What's On Your Mind About Your Writing?

[FidelityBoss]

What's on my mind about my writing? Well, a lot. I can't seem to stop thinking about writing. Sometimes it sucks thinking about it so much and writing too on top of it! ha!

Usually, I write out 1,000 words a day, but lately, it's barely 500. It seems like I can only do 500 in a sitting and then I get antsy to read it and look back on it. Like I said, I have an outline, and notes and I'm up to the 19th chapter, but I feel like I am forgetting what I write, it's nuts. Then the rest of the time, when I'm not writing, I friggin' thinking about writing. Like I said, it sucks. It's this vicious circle. And I know it won't stop till the novel is actually done, which could be a couple more months.

Anyway, your turn...

What's on your mind about your writing?

 

[onehitwanda]

Honestly? The past couple of months have fucked with my head in ways that make it very hard for me to want to write. So it feels a bit forced at the moment; I have two works I want to finish and a third I'm working on now, but I worry that I'm forcing it rather than letting it happen like it usually would.

Oh well.

 

[gunhilltrain]

What's on my mind about my writing? Well, a lot. I can't seem to stop thinking about writing. Sometimes it sucks thinking about it so much and writing too on top of it! ha!

Usually, I write out 1,000 words a day, but lately, it's barely 500. It seems like I can only do 500 in a sitting and then I get antsy to read it and look back on it. Like I said, I have an outline, and notes and I'm up to the 19th chapter, but I feel like I am forgetting what I write, it's nuts. Then the rest of the time, when I'm not writing, I friggin' thinking about writing. Like I said, it sucks. It's this vicious circle. And I know it won't stop till the novel is actually done, which could be a couple more months.

Anyway, your turn...

What's on your mind about your writing?

You mean a novel, or is it going to be in chapters in a serial? Same thing, I guess. Either way, it's an ambitious way to start.

Don't worry about how many words you can write in a day. Stop when you feel "depleted" and get back to it another day. There's no rush. Then the editing, proofreading, and such are really going to take big chunks of your time.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

New job the past few months, so not really writing lately. However, just filled in some plot points on my 'next up' so that will probably get me going again soon. (not that anyone cares : P )

 

[Erozetta]

"Does this fake bit of code *look* like it might do something?"

 

[StillStunned]

Let's spin the wheel of "Which WIP to stare at unproductively tonight!"

*Spin*

And the result is... "Start an entirely new WIP!"

 

[onehitwanda]

Let's spin the wheel of "Which WIP to stare at unproductively tonight!"

*Spin*

And the result is... "Start an entirely new WIP!"

I feel seen. And attacked.

 

[StillStunned]

I feel seen. And attacked.

It's not me attacking you. It's your WIPs. They outnumber you by too many.

 

[onehitwanda]

It's not me attacking you. It's your WIPs. They outnumber you by too many.

They are legion, it is true.

 

[StillStunned]

They are legion, it is true.

And multiplying like killer bunnies.

 

[StillStunned]

Sorry, did we derail yet another thread? Never mind me. Head back over to your original discussion.

 

[KittyOfSteele]

What's on your mind about your writing?

It depends.

If we're talking about Literotica, well, I planned my day for writing today. I wanted to finish a draft, put some things in advance, but I had a horrible morning, and spent the entire morning journaling because my mind wasn't clear. I'll say it this way: I had a flashback to a very traumatic event I had 20 years ago because it nearly repeated itself.

As for my phone project goes... I'm avoiding it mostly because I don't want to deal with my phone, but also because I don't know what to do. Sometimes I get bored of it, so I'll just wait a week or two, and then I start writing again.

As for the book... well, it's an effort that begun quite out of the blue exactly one week ago. Emotions stacked up for far too much, the calling was too loud to ignore, and suddenly I found myself sitting on my pants, writing that thing. It was a complete impulse. Frankly, when I write that book, I don't care about anything. Stuff like structure, characters, whatever makes a novel, goes to take a hike, almost as if Miller is possessing me to write. I know the book won't be popular; I put the truth on its pages, no point on making it commercial. By far it's the most visceral erotica I've done so far, probably because it is about what's currently going on in my life as I'm living it. I'd be surprised if it gets published here. If it does, and they (government) manage to see through the veil, I'll be now hunted for at least the following:

• Lewd conduct.
• Incitement of hatred.
• Manufacturing and distribution of pornography.
• Terrorism.
• Treason to the homeland.

As if being politically pursued wasn't enough. Que bo sistema, vomito fraude...

To that I'll just quote NAO on this: "Puta bandeira, lume a ese trapo." (Fucking flag, burn that rag).

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

And multiplying like killer bunnies.

Is this a call for the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch???

 

[StillStunned]

Is this a call for the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch???

I doubt it would do much good against the massed hordes of WIPs.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

I doubt it would do much good against the massed hordes of WIPs.

I'm finally under sixty, but just barely. Then the damned things recruited a story from my pending folder, one I was ready to set free. I made the mistake of proofreading it one last time only to discover the entire middle section was all tell with no show. Yeah, got to rewrite that shit, so... No wait, I need to work on this other one, or maybe that one. I think Ineed another bottle of scotch...

 

[SinclairGroupLLP]

There was a thread the other day talking about info dumps - it may not even have been a thread, it may have just been some comments within a thread, honestly - and I started looking over my writing and my writing style to see how bad I am at it.

I think I've convinced myself that I've got a Tom Clancy level case of info-dumpitis. Now, I don't mind info dumps, but everything I've seen and read lately on how to write expect you to stay away from them, and I think it's gotten into my head a bit. I find myself rewriting paragraphs to find a way to slide some dialogue in, or some internal thoughts. I guess that's positive, but I don't for certain.

I do know that as I approach the end of Part 2 of my 3 part series, I have a handful of must-do things and a limited amount of words to do them in and that's kind of painting me into a corner.

There are times I wish I had beta readers who could handle my prolixity so I could get a better idea if what I'm writing is compelling to anybody but me and the handful of people who are waiting, feet tapping impatiently, for the next chapter.

 

[StillStunned]

I'm finally under sixty, but just barely. Then the damned things recruited a story from my pending folder, one I was ready to set free. I made the mistake of proofreading it one last time only to discover the entire middle section was all tell with no show. Yeah, got to rewrite that shit, so... No wait, I need to work on this other one, or maybe that one. I think Ineed another bottle of scotch...

I just realised that my bottle of pinot nero is finished. So I'll be launching my assault on the WIP folder with whiskey.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

I just realised that my bottle of pinot nero is finished. So I'll be launching my assault on the WIP folder with whiskey.

Scotch, Irish, Canadian, Bourbon, Rye, Tennessee?

 

[StillStunned]

Scotch, Irish, Canadian, Bourbon, Rye, Tennessee?

Irish. A Bushmills single malt. In a Meyer's glass ("Meyer's, le whisky Alsacien").

 

[YmaOHyd]

Two things.

First, trying to find a mode other than contemplative first-person. Part of this is that the main thing I'm working on is a story that's told in first-person from the viewpoint of a person who is contemplative and does live in his own head a lot (both by choice and not) and is observant and analytical, hopefully in a way that comes across as 'this person observes and understands these things,' not as 'the author is telling you these things.' I like contemplative first-person. My favorite novel series is written in first person from the viewpoint of someone whose superpowers are things like attention to detail, understanding of human nature, and ability to observe-analyze-remember in real time. So I'm predisposed, I think, to want to write that way. But I'd like to be able to write other ways too, especially action-oriented ones, and right now I can't.

Second, figuring out the here-to-there between what I have coming up in Ch. 3 and what I already know is going to happen in Ch. 5 in a way that satisfies my storytelling needs, and doesn't piss people off because I'm asking them to read 60k words of no sex, and hopefully sets up what I want to do in the future organically.

In re Clancy: Clancy readers, I think, tune in for the infodumps. There's a certain kind of reader who loves descriptions of systems.

 

[PapaRomantic]

Yesterday was a banner day...I finished my last WIP and am in the editing process as I write this! It's a very good feeling! This one has been open for 4 years, and I was afraid the characters were going to abandon Mr!

Now to tackle the numerous story ideas, including my Geek Pride entry.

 

[StillStunned]

I finished my last WIP

Enjoy the feeling, you smug bastard!

 

[NuclearFairy]

I am, scattered. Like I want to write and I pull up the document to start writing, and the next scene is sitting there in my head. But the words to describe it are like wisps on a hot day. So I try to take a break and pull up something else because the urge to write is strong, but I just keep going back to the scene I'm trying to write and the words are stuck somewhere between my brain and my hands.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Irish. A Bushmills single malt. In a Meyer's glass ("Meyer's, le whisky Alsacien").

@onehitwanda turned me onto Caol Ila. Not sure if she cursed me or blessed me. I'll need to finish the bottle to make sure.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I changed jobs back in October and although I'm much happier, my writing time has shrunk considerably. I'm missing it. That's what I'm thinking.