Writer blather: priorities

[mrissa]

So about a month ago I had a to-do list:


1. Rock sprite story (from elisem earrings called, "'Oh, yeah?' said the rock sprite.")
2. Sampo draft.
3. "Singing Them Back" (from elisem necklace of same title)
4. "Blood Man Calls the Whale" (provisional title): my modern Saami fantasy story
5. Thermionic Night edits
6. Zodiac House typing and organization from longhand
7. Analog-ish story, no provisional title yet
8. contract work research (it's not due until 12/31) (about 3/4 done)
9. porphyrin necklace story (it's a disease, is what)
10. Sampo edits
11. contract work composition
12. "Even Without Deceit" -- which is half-written anyway -- in the series with "MacArthur Station" and "Glass Wind" and "Rest Stop"

I keep reminding myself that "finish draft of book" is a large item, and it took many words and many hours, and so I shouldn't feel pathetic and behind because I only crossed one thing off the list in a month.

I'm trying to nudge the brain into short story mode, because I told myself I wouldn't start another novel until the 18th at the earliest. Because does one need to be drafting a novel at every single moment? One does not. This is harder than it seems, because my brain has settled on Zodiac House next, and so it keeps providing the sort of little details I would normally just start with and see what happened and look up again to find that I was out of water and had 1000 words more than I did before. Short stories! Short stories! I have good short stories to write. I like the short stories I have to write. But the brain whispers, "Tabitha's father calls her 'monkey.'" And when I try to steer it away, it starts poking at revisions. Bah.

I'm going to type in some of the stuff I have longhand in the (paper) journal, see how much that helps focus some of the short stories. Maybe I should just go somewhere with the journal tomorrow, whether it's the kitchen table or what, and see what I can do away from the damn computer. I don't know why the computer would be to blame for my novel obsession, but hey, it's worth a try. Isn't it? Maybe?

Comments

[wilfulcait.livejournal.com]

When I'm having trouble putting my brain in the right gear for a particular kind of writing (talking writing for work here, not pleasure), I find that it helps to change modes. My first fallback is to turn off the screen on my monitor, put the keyboard in my lap and type with my eyes closed. If that doesn't work, I draft something in longhand. If all else fails, I dictate onto tape, and thank the heavens that provided me a secretary. In the absence of a secretary, that last option probably isn't feasible, although if you had a fast-typing friend maybe you could work something out over the phone.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I am a fast-typing friend.