Is anyone interested in trying a little thing with me? I’m at the knife-edge of my wits these days (I know that is in no way hard to believe) and I actually think that if I manage to squeeze in 30 minutes of writing time I may increase the will to go on. (I’m not suicidal. I don’t need an intervention. Just a nap and possibly a wife, but that’s a post for another day.)
Here’s the thing. I have 2 half-done manuscripts that require way more than I can give them right now, time-wise and emotional-investment-wise. SO instead, I’m going to try the thing my husband has been doing since July: A story a day. It can be a really short thing (ala Hemingway’s famous short story: “For sale: Baby shoes, never worn.”) or a longer thing, or a fragment of a thing, but I want to write from my guts without worrying that it’s not increasing my word count or manuscript output. Anyone want to get in on this with me? A practical flexing of the muscles, as it were. (And I promise to never say “as it were” again.)
It’s sort of “Romancing the Words” — a no-commitment, rediscover-the-joy, dive in and splash around in the puddles of creation activity. Starting now. Ending at the end of the month if you’re one of those NaNoWriMo pros, carrying on longer if you’re like me and unable to commit to 50,000 words in a month.
As far as craziness like planning goes, I’m not actually doing any. But I did think that I could try a few genre-based experiments: One day, write something funny, or sad, or scary. Another day, historical. Or, dialog-only. Setting based, fantastical, child-focused, nonfiction, like that.
So now that I’m putting this onto the internet, I’m all in. Write on.
(4) Comments for this blog
I think it’s a brilliant idea, Becca! That’s just along the lines of what I’m doing right now. (I’m writing short stories based in the world of the novel I’m working on. I’m not planning on *doing* anything with the shorts, but I think it will help me find more love for the bigger work.)
By the way, I love your writing. I’ve been thinking a lot about it lately (esp. 5th Gift) and thought you should know that you’re brilliant. You write in just the way I love to read.
I think it’s a brilliant idea, Becca! That’s just along the lines of what I’m doing right now. (I’m writing short stories based in the world of the novel I’m working on. I’m not planning on *doing* anything with the shorts, but I think it will help me find more love for the bigger work.)
By the way, I love your writing. I’ve been thinking a lot about it lately (esp. 5th Gift) and thought you should know that you’re brilliant. You write in just the way I love to read.
Hmmm. I like it. I have three weeks left of my long-term sub assignment. Sounds perfect. Ann and Louise called these “rush writes.” count me in.
Hmmm. I like it. I have three weeks left of my long-term sub assignment. Sounds perfect. Ann and Louise called these “rush writes.” count me in.