Sometimes you've gotta work hard for it
Nov. 3rd, 2007 09:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stinglikeabeeLast night was yet another bi-monthly get-Kiley-drunk night, this time at TGIF. Ew, normally I wouldn't step inside the grotty place but friend had a mysterious assignment to review one TGIF in particular. And the assignment included one of us imbibing alcohol. Since said friend is allergic to alcohol (yes, really), I bravely took on that task. Alas, such sacrifice precludes some sort of nasty cost and that turned out to be mentioning NaNoWriMo to friend. Once she heard that I was making an attempt to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days without any profit in mind, she proclaimed me crazy and the whole enterprise a waste of time, then ordered more nachos. End of story. Burn!
Later she hastily explained the nano thing was too far out for her and that if I thought it fun I should go ahead. It makes sense that she immediately diss the whole thing, because said friend works in the industry (in LA, it's kinda obvious what this means) and time shouldn't be squandered for things that aren't going to help pay the bills. I did find that quite cynical, but have to admit a few months ago I would have thought the same thing. The standard of living is steep in LA, and our wages (particularly at entry-level) are too little to compensate for food, transportation, clothing etc. Thus my mum working two jobs, my friend taking on freelance jobs, and any number of friends/colleagues we know living with parents. At the same time, it's such a hollow life if we can't even take a break from the rat-race to do something that's out of the ordinary. I guess some people have their yoga, and for November I have nano.
It's day 3 and I am still upbeat about nano. Serious. I make no bones about how rubbish the writing is, with its inaccuracies, cliches, stereotypes. The main character I had in mind has been relegated to the backup. Instead, I have a grumpy bloke I know nothing about and a plot I am making up as I go along. It absolutely makes me laugh. But it is a fantastic thing, writing just for writing. I have no idea how I did it, but I was able to banish the evil inner editor who had disrupted my flow of writing for years and years. It's a euphoric thing, conquering that little voice in the back on my mind criticising my prose, belitting my ability to write. Dare I say it, writing has become a natural high.
I really hope this lasts, not just for the month of November, but the rest of my life. I'm absolutely aware I have a lot of work ahead if I want to fully complete the novel. There's the re-writes, picking out which scene should stay or go, and even just picking up a POV for the chapters. And I'm actually having fun. FUN! OMG! Bless Chris Baty for reintroducing that which I thought I would never have again :)
Later she hastily explained the nano thing was too far out for her and that if I thought it fun I should go ahead. It makes sense that she immediately diss the whole thing, because said friend works in the industry (in LA, it's kinda obvious what this means) and time shouldn't be squandered for things that aren't going to help pay the bills. I did find that quite cynical, but have to admit a few months ago I would have thought the same thing. The standard of living is steep in LA, and our wages (particularly at entry-level) are too little to compensate for food, transportation, clothing etc. Thus my mum working two jobs, my friend taking on freelance jobs, and any number of friends/colleagues we know living with parents. At the same time, it's such a hollow life if we can't even take a break from the rat-race to do something that's out of the ordinary. I guess some people have their yoga, and for November I have nano.
It's day 3 and I am still upbeat about nano. Serious. I make no bones about how rubbish the writing is, with its inaccuracies, cliches, stereotypes. The main character I had in mind has been relegated to the backup. Instead, I have a grumpy bloke I know nothing about and a plot I am making up as I go along. It absolutely makes me laugh. But it is a fantastic thing, writing just for writing. I have no idea how I did it, but I was able to banish the evil inner editor who had disrupted my flow of writing for years and years. It's a euphoric thing, conquering that little voice in the back on my mind criticising my prose, belitting my ability to write. Dare I say it, writing has become a natural high.
I really hope this lasts, not just for the month of November, but the rest of my life. I'm absolutely aware I have a lot of work ahead if I want to fully complete the novel. There's the re-writes, picking out which scene should stay or go, and even just picking up a POV for the chapters. And I'm actually having fun. FUN! OMG! Bless Chris Baty for reintroducing that which I thought I would never have again :)
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Date: 2007-11-04 06:32 am (UTC)Sheesh.
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Date: 2007-11-04 07:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-04 02:55 pm (UTC)The fact of the matter is simply this: if the author is having fun there's a might good chance that the reader will have fun. Simple as that.
I'm happy to excerpt swap if you want.
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Date: 2007-11-04 08:01 pm (UTC)YES! Thank you, you took the words right out of my mouth. That's exactly what I'd like to convey to the reader(s). It's been drummed into me by my English teacher for so long that writing should be venerated and used to expose truths. Bless Ms Ross, but writing can be fun as well. I wish she'd kept this in mind.
I would love to excerpt swap - it ain't the best beginning, but it sets something up. I'll e-mail you the piece :)