Just now as I was commenting on a friend's blog, I started thinking... and I think there only a couple ways to go right now - either a person writes like mad to keep the jackals away or the jackals overwhelm them to a point where they can't write.
I was in the latter place for most of this year. Obviously, that wasn't working for me. Sales sucked. My writing suffered. And the jackals were never satisfied.
Now I'm in the former place. I think.
Anyway, I'm writing. I'm climbing toward the climax of this novel as fast as my little fingers can take me. Last night, I cranked out over 3100 words and rolled over 40K words by a good margin. That's the most I've written in a single sitting since forever. The best I did last year was 2400+ words last May, when I forced myself to sit down and work on Cinder Ugly. (That lasted like 3 days and then I fell apart again.)
Of course, I'm throwing things out there I never intended to. There's no basis for it. There's no groundwork laid ahead of time. It's a hot mess. But it fits in the grand scheme. I'll have to go back and edit the earlier stuff so it makes sense. Hey, that's what edits are for.
I feel good about this. In a spot where I feel good about little else. Will the rest of the world meet Duke Noble with the same excitement? :shrug: I can't worry about the rest of the world right now. I can only worry about this. And write like mad to keep the jackals at bay.
Not sure what'll happen when this book is finished. I'll dive into edits and hope that works the same as writing like mad. Then I''ll work on publishing. Then? Maybe Duke will talk to me some more. Maybe Dennis Haggarty will put his foot down. Maybe the gang at the SCIU will demand their place again.
Whether you're pushing to keep the jackals away or hiding from the little bastards, it's okay. We all do what we have to do to survive right now. Hang in there as best you can. :hugs:
My philosophy: when those "ah-ha" and "where the eff did that come from" moments appear in the story, they are meant to happen. And yes, first draft is for all that stuff to happen and edits are for figuring out how, why, and when and layering it in. Go you! I, for one, am looking forward to making Duke's acquaintance!
ReplyDeleteAs you know, I had a "voice" blast in from the past this week too. Not many new words--some but nowhere close to even a chapter but...I had over 20K words hanging out there that needed sorting out. Some will go into the slush pile to be used in different books. Some will be rearranged. Some made me cry. Some made me mad--at ALL the characters. Not as a writer, but as a reader invested in their lives. I think that's a good thing. Anyway, Sade's book is front and center, working title LEATHER AND LACE, though that's subject to change and most like will. The book it started out to be is not the book it's turning into. This is also good. That means my process is working. Like yours is working.
Now go start a bonfire to keep those jackels at bay. Maybe I can sic my murder of crows on them! Oh, and have a great weekend. No (or very little) work for me. Stormy arrives this afternoon and stays until Sunday. Fun times!