What fools these mortals be

[pjthompson]

Writingness of the day: I've rechristened Brother Wolf because that working title is completely obsolete under the new scheme. Its new working title is, Rough Magic, but I'll probably change that, too. It harkens back to The Tempest, which isn't a bad thing at all, but unfortunately both Mary Stewart and Mercedes Lackey have used This Rough Magic, and a Russell Crowe movie was also called Rough Magic. (I happened to have loved that movie so much I bought it, but Rotten Tomatoes only gave it one fresh tomato out of seven, which I think is way too harsh.)

Yeah, yeah, I know, you can't copyright titles, but I don't like to go into a project with a title that I know has been used a few times. If that happens after a book has sold, tough bananas, but until that time, I'm going to try to come up with something else.

Titles are usually one of the first things that come to me for a project, and they become thoroughly ingrained with the story mythos—so changing the titles can be a painful affair. This one has had three so far: A Taste of Night was the original title, but it became obsolete, then I was considering taking up that name again until Vicki Petersson used it. Woe is me. One advantage of having so many back and forths with the name is that I didn't feel at all conflicted this time out.

What was I thinking? of the day: You know that inner critic you have, the one that's always telling you that your writing sucks? Yeah, I know you have one. I haven't known a writer who didn't, pro or non-pro. One of the more disturbing aspects of looking over this old material is that I apparently went through a phase where I formalized that internal negativity by putting them as footnotes in all my manuscripts. Egad! No wonder I didn't finish any writing for three years.

Comments

[rhonawestbrook.livejournal.com]

I just drug one of my old manuscripts out too...and was horrified at the writing. Seems the more I write, the more I learn and then the more I have to re-write. Tis a never-ending circle and I like the title Rough Magic!

maybe you could use "Abraisive Magic" instead....tee hee.

And I'm still a baby in the fiction world..but I've had moments like these too!

Always love it when you share this stuff cuz I learn from it and feel like I'm not alone after all.

Thanks girl.

[pjthompson]

You're too kind. :-) I figure if I share my experience somebody is going to be able to relate to it because we're all in this together. And I've also found that time is the greatest editor of all--because we learn so much on so many levels, conscious and subconscious, that after something's been in the trunk we can see it so much better, and know so much better how to fix it. The stuff I'm pulling out now ain't bad, but it was definitely part of my million words of crap. I'm glad to know I've learned More Stuff(tm) since then. :-)

[wldhrsjen3.livejournal.com]

I've been struggling with my inner critic so this post was great. Um, yeah, I'm going to have to quit writing those negative little whispers in the margins... :S

I think it's awesome that you can drag those old projects out, see them with fresh eyes, and get new inspiration. You inspire me! Thanks!! :)

[pjthompson]

That's nice to know. One of the things about talking about the experience of writing is that I know I'm not alone in what I'm talking about and someone will be able to relate.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Yep. Still got all my hate notes from myself in teenhood.

[pjthompson]

My twenties seems to have been a particularly self-brutal time. :-)

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

That's kind of hilarious! Fortunately my backbrain critique has never been that strong...
Do you think yours has become more content, or just too lazy to jot things down?

[pjthompson]

It is hilarious in retrospect (especially reading some of the things I said to myself), but at the time it was deadly earnest. The negativity is still there, I think I've just learned to say, "Yeah, whatever," and move on. And writing it down was just plain deadly. I'm glad my instincts moved away from that particular behavior.