I try to use most of the practices I have been researching and writing about here, at least until they hit the ‘it’s not for me’ pile. So it makes sense to describe how they’re working out. To that end, I’ll check in with a more personal progress report every now and again.
So it’s Sunday, and inevitably I have that Sunday feeling. In fact these days I get That Sunday Feeling on Friday night. It drives me crazy that I can’t relax and enjoy a weekend because I spend most of it feeling bad that it is going to end. I have plans and plots that might change the shape of my life with regard to work, though, so things could be worse.
Usually the ten minute writer approach helps to push extraneous issues like this to one side. This week, though, I have temporarily abandoned my zombie writing in order to sort though stuff I churned out in previous weeks. I remain less disciplined and focused in revision than in the first pass. I’m going to have to look for tricks to help me with this, or I’ll never finish anything.
Strangely with all the excess writing I have lavished on every scene, I’m still having to do a lot of original writing to make things work. The choppy character of revision, though, means it’s hard to find the pleasing rhythm of an initial draft. Gradually, I’m getting closer to a method that might work for me, but I’m going to do more reading and research too. I’ll post on that this week, probably.
I failed to attend a single LitQuake event here in San Francisco last week. This is vexing, but typical. Everything for which I had time or energy was booked up when I got round to checking the site. It’s a shame because, like many writers, I don’t get out much. I have been trying to play better with others, and I’m keeping up my workshop attendance. I still have a way to go, though, clearly. If I’m still in the city next year, I will do better. I may have said that last year.
Looks like I’ll be writing the third edition of a non-fiction (programming) book. This will be fun, but will make the dance of the schedule even more frenetic than it already is. Still, I have found that the discipline required to write for deadline transfers well to fiction, too. Perhaps I should impose some tighter deadlines on myself for my novel. It does seem to be stretching on endlessly. Possibly I’m so pleased with myself for checking in on my writing every day, that I lose site of the bigger picture. I have some schedule-oriented writing books on my shelf, so some research this week might be a good idea.
Next week I’ll be posting my revision research. I’m also getting a couple of chapters reviewed in a workshop, which is bound to be an interesting experience. And I’m going to try to introduce some more discipline into my practice. That means finishing more, and goofing off less. We’ll see.
