Another Monday
Aug. 8th, 2005 10:26 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pbrayAnother Monday, another work week begins. Weather continues hot, humid, and no relief in sight. The only thing that tempers my frustration with this record setting hot summer is the knowledge that in about 4 weeks the furnace technician will be out to the house to clean the furnace in preparation for winter.
Reading: Finished Smoke and Shadows by Tanya Huff. An enjoyable read, harkening back to the early books in her Henry Fitzroy series.
For entertainment today, I share with you the five stages of not writing your novel. Self-mockery intended.
Stage 1: Research
There are books to read, libraries and bookstores to haunted. Websites must be sought out. If there's even the slightest possibility that one of the minor characters is a goat herder, then it's time to learn everything about goats and goat herding throughout all of recorded history before I start writing, just so I get the details right.
Stage 2: Organization
How can I start writing if I don't have an outline? I have the story line in my head, but I need to get it down on paper so I'll be organized. And I need to find cool names for all of the characters and decide what they look like before I start writing about them.
Stage 3: Office supplies
What the new book really needs is an entirely new file folder system to organize research notes. And I should upgrade my wordprocessor now, rather than waiting till mid-book. It may be time to buy a new printer, or maybe what I really need is rainbow colored highlighters I can use to go over my outline, using different colors to highlight each separate storyline.
Stage 4: Promotion/Career building
I've suddenly realized I haven't spent enough time building my career. It's time to update my website. Write articles for websites and magazines. Organize an online class, or put together proposals for workshops.
Stage 5: Just as soon as this is over
It's the Tour de France. It's baseball. It's a family event. It's a night out with friends, or another late night at the office. It's the thousand and one reasons why I can't start writing tonight, but I'm going to start tomorrow. Honest.
Reading: Finished Smoke and Shadows by Tanya Huff. An enjoyable read, harkening back to the early books in her Henry Fitzroy series.
For entertainment today, I share with you the five stages of not writing your novel. Self-mockery intended.
Stage 1: Research
There are books to read, libraries and bookstores to haunted. Websites must be sought out. If there's even the slightest possibility that one of the minor characters is a goat herder, then it's time to learn everything about goats and goat herding throughout all of recorded history before I start writing, just so I get the details right.
Stage 2: Organization
How can I start writing if I don't have an outline? I have the story line in my head, but I need to get it down on paper so I'll be organized. And I need to find cool names for all of the characters and decide what they look like before I start writing about them.
Stage 3: Office supplies
What the new book really needs is an entirely new file folder system to organize research notes. And I should upgrade my wordprocessor now, rather than waiting till mid-book. It may be time to buy a new printer, or maybe what I really need is rainbow colored highlighters I can use to go over my outline, using different colors to highlight each separate storyline.
Stage 4: Promotion/Career building
I've suddenly realized I haven't spent enough time building my career. It's time to update my website. Write articles for websites and magazines. Organize an online class, or put together proposals for workshops.
Stage 5: Just as soon as this is over
It's the Tour de France. It's baseball. It's a family event. It's a night out with friends, or another late night at the office. It's the thousand and one reasons why I can't start writing tonight, but I'm going to start tomorrow. Honest.
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Laughing with you
Date: 2005-08-08 03:16 pm (UTC)Re: Laughing with you
Date: 2005-08-08 04:37 pm (UTC)Re: Laughing with you
Date: 2005-08-08 06:25 pm (UTC):-)
Re: Laughing with you
Date: 2005-08-08 07:02 pm (UTC)"My life stinks but I can kill them all in my book without doing time..."
Why? Because I am the GODDESS and I can do anything I want, nyah.
Re: Laughing with you
Date: 2005-08-08 07:23 pm (UTC)Re: Laughing with you
Date: 2005-08-08 07:28 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-08 04:21 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-08 04:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-08 05:48 pm (UTC)...and a short story due next Monday. Damn.
*slinks off to work*