Notes like this are intended to give everyone a short term goal to aim for with one's writing. The idea is to work to get SOMETHING written for the next week so you can brag about your accomplishments. In my case, this note is to humiliate me into writing each week, as it is embarrassing to post this note and not be able to show anything for it. I am supposed to feel like a worthless drag on society for not being able to report that I wrote, and then use the humiliation to strive harder to write for the next week's report. As you can tell from previous posts, it does not work to well with me..... I had a series of days where I was working overtime, and had things going on after work. I was running so late at the beginning of last week that I never had time to write a DID YOU WRITE? note. It was Wednesday when it looked like I could write something and I decided that was too late so I skipped it. AS to the question of the day, I did not write the past two weeks. I did open my Waxy story Sunday, but had to close it because I remembered I was a story idea behind for the month and had to write something to catch up. I am a worthless drag on society because I did not write. The universe was about to step to a higher level of existence, but because I did not write on my story, I held it back and it won't get that chance to become something greater for a long time. Could you swing that whip a little harder? I get more enjoyment form the pain. Sorry, I got sidetracked at my flogging myself for not writing....<g>
I did get caught up on my story ideas. I missed a day last Sunday because of the art show I was part of. I missed another day because of the Woodturning Club meeting I attended on Thursday. Making up two days is easier to catch up on if one is Sunday's loss was made up a few days before. Thursday's loss was made up on Monday, I think. It takes concentration and easy story concepts to write two story ideas in an evening, or two notes such as this did you write and a story idea. The did you writes are generally quite easy to write.
I am at a loss. the AT&T service that took over my PRODIGY E-mail account has suddenly stopped sending my wonderful junk mail. I was getting some 80 junk mails a day, and now it might be one or two a day. I am no longer getting all those interesting names for my name list. At this moment, my list of names is at 3315 names and on page 78. I might add a page or two over the next month, but it appears to be stuck there. I went so far as to verify my settings to be set for letting everything in.
The art show last Sunday was fantastic. Before I left, I removed two fifths of my turnings. Another fifth was not on display as I did not have the room. at the show, I did not display half my small carvings, mostly Christmas ornaments but a lot of others. I arrived at about nine. I set my work on the table, then looked it over. Not good. I removed some stuff, added others, and looked it over again. Yuck. I shifted stuff around two times, removed a few more things and still did not like it. I decided to give up and go with what I had. The show itself started at eleven. I did get to look at some of the stuff the other 50 artists had on display. some had not set up yet at that time. There are work there that make my stuff look sick, but they say the same about mine. The big problem with my display is that I have too much stuff out. I have to have that stuff out as that is basically what I am there for, the carvings, which are mostly small. I settled down before the show was to start. I always cave during the show. It adds interest to my display and it makes time fly by. One of the artists purchased two pencil heads, which are carved wooden heads on the end of the pencil. I was planning on carving on a cowboy. When she took two of my six pencil heads, I decided to carve them instead. I am getting ready to post on one of my web pages the pictures of my display. I sold some wood earrings I had, I sold some wooden flowers, some were roses made from shavings, and some were flowers I made using the lathe, stylized roses and tulips. I carved three pencil heads during the show and sold all three of them, with one, the customer came by about three times while waiting for me to finish. I sold a goblet where the rim followed the natural shape of the wood, and a vase that had the rim that also followed the shape of the wood. I also sold two dragons I carved. I had the best year I have ever had. I sold many pieces, but I saw absolutely everything was at least a third the price they should be, sometimes a quarter. I started in these shows back in 2000, taking a bit of my dad's table and working my way to having half his table. When He died, I took over the display. Our best year together was at best just over half this year.
To use my show experience in a story, consider someone who accumulates a bunch of factory overruns. It is stuff like toys, and kitchenware, and He decides to take a chance and go to a distant market and see if he can unload his stock. The market is mostly aliens, a completely different society. Many other merchants went there and came back with all their stock. It could be very expensive, but he decides to give it a try. He could see he was not going to sell his stock for much where he was. He arrives at the space station that holds the market. The first thing he does is takes out a case of each kind of product and lets the space port officials take what they think is a valid payment for his space. He considers that he got by cheep. He then pays for his sales space and then puts out his wares. They generally deal in volume, whole shipments of one thing. He has dozens of different products. It is a long, hard period, not knowing the language, but negotiating for product exchange. Many times, he has to take a customer over to a stall that had something he needed in order to show what he considered a fair trade. He also had to demonstrate many of his products to show what they might be used for. He ands his day handing over the last case of potato peelers. He loads his payments onto his ship. Everything is in order. He returns home, not knowing if he picked up anything that was worth anything when he gets back. He takes his shipment to the local market. When he hands off the last case of his stock, he is satisfied he actually made money on the exchange. He also sees that at both ends of the journey, he could bargain harder and get more for his work. Even so, he heads home quite happy with his efforts.
As to the question of the day, No, I did not write.
posted
Yes, as always. But I'm still futzing around with my plot and worldbuilding as well. Religions are so hard. I still haven't figured the religions out which means eventually I'll have to go back and fix stuff. But still, I wrote.
Posts: 1588 | Registered: Jul 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
Finished number four of my anticipated twelve stories. Wrote 1200 words on number five today.
I think when this self-challenge is over, I won't try to for one story a week again. I'll pace myself better and allow at least two weeks to finish stories.
posted
I tried the less is more aproach this week. I am happy with the result which was a complete rehaul on my WOTF entry, which is far better than my original plot. Of course my goal this week will be to polish and submit--deadline is near. I also roughed in a short, got rejected on a micro fiction for AlienSkin that I thought was brilliant.Tonight I try to finish my Heinlein Centennial first draft.
posted
I took a dip into my WIP. It's been a while, but I think the break was good. And, since I'm avoiding rewriting my WotF contest, I started drafting another piece... what's wrong with me? It seems I'll do anything to avoid revising.
Still getting used to the jarring work schedule. After having all day with the freedom to write, it's tough getting back into a 9-5, plus commuting and preparing/ winding down from work makes it more like 8-6, about an hour and a half a day in the gym, plus, say 40 minutes to make dinner, and the remaining time split between husband, cats, household chores, reading, and writing... how to juggle it all?
posted
I reworked my WoTF story, again. I can't believe I'm still working on this story, and if I ever get an hour, I might finish it up. Annepin, I know exactly what you mean. I'm in the same situation myself as of last week. I just had a four day weekend for Easter, and spent all of it decorating. Back to work in an hour.
[This message has been edited by darklight (edited March 25, 2008).]
posted
I've completed several pages on my latest series over the past few days, but I get the idea that I'm probably posting this in the wrong place. If so, I apologize.
Posts: 487 | Registered: Mar 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
Pretty good...with my iPod troubles behind me, I was able to work every day except Easter this last week, at five hundred words a day, and yesterday the story I worked on cracked ten thousand words. I hope to carry it forward at that rate. (I figure the story has at least that many words to go before it's done...of course the figure also includes some pages of notes and outlines and a rewritten first scene...)
Posts: 8809 | Registered: Aug 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I did a little bit. Got frustrated with myself for not taking the time to Flash at LH this weekend (Easter visitors were talky and chatty until late, so there was some excuse), so I took a break yesterday and banged out a 300 worder that I sub'd to Six Sentences.
Now I just need to get a fire lit under my keister and start working on my novel again. It's been languishing in 27K-ville since December. Think I've figured my way around the roadblock I found, and I wrote up the outline notes, but haven't dived back in yet... My brain must not be willing yet...
posted
Yes, this week was decent -- lots of editing and polishing. Today I mailed 3 application pieces to a summer writers' institute; I'd spent the week-end finalizing them. I'm playing a 13-line game over on the Writing Challenges thread, so I sent my piece in for that. A friend and I have promised to write something -- anything -- every week; then we exchange our efforts and discuss. So I spent some time brainstorming a particularly puzzling character with whom I'm dealing and sent my notes to her. At the beginning of the week I finished editing the piece workshopped here and sent it to ASIM. I started the new year discouraged and depressed, but am working through it. Things are looking up.
Posts: 195 | Registered: Feb 2008
| IP: Logged |
TheOnceandFutureMe
unregistered
posted
I critiqued my classmates work. I also sketched out three ideas for a novel for an independent study next semester. My prof shot down all three of them. *sigh*
IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
