continuous story. (rather, a random collection of thougths and short stories).
Lots of material there. I need to figure out what to do with it all.
@Friar,
Well, some of the stuff on my blog actually came from my writing for the NaNoWriMo contest – so I recycled mine! Hey, why not!
@Friar,
Well, some of the stuff on my blog actually came from my writing for the NaNoWriMo contest – so I recycled mine! Hey, why not!
I’m very interested to learn that you’re writing a novel, Writer Dad.
It’s likely old news to your other readers, but new news to me :-)
So, can I ask where you find the inspiration to both blog and write in other genres too- and have you ever thought of turning your novel into a blog, a few pages at a time?
I’m very interested to learn that you’re writing a novel, Writer Dad.
It’s likely old news to your other readers, but new news to me :-)
So, can I ask where you find the inspiration to both blog and write in other genres too- and have you ever thought of turning your novel into a blog, a few pages at a time?
Blogger Dad: It’s all sound advice. I’m going to sit down, read it, and take notes. Then decide how to proceed. I would like to get the draft done by November 1st though.
Ari: Thank you much. You are an absolute gentleman. Those who keep score, are often unhappy. Know that you are always welcome, regardless of when the party started.
Chris: Just sit down and do it. If we can make time for our posts, we can make time for our pages.
Friar/Brett: That’s genius. I will do Nanowrimo, and just do like a hundred posts. Then I’ll take the first half of 2009 off.
Scott: I just like to write, and I can’t wait until I can make my living doing it. I have a tremendous idea for a blog that will tie into the novel, but the novel has to come first. Great question.
Blogger Dad: It’s all sound advice. I’m going to sit down, read it, and take notes. Then decide how to proceed. I would like to get the draft done by November 1st though.
Ari: Thank you much. You are an absolute gentleman. Those who keep score, are often unhappy. Know that you are always welcome, regardless of when the party started.
Chris: Just sit down and do it. If we can make time for our posts, we can make time for our pages.
Friar/Brett: That’s genius. I will do Nanowrimo, and just do like a hundred posts. Then I’ll take the first half of 2009 off.
Scott: I just like to write, and I can’t wait until I can make my living doing it. I have a tremendous idea for a blog that will tie into the novel, but the novel has to come first. Great question.
Writer Dad,
Thanks for the shout. What you need to remember is that it took 12 YEARS for my novel to emerge. I jotted notes, I thought of lines I wanted to use, I bulleted things. And I read. More than anything, I read myriad books in the genre in which I wanted to write. I decided what I did and did NOT want to do. Even deciding whether to go with a first or third person narrative got kicked around for years.
Then, one day, I had it. I typed. I took all those thoughts, all those notes, and I put them on paper. One thing I did NOT do until the end was REVISE. I found that revising as I went sapped my strength. So I typed. And after I did my revisions, at the very end, what I had written looked pretty much like the “final manuscript.” By contantly looking backwards, I wasn’t moving forward. So after just a few days of that, I stopped – and typed.
That’s what worked for ME. Because of the genre, I knew, after all of my thinking and jotting, who my characters were, how I wanted them to unfold, and how the ending was going to be scattered through the book.
That’s what worked for ME. Like I said, my book was never “my baby,” so let’s put it into “Writer Dad” mode: I suffered constipation for 12 years, and then couldn’t stop my bowels for 8 months and 6 days!
You’ll make it – I know you will. But maybe you need to re-evaluate your method, your time schedule – or both.
And listen to Steph. She’s awesome! :-)
Rita
Writer Dad,
Thanks for the shout. What you need to remember is that it took 12 YEARS for my novel to emerge. I jotted notes, I thought of lines I wanted to use, I bulleted things. And I read. More than anything, I read myriad books in the genre in which I wanted to write. I decided what I did and did NOT want to do. Even deciding whether to go with a first or third person narrative got kicked around for years.
Then, one day, I had it. I typed. I took all those thoughts, all those notes, and I put them on paper. One thing I did NOT do until the end was REVISE. I found that revising as I went sapped my strength. So I typed. And after I did my revisions, at the very end, what I had written looked pretty much like the “final manuscript.” By contantly looking backwards, I wasn’t moving forward. So after just a few days of that, I stopped – and typed.
That’s what worked for ME. Because of the genre, I knew, after all of my thinking and jotting, who my characters were, how I wanted them to unfold, and how the ending was going to be scattered through the book.
That’s what worked for ME. Like I said, my book was never “my baby,” so let’s put it into “Writer Dad” mode: I suffered constipation for 12 years, and then couldn’t stop my bowels for 8 months and 6 days!
You’ll make it – I know you will. But maybe you need to re-evaluate your method, your time schedule – or both.
And listen to Steph. She’s awesome! :-)
Rita
Brett, NaNoWriMo sounds like fun. Maybe I’ll give it a shot with the story I’m working on now, but it’s also the month of the Denver Film Festival, and I’ve always had a fantasy about trying to see every movie.
Friar, that sounds cool, to have all that material awaiting you.
I was also interested in what Scott said about turning a novel into a blog. I know of a writer who does that at this blog: http://bernardsblog.blogspot.com/. I got hooked on the story about Layla and Cole that started earlier this year.
As someone who’s been copyediting for 17 years (now there will probably be all kinds of typos in this comment), I’d like to add a caveat about copyediting. It’s a fairly picky process, best done on books that are almost ready to be published. If you’re still polishing the story, it’s probably not the best time to have someone looking at your grammar and punctuation. A good copyeditor should be able to tell you whether your story is ready for that kind of editing or still needs more of a developmental edit.
Steph, yeah, it takes me a good half hour to an hour to get all the editors in my head to shut up so I can write something. I try to spend that time doing a little bit of line editing on what I’ve already written, or just staring off into space. Then the editors get bored and go do something else.
Brett, NaNoWriMo sounds like fun. Maybe I’ll give it a shot with the story I’m working on now, but it’s also the month of the Denver Film Festival, and I’ve always had a fantasy about trying to see every movie.
Friar, that sounds cool, to have all that material awaiting you.
I was also interested in what Scott said about turning a novel into a blog. I know of a writer who does that at this blog: http://bernardsblog.blogspot.com/. I got hooked on the story about Layla and Cole that started earlier this year.
As someone who’s been copyediting for 17 years (now there will probably be all kinds of typos in this comment), I’d like to add a caveat about copyediting. It’s a fairly picky process, best done on books that are almost ready to be published. If you’re still polishing the story, it’s probably not the best time to have someone looking at your grammar and punctuation. A good copyeditor should be able to tell you whether your story is ready for that kind of editing or still needs more of a developmental edit.
Steph, yeah, it takes me a good half hour to an hour to get all the editors in my head to shut up so I can write something. I try to spend that time doing a little bit of line editing on what I’ve already written, or just staring off into space. Then the editors get bored and go do something else.
“She handed her words to the right person. But if they’d been lousy, Rita never would’ve had a deal. ”
I agree!
Good luck with perfecting your own novel.
“She handed her words to the right person. But if they’d been lousy, Rita never would’ve had a deal. ”
I agree!
Good luck with perfecting your own novel.
To get back into a writing a book (I have two in progress), I have to go back to the beginning –before editing — when it was fun and furious. I have to catch on fire all over again because I don’t like editing. Nope, don’t like it at all.
SpaceAgeSages last blog post..What keeps you asleep at the wheel?
To get back into a writing a book (I have two in progress), I have to go back to the beginning –before editing — when it was fun and furious. I have to catch on fire all over again because I don’t like editing. Nope, don’t like it at all.
SpaceAgeSages last blog post..What keeps you asleep at the wheel?
Good luck with your novel! I have a bit of an interest in writing short stories, but need more practice.
A novel is quite an undertaking. Maybe if you read my entry that I posted today it will help ;-)
Good luck with your novel! I have a bit of an interest in writing short stories, but need more practice.
A novel is quite an undertaking. Maybe if you read my entry that I posted today it will help ;-)
Rita: My hat’s tipped. I could never spend twelve years on anything, except my family. I want my mind to jump from world to world with small breaks in between. And yes, Steph is awesome.
Beth: I think that’s a really good idea; writing a story as a blog. I think I’d like to do that someday.
I can’t imagine having editors living in my head.
Vered: Thanks. If I can just start peddling, I’m sure I can coast.
SpaceAgeSage: I’m exactly the same. Writing = Fun. Editing = Not so much.
Bamboo: I’ll be over soon.
Rita: My hat’s tipped. I could never spend twelve years on anything, except my family. I want my mind to jump from world to world with small breaks in between. And yes, Steph is awesome.
Beth: I think that’s a really good idea; writing a story as a blog. I think I’d like to do that someday.
I can’t imagine having editors living in my head.
Vered: Thanks. If I can just start peddling, I’m sure I can coast.
SpaceAgeSage: I’m exactly the same. Writing = Fun. Editing = Not so much.
Bamboo: I’ll be over soon.
Writing a novel was a dream I gave up on a long time ago. I can describe what I see, but it had better be real. I can’t make stuff up in my head. I’m just not wired that way. But I’m jazzed as hell that you are.
apathy lounges last blog post..It’s the most awful-est time of the year: Part Deux
Writing a novel was a dream I gave up on a long time ago. I can describe what I see, but it had better be real. I can’t make stuff up in my head. I’m just not wired that way. But I’m jazzed as hell that you are.
apathy lounges last blog post..It’s the most awful-est time of the year: Part Deux
@Writer Dad and Beth,
Yeah, NaNoWriMo is worth it even if all you want to do is write a whole bunch of stuff that may not be a book. I mean, you get all kinds of motivational messages from them, and you really feel like you’re part of something bigger than yourself. I really enjoyed it last year, and I’ll be doing it again this year – but this time, I have a real focus.
@Writer Dad and Beth,
Yeah, NaNoWriMo is worth it even if all you want to do is write a whole bunch of stuff that may not be a book. I mean, you get all kinds of motivational messages from them, and you really feel like you’re part of something bigger than yourself. I really enjoyed it last year, and I’ll be doing it again this year – but this time, I have a real focus.
You make me laugh and I am so intense I love coming to your blog and reading,laughing and enjoying. Thank you so much.
I am too afraid to attempt to write even a short story let alone a novel even though I have been told I will write 2 books at least in my life time by every psychic I have ever paid money to for “what I am going to do when I grow up”
Writer Dad,
That’s pretty much why I DIDN’T write for12 years, and it evolved the way it did…I was rather busy raising my children!
A ringing phone, logging on to the computer, even picking up a pencil (which always disappeared anyway) was like a “call of the wild” for the kids.
But I do have to reiterate one thing…no matter what, try to go in a forward-moving direction. The more you keep questioning what you’ve written, the farther behind you’ll fall, causing the frustration.
As I said in one of my blogs or comments: The page I started on ended up being the beginning of Chapter 4! That’s where I felt most comfortable writing – directly at THAT point, not at Chapter 1. Had I tried to begin on Chapter 1, I’d still be sitting at a typewriter today. If you can stop looking at “rules” and see them only as “guidelines” this might be a bit easier for you. You get what you get out of contests and courses, but the writing should be enjoyable, not painful.
Maybe that’s just me – I wasn’t going to go into any type of “suffering artist mode.” Had that happened – even at the 200th page – the fireplace would have eaten every word, and I don’t think I’d ever have tried it again. Sure, anything worthwhile should be tempered with a bit of hesitation and frustration, but life is painful enough.
Maybe it’s easy to say now, but I DO believe I felt this way all along. I didn’t expect the writing to come EASILY, but I didn’t expect it to be totally laborious either. For me, it was a joyful experience (with a few moments of nasty words and broken glasses), but, I have to tell you, on this one, I believe that Friar’s got the right attitude – and might be the first to sit down and FINISH something worthwhile. Because he is a better writer? NO. Because he realizes that he’s not willing to give up certain enjoyments in his life for the sake of a “book.” Every mother I knew was “writing a book” when her kids were growing up and they were home. But nobody ever WROTE one, to my knowledge.
I hope you understand my point, WD. Your kids are only young once. So are you! :-)
@Brett – That “focus” should guide you in the NaNoWriMo. Good for you! If you start losing that “focus,” however, GET OUT! :-)
Rita
You make me laugh and I am so intense I love coming to your blog and reading,laughing and enjoying. Thank you so much.
I am too afraid to attempt to write even a short story let alone a novel even though I have been told I will write 2 books at least in my life time by every psychic I have ever paid money to for “what I am going to do when I grow up”
Writer Dad,
That’s pretty much why I DIDN’T write for12 years, and it evolved the way it did…I was rather busy raising my children!
A ringing phone, logging on to the computer, even picking up a pencil (which always disappeared anyway) was like a “call of the wild” for the kids.
But I do have to reiterate one thing…no matter what, try to go in a forward-moving direction. The more you keep questioning what you’ve written, the farther behind you’ll fall, causing the frustration.
As I said in one of my blogs or comments: The page I started on ended up being the beginning of Chapter 4! That’s where I felt most comfortable writing – directly at THAT point, not at Chapter 1. Had I tried to begin on Chapter 1, I’d still be sitting at a typewriter today. If you can stop looking at “rules” and see them only as “guidelines” this might be a bit easier for you. You get what you get out of contests and courses, but the writing should be enjoyable, not painful.
Maybe that’s just me – I wasn’t going to go into any type of “suffering artist mode.” Had that happened – even at the 200th page – the fireplace would have eaten every word, and I don’t think I’d ever have tried it again. Sure, anything worthwhile should be tempered with a bit of hesitation and frustration, but life is painful enough.
Maybe it’s easy to say now, but I DO believe I felt this way all along. I didn’t expect the writing to come EASILY, but I didn’t expect it to be totally laborious either. For me, it was a joyful experience (with a few moments of nasty words and broken glasses), but, I have to tell you, on this one, I believe that Friar’s got the right attitude – and might be the first to sit down and FINISH something worthwhile. Because he is a better writer? NO. Because he realizes that he’s not willing to give up certain enjoyments in his life for the sake of a “book.” Every mother I knew was “writing a book” when her kids were growing up and they were home. But nobody ever WROTE one, to my knowledge.
I hope you understand my point, WD. Your kids are only young once. So are you! :-)
@Brett – That “focus” should guide you in the NaNoWriMo. Good for you! If you start losing that “focus,” however, GET OUT! :-)
Rita
@Beth – You are SPOT ON about copy editing!
Rita
@Beth – You are SPOT ON about copy editing!
Rita
WD,
OK. I’m gonna run the risk of pissing you and a lot of people off. The whole “baby being born in the draft and raised in the re-rewrite.” That’s about as effective as “It was a dark and stormy night.” I am NOT speaking as a person who got lucky enough to get a book into publication. The whole concept of “re-write” is, IMHO caca. Write, then revise. Otherwise you might as well be”writing” two books and hoping that one gets published. Sorry. But that’s the BLOG Rita talking. The one from 2 months ago. An opinion – like we exchanged during the Olympics!
Rita
WD,
OK. I’m gonna run the risk of pissing you and a lot of people off. The whole “baby being born in the draft and raised in the re-rewrite.” That’s about as effective as “It was a dark and stormy night.” I am NOT speaking as a person who got lucky enough to get a book into publication. The whole concept of “re-write” is, IMHO caca. Write, then revise. Otherwise you might as well be”writing” two books and hoping that one gets published. Sorry. But that’s the BLOG Rita talking. The one from 2 months ago. An opinion – like we exchanged during the Olympics!
Rita
You’re well on your way Writer Dad. Sometimes a break is just what is needed to get the creative juices flowing again. Onward!
You’re well on your way Writer Dad. Sometimes a break is just what is needed to get the creative juices flowing again. Onward!
I think the bottom line is that what works for one person, may or may not work for the rest – so the comments section of a post like this are a good source of info for all of us. See what everyone else is up to, and learn from it.
I think the bottom line is that what works for one person, may or may not work for the rest – so the comments section of a post like this are a good source of info for all of us. See what everyone else is up to, and learn from it.
Apathy Lounge: Observant writing is some of my favorite. You don’t have to make things up, necessarily. Maybe short stories about things you’ve seen. You could compile those into a collection.
Brett: I’m talking myself into it.
Patricia: Thank you Patricia. I’m glad I can make you laugh. Even not knowing you, that makes me happy. Give the short story a shot. My novel grew from a short story. Perhaps you’ll surprise yourself.
Rita: It just depends on the body of work. If your talking about your novel. You’re right. I have several shorter books written, and a couple others in the planning phases. None of those will need to be rewritten, just revised. However, my big novel, could never have just been written. It wasn’t in my head. It wasn’t even close. Remember in King’s, “On Writing,” where he talks about finding the fossil and dusting it off? This is that book. Remember in “Duma Key,” when Edgar Freemantle is just painting. This is that book. I lot spilled out, I need to mop it up.
Lance: I’m ready. Thanks for being a part of the rah-rah section.
Brett: I couldn’t agree more. Hey, do you wanna race? I mean like, in a totally friendly way.
Apathy Lounge: Observant writing is some of my favorite. You don’t have to make things up, necessarily. Maybe short stories about things you’ve seen. You could compile those into a collection.
Brett: I’m talking myself into it.
Patricia: Thank you Patricia. I’m glad I can make you laugh. Even not knowing you, that makes me happy. Give the short story a shot. My novel grew from a short story. Perhaps you’ll surprise yourself.
Rita: It just depends on the body of work. If your talking about your novel. You’re right. I have several shorter books written, and a couple others in the planning phases. None of those will need to be rewritten, just revised. However, my big novel, could never have just been written. It wasn’t in my head. It wasn’t even close. Remember in King’s, “On Writing,” where he talks about finding the fossil and dusting it off? This is that book. Remember in “Duma Key,” when Edgar Freemantle is just painting. This is that book. I lot spilled out, I need to mop it up.
Lance: I’m ready. Thanks for being a part of the rah-rah section.
Brett: I couldn’t agree more. Hey, do you wanna race? I mean like, in a totally friendly way.
Writer Dad – hey, why not? That would be kind of fun. A friendly race, where we both say, “come on, run faster”.
Why not!
Writer Dad – hey, why not? That would be kind of fun. A friendly race, where we both say, “come on, run faster”.
Why not!
Brett: I think I need to be talked into NanoWrimo. When do you plan to release your big book? The Oprah one.
Brett: I think I need to be talked into NanoWrimo. When do you plan to release your big book? The Oprah one.
Writer Dad,
The thing with NaNoWriMo is that you could just pretend, if you like. There’s no obligation to upload your words for an official count. I just like knowing there’s a critical mass of folks all writing at once.
I planned to have it done no later than 2009 March 31. That is doable, for me.
Writer Dad,
The thing with NaNoWriMo is that you could just pretend, if you like. There’s no obligation to upload your words for an official count. I just like knowing there’s a critical mass of folks all writing at once.
I planned to have it done no later than 2009 March 31. That is doable, for me.