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Hi, figured it was about time that I poked my head in the door and introduced myself. My name is Corinna, I have been a dedicated follower of OSC since being introduced to Enders Game in about 1997. I have been watching and reading these boards with great interest for a while now. I have been plugging away at 2 novel length stories for a while now and have completed one short story. My biggest stumbling block is reading more than I write, although the stuff I read in direct line with learning all I can about writing well. This seems to be a well rounded group and great source of support and information. I really look forward to learning and participating in these great discussions.
At least reading too much is a good fault for a writer, but I wonder if that's really possible. Are you framing the problem correctly? Rather than reading too much, maybe you're writing too little.
In either case, the solution is simple but scary: apply seat to chair and pen to paper or fingers to keys; keep seat still and pen or fingers moving.
But of course, you already know that, as we all do.
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At times easier said than done. I used to have a private office, now the office has a huge arch way that opens into the family room. No other place to set up my office.
Too many distractions!
Yes, butt to chair, and turn off the card games. (for me anyway)
quote:Yes, butt to chair, and turn off the card games. (for me anyway)
It’s not the card games, it’s this internet connection that is just an click away that causes all my pain. Why oh why is email/BB/surfing so addictive and distracting?
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Thank you all for the warm reception. Butt to chair is where I have my problem, <insert snicker here> summer means getting out of office and on to hiking trails. I am a computer tech, I work on the beasts all day so I am sitting alot. I am hoping to get myself to the point where I am able to work on my story (s) in bits and pieces during down time at work. I also need to really set myself some goals and work toward them. So the insight to the need for self discipline (butt to chair and pen to hand) is very accurate. That is where you all come in. Once again, Thank you. Posts: 17 | Registered: Jul 2002
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I have NEVER written anything over 30,000 words. I just added up the word counts to the two files of my latest undertaking and it's quickly approaching 50,000 words. Your post got me wondering I was I able to accomplish this, Corinna. So, here's what worked for me...
1.) Unrequited love. Hey, she didn't accept my feelings for her, but the blank page has no such qualms.
2.) Misappropriation of company property. I sit in front of a computer screen for 8 hours a day and it is equiped with MS Word.
3.) A deep, dark state of depression. "The love gone bad turn my world to black. Tattooed all I see, all that I am, all I'll ever be... I know someday [she'll] have a beautiful life, I know [she'll] be the sun in somebody elses sky, but why not mine..." (Eddie Vedder) Ok, Unfortunately I'm not depressed enough to write something that good. I'm a firm believer that pain is art. In fact it's my mantra. Pain is art...pain is art...
Hey, it worked for me. In fact I've never been so excited about a story in my life. I usually read before I go to bed and the other night I was looking forward to reading the book I had started, thinking about the characters and what would happen next. Then I realized the book I was so anxioulsy anticipating coming back to was my own..sadly, that's a true story.
JOHN!
[This message has been edited by JOHN (edited July 24, 2002).]
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A friend of a friend of a friend of mine talked with me at a dinner once about what she did. She was a career councilor. Very long story short, don't lie to yourself. Dig deep and figure out why you want to write in the first place. Face it, you enjoy playing cards or taking a walk more than you enjoy writing. Writing is work. Playing cards is fun. Work is... well work. I guess that's why they call it that.
You, and I, and everyone else, want instant gratification. The problem I had is that I had no real concept of what gratification I would receive for spending two-hundred hours writing a 20,000 word short story. I was lucky. I have an obsessive-compulsive streak. It is constantly at odds with my predisposition to procrastination. Eventually, the OCD itch was so strong I just belted the story out. This when I discovered the delayed gratification of writing. They are: 1) I might be paid $200 (I could get my wife that operation); 2) Friends and family read the story and liked it (Worth the price of admission alone!); 3) I got the monkey off my back (nothing fights procrastination like a sense of accomplishment).
So, what is your gratification going to be? What is you motivation? Talk to me baby! Yeah! Work it! Yeah! No! No! (Sorry, for some inexplicable reason Austin Powers just possessed me.) Look deep and try to identify why you want to write. "Gosh, uh, because it's cool" doesn't cut it. Once you really know why you want to write, you'll find the motivation and discipline to do it.
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(Srhowen, how do you concentrate? That would definitely drive me buggy. I'm wondering if you have kids in that family room, too.)
Posts: 1810 | Registered: Jun 2002
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Chipster: You are so right. That very message is what I used to tell the newer members of a previous forum (now disbanded for financial reasons)that I used to belong to. It isn't the desire that has left me, nor the fact that I know I will write it. Just current changes in life that demand attention: children, relocation, new job and change in lifestyle. Joining here is just my first step in the journey back into my written obsession. I like the message you give. As I like all the encouragement that I see flowing from all members of this forum. With any luck I will be able to get involved in a group soon enough and get the momentum moving a little smoother. I am currently *tightening* and editing a short story right now. That in itself is a real nail biter for me. As to the location of my writing - Woohoo - I just went wireless with my laptop. This now means when the room starts to fill up I can relocate to another area of the house. It is all falling back into place. Life is good. ( maybe I need more padding ?!?)
Posts: 17 | Registered: Jul 2002
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One thing I particularly like about this group is that people don't sit around complimenting one another simply because they can string a few words together. They criticise here. I like that - it's both important and necessary to be open to criticisms.
As I also have a very poor grasp of the technicalities of the English language, anyone who can criticise my use of verbs, adverbs, nouns, etc, gets my fullest attention.
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Yes, there are kids in that room. I wonder how I ever completed five novels when I was working full time. I wrote the last one in 4 months (first draft) while teaching full time, working for a German Text Company, and working for the Boy Scouts in Europe. On top of that, I was getting ready to do an international move back the USA.
I think the answer is this. I had little time to devote to writing. So, when I sat down at the computer it didn't matter how much noise there was coming down the hall (to my private office)-- I sat down and wrote. My muse kicked in and I wrote for the hour or two I had, often staying up late at night to get it done. Now I have too much time.
Time to set that word limit goal again and not leave the file till it's done.
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Ladyscribe, sorry it took so long to get back to you. Welcome aboard. I'm a poster who vanishes for chunks of time, but I'm managing to post a little more recently. Look forward to seeing what you can do
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