I got back to writing my own stuff this week. It's been a while, and I think it's a combo of being lazy (of which I have a lot of practice ;-)) and a tad of depression.
The depression stems from this crappy weather this winter. Living in the northeastern U.S., you know the winter is going to be cold as all get out, there will be some snow, and you deal with it.
But this winter? I mean, WTF?
Every frigging week there's at least one day where you have snow up the ying-yang. This week, it's the fun and frolic of ice. However, it looks like I might actually make it into work, because the temps are warming up more than the weather people originally thought. As I'm a temp (not by choice), I don't get paid if I don't get in, so this is changeover to good, old regular rain is welcome.
Number of words written this week so far: approximately 1,500.
I'm also critting/betaing a novel for someone over on Absolute Write, so that's cut into my own writing time a bit. But it's also helped me get back into my own writing, which is always a good thing.
In fact, I've decided that I'm not going to edit the crap out of this ms. No more. I did that with the original version of this story and stuffed so full of odds and ends, that it made no sense. (And editing was a nightmare.)
So...I've laid down the law. I will do three revisions, then send it out/whatever. The first draft is the "Get Down the Story" draft. It's minimalist, with some bits of dialogue and some description. Second time around is for adding more details, excising things that seemed like good ideas at the time, and to fix any typos/grammar nits/punctuation problems.
Third time will be to add any further necessary details and further typos, etc.
That's it. I'll then work on a query and either a sequel or another series idea. I'm no spring chicken anymore, so the time to get moving is now.
I've noticed that there are at least two people who believe that writing fast and minimal revisions are the way to go. I've finally come around to that way of thinking.
Nancy
P.S. It's Ground Hog Day (hubby and I watched the movie yesterday; profound and funny at the same time, not an easy thing to pull off)! Already saw Punxy Phil this morning - early spring! (Let's hope he's right, 'cause I'm really sick of all this snow and crap!)
Of course, I had to find a clip where Phil Connors (Bill Murray) has fun with a woman named Nancy. :-)
02 February 2011
My Writing
I got back to writing my own stuff this week. It's been a while, and I think it's a combo of being lazy (of which I have a lot of practice ;-)) and a tad of depression.
The depression stems from this crappy weather this winter. Living in the northeastern U.S., you know the winter is going to be cold as all get out, there will be some snow, and you deal with it.
But this winter? I mean, WTF?
Every frigging week there's at least one day where you have snow up the ying-yang. This week, it's the fun and frolic of ice. However, it looks like I might actually make it into work, because the temps are warming up more than the weather people originally thought. As I'm a temp (not by choice), I don't get paid if I don't get in, so this is changeover to good, old regular rain is welcome.
Number of words written this week so far: approximately 1,500.
I'm also critting/betaing a novel for someone over on Absolute Write, so that's cut into my own writing time a bit. But it's also helped me get back into my own writing, which is always a good thing.
In fact, I've decided that I'm not going to edit the crap out of this ms. No more. I did that with the original version of this story and stuffed so full of odds and ends, that it made no sense. (And editing was a nightmare.)
So...I've laid down the law. I will do three revisions, then send it out/whatever. The first draft is the "Get Down the Story" draft. It's minimalist, with some bits of dialogue and some description. Second time around is for adding more details, excising things that seemed like good ideas at the time, and to fix any typos/grammar nits/punctuation problems.
Third time will be to add any further necessary details and further typos, etc.
That's it. I'll then work on a query and either a sequel or another series idea. I'm no spring chicken anymore, so the time to get moving is now.
I've noticed that there are at least two people who believe that writing fast and minimal revisions are the way to go. I've finally come around to that way of thinking.
Nancy
P.S. It's Ground Hog Day (hubby and I watched the movie yesterday; profound and funny at the same time, not an easy thing to pull off)! Already saw Punxy Phil this morning - early spring! (Let's hope he's right, 'cause I'm really sick of all this snow and crap!)
Of course, I had to find a clip where Phil Connors (Bill Murray) has fun with a woman named Nancy. :-)
The depression stems from this crappy weather this winter. Living in the northeastern U.S., you know the winter is going to be cold as all get out, there will be some snow, and you deal with it.
But this winter? I mean, WTF?
Every frigging week there's at least one day where you have snow up the ying-yang. This week, it's the fun and frolic of ice. However, it looks like I might actually make it into work, because the temps are warming up more than the weather people originally thought. As I'm a temp (not by choice), I don't get paid if I don't get in, so this is changeover to good, old regular rain is welcome.
Number of words written this week so far: approximately 1,500.
I'm also critting/betaing a novel for someone over on Absolute Write, so that's cut into my own writing time a bit. But it's also helped me get back into my own writing, which is always a good thing.
In fact, I've decided that I'm not going to edit the crap out of this ms. No more. I did that with the original version of this story and stuffed so full of odds and ends, that it made no sense. (And editing was a nightmare.)
So...I've laid down the law. I will do three revisions, then send it out/whatever. The first draft is the "Get Down the Story" draft. It's minimalist, with some bits of dialogue and some description. Second time around is for adding more details, excising things that seemed like good ideas at the time, and to fix any typos/grammar nits/punctuation problems.
Third time will be to add any further necessary details and further typos, etc.
That's it. I'll then work on a query and either a sequel or another series idea. I'm no spring chicken anymore, so the time to get moving is now.
I've noticed that there are at least two people who believe that writing fast and minimal revisions are the way to go. I've finally come around to that way of thinking.
Nancy
P.S. It's Ground Hog Day (hubby and I watched the movie yesterday; profound and funny at the same time, not an easy thing to pull off)! Already saw Punxy Phil this morning - early spring! (Let's hope he's right, 'cause I'm really sick of all this snow and crap!)
Of course, I had to find a clip where Phil Connors (Bill Murray) has fun with a woman named Nancy. :-)
28 January 2011
Naomi Novik
I originally thought about posting a Scott Lynch vid (he of Lock Lamora fame), I decided on a female writer instead, Naomi Novik in particular.
Depending on how you look at it, she either writes historical fiction with a fantasy bent or historical fantasy; I'm going with the historical fantasy label (because that's what I'm writing). Either way, history is an important element of the story.
BTW, some critics of her later books are saying these books are becoming more alternative history than historical fantasy.
Whatever.
To me, it's still a good read, whatever label you put on it. According to Ms. Novik, in the vid anyway (filmed in 2008), this one goes to nine (not 11, lol). I need to stock up ye olde PayPal and buy her latest, which I've neglected to do - not that I don't have anything to read :-). My TBR pile is up there, trust me.
One of the reasons I like the Temeraire series is the dragon is so smart and erudite and curious. Maybe that's how I look at myself (hah!), although some would beg to differ. In fact, that's the problem the MC in my WIP (Viv Cambridge) looks at herself, so I don't have a problem with self deprecation.
As I said, this is a Q&A (Part 1) at a bookstore in Seattle back in July 2008.
Depending on how you look at it, she either writes historical fiction with a fantasy bent or historical fantasy; I'm going with the historical fantasy label (because that's what I'm writing). Either way, history is an important element of the story.
BTW, some critics of her later books are saying these books are becoming more alternative history than historical fantasy.
Whatever.
To me, it's still a good read, whatever label you put on it. According to Ms. Novik, in the vid anyway (filmed in 2008), this one goes to nine (not 11, lol). I need to stock up ye olde PayPal and buy her latest, which I've neglected to do - not that I don't have anything to read :-). My TBR pile is up there, trust me.
One of the reasons I like the Temeraire series is the dragon is so smart and erudite and curious. Maybe that's how I look at myself (hah!), although some would beg to differ. In fact, that's the problem the MC in my WIP (Viv Cambridge) looks at herself, so I don't have a problem with self deprecation.
As I said, this is a Q&A (Part 1) at a bookstore in Seattle back in July 2008.
