Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Updated 103 days ago

... or, My! How time flies!

... or, Fuckity, fuckity, fuckity, fuck!

Remember how, oh, probably about 103 days a go, give or take, I had said something along the lines of, "I really need to start writing regularly on that book I always say I'm going to work on..."

No? You don't remember?

Oh, well, apparently neither did I.

Well, ok, that isn't quite true... I've thought about writing numerous times. Believe me, I know that writing is a muscle that if not exercised (like my flabby behind) will atrophy.  I can't even say that it's because of a lack of opportunity. Nope. Nuh-uh.  I've found myself with more free time--in the last two months especially, having changed jobs to one that doesn't expect me to work every night and weekend-- and in being out of grad school-- than I have had in the past 3 years.

I'm kind of kicking myself since it's not like I've used that newly found free time to actually go to the gym or take an art class or take up cake decorating (um, maybe I should put that one on hold for awhile and stick to trying to go to the gym, huh?).  I've definitely THOUGHT about writing. Like last night. I thought about it. Then I decided to check a few more blogs and fiddle around on the internet and watch a dvr'd episode of Oprah. (Have I mentioned that I could really use a new car, Oprah? That would be awesome!)

There's nothing like logging into google docs though to have your procrastination documented literally in front of your face. "Last updated 103 days ago." Eee gads!  Even if I had only written one page per day (the very modest goal I set myself) that would mean I would have 103 more pages than I had 103 days ago. In a year I would have 365 pages and that's a whole damned book.

Oh, internets! How I disappoint myself!

Don't get me wrong-- it's not as though I think I somehow have the next great American novel in me or anything. No, I have no goal other than to write the next great trashy romance novel. Why? Because I love them-- I love the wonderful escapist fantasy of it, I love that everything works out in the end and the bad guys get their comeuppance... and I love that it's one of the most commercially successful genres and it's something I might actually be able to make a buck off. (As opposed to the great American novel which only my heirs would be able to make a buck off of once it becomes required reading in every high school in the country.)

That is- I could make a buck off of it if I ever got off my (flabby!) arse to write it! Come to think of it, I don't even need to get off my arse at all. And isn't that the whole appeal of writing?

I had tried to form a critique group with a couple of friends who are aspiring writers but that fell flat and then so did my motivation to get things written by certain deadlines.

So... any motivational ideas, interweb friends? If you come up with the winning solution I might just have to dedicate my (sure to be award winning) book to you!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can't tell you how many times I've logged into google docs just to be shocked at how much time has passed between edits on something. It's mortifying, really.

I'm not one to have advice on writing procrastination-ha!-but something that might motivate you is to start researching the publishing process. OR maybe find out if there are short story/chapter contests for that genre. It would get you out there, for one, and in my opinion little goals and solid deadlines always help.

Would LOVE to know your pen name, by the way. I'm guessing you're going the pen route? Isn't that what romance people do, or am I totally behind the times? :)

StephanieC said...

Heh. I have wasted literally YEARS of my life researching the publishing process! (And in the process came across a few great blogs- The now dormant http://misssnark.blogspot.com/ and http://pubrants.blogspot.com/ -- Great resources.)

As for my pen name... well, I decided on that back when I was in High School. You know that whole "Take your middle name and the name of the street you grew up on, and that's your porn name," (or one of a million variations of it?) Well, mine is AWESOME-- Natacha Stratford. Isn't that the most romance-novelish name you've ever heard?

So, apparently I've missed the Deadline for the 2011 Rita competition-- which is a competition I've been wanting to enter for... oh, the last 10 years. It looks like the deadline will be in September of next year so that gives me a good 9 months to work on my (sure to be brilliant) novel.

Now... how to motivate myself to actually do it? Hmmm...