The Spy From Atlantis: draft done, surprise!

[mrissa]

Two weeks ago I wrote this post about brain momentum and my hope that I could bleed off some of that momentum into a novel.

That…didn’t entirely happen. I mean, I channeled that momentum into a novel. That much is clear. But…okay, look. I finished the draft of that novel, The Spy from Atlantis today. First draft, all done, there we go, book. That means that in the last month I’ve written five short stories and 2/3 of a book. This…is a personal record. (I still have two days left in that month, and the thought scares me a little.)

Early this year I got completely stuck and bogged down on this book. And I eventually wrote, “MORE BOOK GOES HERE” in the manuscript (in the place where more book went! and I was right, more book did go there!). And then I reminded myself that I was not on deadline, that there was no reason to make myself miserable writing that book right then, that I could just write something else.

So I did.

And then two weeks ago, more or less, I opened the file and wrote a thousand words like it was nothing. And I knew what other words went in it. It was just a matter of letting them out. Elise says Mike called this “finding the spigot.” I can’t explain it, but that spigot got found.

The thing is, I’m not yet sure it’s off. On Friday, when I was assessing what was left, I was pretty sure I was going to finish today. And there is a part of my brain that chimed in, “Oh good! Then we can work on [three other story ideas] on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, before things get really going for Farthing Party.”

PLS SEND HALP.

Seriously, there is stuff to do, and my wrists and back could really use a break. So…maybe an average of less than 4K a day is something to shoot for. Just a thought. The three rules I made, once it became clear that I was going to be writing this book NOW NOW NOW were:

No ruining my hands.

No ruining my health.

No ruining my relationships.

So I have done things like continuing to eat the same reasonable-or-better levels of food, continuing to work out and sleep, continuing to get together with friends and family, etc. They are good rules.

I just. It will be nice if I don’t need quite such a reminder that they are the rules for awhile here.

Still! Book! I am pleased, and I had fun. All the fun that was missing on this book earlier this year was back in abundance. Yay go book. I will revise it when I’m not in Montreal. I will let it marinate for a bit. But in the meantime: book! Yay go book!

Comments

[sraun]

Out of curiosity, have you thought about investigating voice-transcription software?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Voice transcription software would make my quiet job I like into a loud job I hate.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

It always amazes me how people say this every time, as if it were something nobody would ever have thought of and dismissed because it would be useless and awful.

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

Yay, fun! In all its forms.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

hurray/1 That is awesome news -- and an awesome instant-buy title.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Titles are hard.

[blue-hat-guru.livejournal.com]

Again: congratulations and condolences?

[papersky.livejournal.com]

You're so sane, making those rules!

(Plato says the head rules the hands.)

And yay, book done!

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I went last night and wrote a flash piece and a thousand words of short story.

SUNSPOTS.

[ashnistrike.livejournal.com]

Ooh, is that the girl detective in Atlantis story?

Also, yes, rules. Those ones sound very sensible.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Atlantean girl detective in New Jersey, but yes, same one we were talking about last time I saw you.

I am still following those rules.