On writing and not writing books.

[mrissa]

This morning, I was amused to find that I had written that a character "jumped to her fett." As I do not write StarWars fanfic, this should be fixed. Still. (We have a Boba Fett toy from ages ago, and Roo was playing with it Sunday, repeating: "Bobo Fett? Bobo Fett? Where?" and smothering it in Uncle markgritter's penguin lovey the Sarlac or something spelled similarly. porphyrin tried to get him to say Boba instead of Bobo, but he was having none. This is the child who insists that the wrinkly little green guy is called Minnesota, so hey, whatever. I find it unspeakably adorable.) Anyway, I envision jumping to her fett as something like skipping to my loo. On which subject, I'll take "ways to tell the lyricist was not British" for $200, please.

I begin to see why so many children's books have one sibling designated as "the clever one": when you are deliberately having three children clever in different ways, it can get to be hard to balance who thinks of what when. Some of it is clearly in the category of "X would think of that and Y never would," but some of it is just that something needs to occur to someone, and it would eventually occur to all of them, but someone has to say it first.

I have not drafted a book this year. This is the first year since 2000 in which I have not finished the first draft of a book. I don't particularly like this, but I also think that this is exactly the wrong time for me to push through to finish a book in a month. There's a reason the NaNo people didn't choose December, and besides, I just don't feel that great. So I will keep doing what I have been doing: revisions, new writing, sending stuff out. Generally keeping on as much as I can. It's not that I haven't been working. It's mostly that Thermionic Night and Sampo have required a lot of work, and I haven't had as much energy to apply to that as I usually do. I know I'm not being a slacker.

It still bothers me, though.

Comments

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

"It's just a jump to the Fett... "

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Oh dear.

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

Fortunately, both my ability and desire to do a Star Wars RHPS have come to a halt with that line.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Yes, but now you've suggested it to the rest of these lunatics nice people.

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

They don't seem to be leaping on it, though.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Lucky for both of us.

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

In my amateur but concerned opinion, this is not the right time for you to start a one-month "death march" project to finish a book. I think you have chosen wisely :-).

You *have* been working on books, and part of the reason you haven't drafted a new one this year is you've been finishing off work already largely written. That's a good thing too.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Of course I don't object to you restating this.

The look on your face last night when I brought up the idea as a discarded one was pretty eloquent all by itself, though.

[kythiaranos.livejournal.com]

I could sympathize with what you said about not getting a book finished. One of the hardest things for me has been finding a balance between being disciplined in my writing work, and not being *too* hard on myself, which can be really crippling for the creativity. Anyway, if you find the magic balance point, will you let me know?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Heh. If I ever find any way to not be too hard on myself, the cheering will be such that everyone will know.

[angeyja.livejournal.com]

I begin to see why so many children's books have one sibling designated as "the clever one": when you are deliberately having three children clever in different ways, it can get to be hard to balance who thinks of what when.

Mm. Reminds me of what I wrote today about there being four of us, the pack, the interplays could get interesting. Not clever in different ways though.. somehow that doesn't seem quite right. And last night too reading Half Blood Prince. Well gosh of course Hermione would say that; but, if you know it too much it is annoying to read it. Now with the family pack it is more what people do and who comes up with what idea or what coices they make. When Ben came home with a half dozen b-day cards, I was able to guess who they all came from.

You are a pretty fettfar jump from slacking.

I've never had anything like the draw every day produce a picture every week feeling for the drawing. Soem not being able to stop when the picture idea tackles me and then won't let me up no matter how many times I cry uncle. I do know in the drawing books that working very fast is suggested a s a way to loosen up see different (I guess force on a flow state.)

But it seems an un fun way to play with the muse to me. OK. Back to monthendy supplication of our demon system here.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

The only reason I don't write daily is because I deliberately started taking Sundays off. Otherwise I would just go and go and go. This was not always a good thing.