Boy, I'm still not doing well keeping y'all updated. Sorry, work and life are still not in balance. I'm hoping to switch to an early morning schedule next week. We'll see how that goes for writing and blogging. Which is the main thrust of this post, self-discipline. One thing I’ve been trying to be more strict about is sending out my work. I’ve been doing ok in that department this past month but I could be submitting more.
I got back a few more rejection letters since last update.. One, to Flash Fiction Online, actually had some folks enjoying it. That was nice to hear. Just didn't get enough votes to make it all the way. Two other form rejections and one semi-form rejection*.
I'm not overly discouraged. I need to write a bit more actively and use more active verbs. I was reading and analyzing some old Conan stories and noticed how many active verbs Robert E Howard used. It really brought those stories to life. I’m going to try something like that when I go back to revise some of my fantasy stories.
Smooth Running is still being edited...not that I’ve been DOING any editing these past two weeks. Work is part of the problem. Video games are the other. Yep, the Achilles Heel of many a writer has afflicted me, too. Currently “The Secret World” and now “Guild Wars 2” have me hooked. Based on previous track records, it’ll take a month or two for me to get burned out on them and get back to writing. Not terribly happy about that but that’s what’s happened before. Rabble.
Writing is a discipline and sometimes I can be undisciplined. Disciplining yourself is as important as learning correct punctuation and compelling characterization. I’m serious, it is as much a part of a writer’s craft as anything else. It might even be more important, because if you’re not writing, you’re not learning and not...well...WRITING. As character flaws go, this isn’t the worst but it’s still a flaw and it is something I fight with all the time.
Writing is like exercise, half the battle is just showing up. The other half, is just doing it. Not dreading it, not whining about it. Just showing up and doing it. You don’t have to do it perfectly but you do need to do it. I’m going to try to take my own advice...but after PAX this weekend. Oy, more video games, more temptation.
I have a few more thoughts about writing and I’ll try to get them to you as soon as I can.
*Form language, no feedback, but I got a name and actual written text instead of an autoreply.
I got back a few more rejection letters since last update.. One, to Flash Fiction Online, actually had some folks enjoying it. That was nice to hear. Just didn't get enough votes to make it all the way. Two other form rejections and one semi-form rejection*.
I'm not overly discouraged. I need to write a bit more actively and use more active verbs. I was reading and analyzing some old Conan stories and noticed how many active verbs Robert E Howard used. It really brought those stories to life. I’m going to try something like that when I go back to revise some of my fantasy stories.
Smooth Running is still being edited...not that I’ve been DOING any editing these past two weeks. Work is part of the problem. Video games are the other. Yep, the Achilles Heel of many a writer has afflicted me, too. Currently “The Secret World” and now “Guild Wars 2” have me hooked. Based on previous track records, it’ll take a month or two for me to get burned out on them and get back to writing. Not terribly happy about that but that’s what’s happened before. Rabble.
Writing is a discipline and sometimes I can be undisciplined. Disciplining yourself is as important as learning correct punctuation and compelling characterization. I’m serious, it is as much a part of a writer’s craft as anything else. It might even be more important, because if you’re not writing, you’re not learning and not...well...WRITING. As character flaws go, this isn’t the worst but it’s still a flaw and it is something I fight with all the time.
Writing is like exercise, half the battle is just showing up. The other half, is just doing it. Not dreading it, not whining about it. Just showing up and doing it. You don’t have to do it perfectly but you do need to do it. I’m going to try to take my own advice...but after PAX this weekend. Oy, more video games, more temptation.
I have a few more thoughts about writing and I’ll try to get them to you as soon as I can.
*Form language, no feedback, but I got a name and actual written text instead of an autoreply.
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