Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} Never check email when writing. That’s my new rule. I need rules like that because if I don’t have them, and follow them, things like last night happen. I got about three pages done in an hour. A pretty good clip for me but then around 9pm, I did it. I checked my gmail. Worse, I read one of the emails. Worse still, the email was a critique on one of my Smooth Running chapters. (Yes, I’m still submitting Smooth Running for critiques even though it’s currently on the Baen slush pile. It’s not like it’ s not going to get yet another revision draft even if Baen loves it.)
Reading that critique totally took me out of the character’s headspace. It also made me moody, as critiques often do. I’m getting better at accepting feedback but I still struggle with it. In any case, once I read the critique, I was done, done, done. I don’t think I got another half page done after that. Which means I got three, four if we’re being very generous, pages done last night.
Oh, and it’s June 18th. 12 days until deadline. Cue freak out.
On the other hand, though it feels short, maybe ending at page four of chapter 15 is the right move. Balt is introduced and so are some of the conflicts he represents to Jael and Jacob. There are worse ways to end a chapter.
I think I’ll keep it, as is and keep charging forward. We still have a lot of traveling to do, a lot of issues to confront, a lot of bad (and not so bad but antagonistic) guys to confront and overcome before we can scale the peak of the Great Eyrie.
So, once I’m in the Throne of Writing (tm), email is shut. No email checking or responding until the next day. If I don’t do that, I’m toast.
Reading that critique totally took me out of the character’s headspace. It also made me moody, as critiques often do. I’m getting better at accepting feedback but I still struggle with it. In any case, once I read the critique, I was done, done, done. I don’t think I got another half page done after that. Which means I got three, four if we’re being very generous, pages done last night.
Oh, and it’s June 18th. 12 days until deadline. Cue freak out.
On the other hand, though it feels short, maybe ending at page four of chapter 15 is the right move. Balt is introduced and so are some of the conflicts he represents to Jael and Jacob. There are worse ways to end a chapter.
I think I’ll keep it, as is and keep charging forward. We still have a lot of traveling to do, a lot of issues to confront, a lot of bad (and not so bad but antagonistic) guys to confront and overcome before we can scale the peak of the Great Eyrie.
So, once I’m in the Throne of Writing (tm), email is shut. No email checking or responding until the next day. If I don’t do that, I’m toast.
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