Five states of being make a post
Jun. 19th, 2009 11:04 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pjthompson1. I don't know why I'm still amazed at the utter hypocrisy of people pointing fingers at others for the stuff they routinely do themselves. Yet still I find myself surprised. No, nothing directed at me, just a general observation, and if you're reading this it's dead certain you're not who I'm talking about. And since going after straw dogs and easy targets means many folks will nod and go along with the finger-pointing, no one is likely to call the hypocrite out.
2. Another bout of stomach difficulties this week: I hear this flu makes you sick, then lets you think you're recovered, then hits you again, so I don't suppose anything sinister is going on. I'm feeling better today. Well, except for the usual creeping, clinging malaise.
3. I've rewritten one of the offending chapters of A Rain of Angels and am overall satisfied with the change. I'm having a hard time motivating myself to go on to change the next chapter, the one requiring me to completely get rid of one comic character that I rather like and replace him with a grim and scary sort, then shift the other comically stupid character to one that is sinisterly stupid. I am so done with this novel. But I will slay the monster yet!
4. A big restructure is also necessary in order to proceed with Venus in Transit. The next chapter to be posted on OWW, chapter 9, requires me to start the restructure, but I can't seem to work up the enthusiasm for it. Maybe I should finish the novel, then restructure. I don't usually favor circling back to make changes before pushing through to the end because it usually lands me in just the kind of malaise I find myself in now. Maybe I could stomach it better as a completed first draft that needs fixing, as that is the usual pattern of ripping things up to reassemble. Maybe.
5. I thought yesterday I'd say to hell with both these projects and write something just for fun. But I didn't. Couldn't think of what I wanted to write, it seemed like too much trouble. My vaunted drive to write seems to have vaulted over the wall. I wonder what my reasons for writing are these days? The old formulae no longer seem to apply. Perhaps what's needed is a restructuring of myself rather than my novels.
2. Another bout of stomach difficulties this week: I hear this flu makes you sick, then lets you think you're recovered, then hits you again, so I don't suppose anything sinister is going on. I'm feeling better today. Well, except for the usual creeping, clinging malaise.
3. I've rewritten one of the offending chapters of A Rain of Angels and am overall satisfied with the change. I'm having a hard time motivating myself to go on to change the next chapter, the one requiring me to completely get rid of one comic character that I rather like and replace him with a grim and scary sort, then shift the other comically stupid character to one that is sinisterly stupid. I am so done with this novel. But I will slay the monster yet!
4. A big restructure is also necessary in order to proceed with Venus in Transit. The next chapter to be posted on OWW, chapter 9, requires me to start the restructure, but I can't seem to work up the enthusiasm for it. Maybe I should finish the novel, then restructure. I don't usually favor circling back to make changes before pushing through to the end because it usually lands me in just the kind of malaise I find myself in now. Maybe I could stomach it better as a completed first draft that needs fixing, as that is the usual pattern of ripping things up to reassemble. Maybe.
5. I thought yesterday I'd say to hell with both these projects and write something just for fun. But I didn't. Couldn't think of what I wanted to write, it seemed like too much trouble. My vaunted drive to write seems to have vaulted over the wall. I wonder what my reasons for writing are these days? The old formulae no longer seem to apply. Perhaps what's needed is a restructuring of myself rather than my novels.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-19 06:29 pm (UTC)So, get better quick! After all, sick sucks!
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Date: 2009-06-19 07:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-19 06:29 pm (UTC)Have you taken a writing break lately? If not, maybe one is in order...
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Date: 2009-06-19 07:39 pm (UTC)As to the writing break, I have not taken one lately, but I've been kind of permissive with myself and not keeping to a regular schedule since that last rewrite of Angels. Maybe I should walk away for awhile and see how that feels.
Or maybe it's just because it's been a couple of weeks of not feeling so well and I just need a general rest. :-)
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Date: 2009-06-19 07:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-19 07:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-20 12:46 am (UTC)2. Blech. Get better.
3. I hate revising. I hate cutting characters I love. One time, I had this Austalian pirate and I worked for months to get his speach right only to axe him!
4. I wish they had an OWW for my people.
5. You could always move shit around in your house until you feel inspired. That's how I roll.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-20 07:53 pm (UTC)2. I am getting there.
3. Cutting characters is the absolute hardest thing.
4. OWW tried to expand to other genres but didn't get enough members to make a go of it, unfortunately. There are other online crit groups, but I haven't tried any of them.
5. That doesn't work for me. I may just need a break.
A Response of Commiseration
Date: 2009-06-20 06:53 am (UTC)Flu: Ugh, I really hope you are getting better for real and for good.
Rewrite: Hooray for the overall satisfaction. As for Motivation, he's a fickle one, isn't he? I miss him so when he's gone, and he seems to be gone quite a lot these days. Sounds like he hasn't been camping over at your place.
Venus: I've read 7&8 but haven't had a chance to crit them. Oy, speaking of crits, did I send you crits for 5&? I read those, too. :P
Vaunted drive and reasons for writing: I'm here with you, chica. I'm here with you.
Re: A Response of Commiseration
Date: 2009-06-20 07:56 pm (UTC)Yeah, why is that? Ever hopeful, I guess.
I am getting better, thanks. As to the motivation, maybe I do need to take some time off from the guilt and worry and just read books for a week or something. Besides the finding a new reason for writing thing.
Venus: I've read 7&8 but haven't had a chance to crit them. Oy, speaking of crits, did I send you crits for 5&? I read those, too. :P
Um, I haven't gotten anything past chapter 2--but that's more than okay. I know how busy you are and haven't really expected them. But if you want to share your opinion... :-)
Re: A Response of Commiseration
Date: 2009-06-21 09:17 am (UTC)Re: A Response of Commiseration
Date: 2009-06-21 05:50 pm (UTC)