learnteach: (Default)
learnteach ([personal profile] learnteach) wrote2004-11-29 01:03 am

Ain't gonna happen.

The novel? It's gonna fall short, if even close...it ain't gonna happen. Why? Because I did not finish the commit. What did I do instead? Move a roommate in. Make sure Thanksgiving was good. Play too much World of Warcraft (thanks, Hamish!) (blah blah blah) (like I"m not aware I'm addicted to leveling...)


But it's been a very good learning experience. I set out to write 50K words of crap, and it was freeing. I wrote 22K (so far, say, can I write I write I write 14K a day? Nope. I'll go slam some out. But I doubt I can do that, when my best rate so far is 800wph.) The novel itself is better than I expected, the ideas fun to play with, even an opening for learning (which I will write down.) Can you read my novel? No, it's not done.

And why didn't I do it? I knew how many words I had to write a day to stay ahead of the novel, but I let the moment overwhelm me. WoW is incredibly addictive to me. Incredibly.

BUT I'd rather have a life.

I've also developed an interesting (read: old and trite) observation. Bunches of people gave me ideas, advice, comments; a few even gave critiques. People who had done this before or attempted it were great. Some comments, however, just didn't work.

The old and trite observation? I put more stock in action than ideas. Ideas are important; action, moreso. Put me in Griffindor, I suppose; I'll break the rules to wander the halls.

More later.

[identity profile] kfitzwarin.livejournal.com 2004-11-29 01:59 pm (UTC)(link)
I have those sorts of problems with games too. Kills me. I have to Just Say No sometimes. Well, a lot, really, if I want to get anything done. I found going out to write other places (coffee houses, bookstore cafes, etc.) was really good for keeping me from being sidetracked.

Glad you found it a good exercise.
I'm curious about something you said above though.

You wrote:
I put more stock in action than ideas. Ideas are important; action, moreso.

So, is writing an action or is it an idea?

Writing is an Action about Ideas

[identity profile] learnteach.livejournal.com 2004-11-29 03:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Talking about writing is not doing it. Having people tell me how to write, when I can't adequately express why I'm stuck, is extreeeeeeeeemly frustrating.
Actions don't speak louder than words; words are louder. Actions are truer, especially the small ones you don't expect are noticed. Kind people help when it's not asked for. Clean people wash things before they put them away. Etc.

Writing on LJ is more of a conversation, closer to an idea of writing. Attacking a novel...is writing.