Friday, January 20th
Jan. 20th, 2012 02:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alexandraerinTHE DAILY REPORT
I'll have three chapters of By Half Measures drafted when the conclusion to chapter 2 comes together in my head. Per my usual writing methods, parts of them are almost entirely dialogue... I don't think that's going to change much in the final version, as that is my strong point. But they could use a bit more business, non-verbal characterization in general as the thrust of the story is how the characters of Ernestine and Hector react to each other. There are at least two more chapters to go, possibly as many as three... it depends on how convincingly I feel certain growth and change happens.
On the subject of sticking to what I'm good at, I'm finding I'm still not able to "shift gears" very smoothly when it comes to moving between writing and other stuff. So I'm thinking: more writing, less other stuff. Why not? Ultimately it's what pays the bills. I'm thinking I take one day a week and set it aside to actually Get Stuff Done that's not writing: tagging chapters, fixing errors, correspondence, formatting stuff for sale, etc.
The rest of the week? Write, write, write. Or muse, muse, muse as the case may be. My timer experiments notwithstanding, there is more to writing than sitting in front of a keyboard and pressing the right buttons in the right order. But still, I've been seeing remarkable results when I give myself a day and say, "Okay, nothing to do but write."
So let's go with that. Yes, to be an independent author you have to wear a lot of hats (this is one of my main qualifications, as I have a lot of hats), but I'm going to start operating consciously under the assumption that being a really prodigiously prolific author of Things People Want To Read can help make up for deficiencies in other areas.
I've been saying for years that the secret to writing is writing, and there's increasing evidence that the best promotion for one piece of work is to have more pieces that can lead to it. I'm frequently spoiled when it comes to ideas for things I want to write or need to write. And then I set myself to tasks that do eventually need to be done but aren't writing and... pfffft. It takes me an hour to get ten minutes' worth done, and it's hard to get back into the swing of writing.
So, during the Weekly Work Day, I'm going to lay out specific tasks and put myself on the clock for them. The thing about being a submissive is I have a really great work ethic but it's hard to get myself into the necessary head space to access it when I'm working for myself. But I'll work on it. WWD will probably either be Monday, since I'm not home alone Monday and that impairs my creativity, or Wednesday, because that's new comic day and (Black March notwithstanding) that's something I can use as a work incentive for myself. It might also have a tendency to float.
None of this is set in stone, of course. As always, I'm trying things and figuring out what works. But like the man said: you need to fall on your face sometimes, or what's a heaven for?
STATE OF THE ME
Doing okay. Sniffliness is abating. Sleep was good, woke up in the morning part of the morning, though it took me a while to get going.
PLANS FOR TODAY
Well, I've written 2,000 words of By Half Measures... meant to spend an hour on it but was on a roll so I spent two. I've got a chapter of Tales of MU to wrap up and post, that'll be coming up this evening.
I'll have three chapters of By Half Measures drafted when the conclusion to chapter 2 comes together in my head. Per my usual writing methods, parts of them are almost entirely dialogue... I don't think that's going to change much in the final version, as that is my strong point. But they could use a bit more business, non-verbal characterization in general as the thrust of the story is how the characters of Ernestine and Hector react to each other. There are at least two more chapters to go, possibly as many as three... it depends on how convincingly I feel certain growth and change happens.
On the subject of sticking to what I'm good at, I'm finding I'm still not able to "shift gears" very smoothly when it comes to moving between writing and other stuff. So I'm thinking: more writing, less other stuff. Why not? Ultimately it's what pays the bills. I'm thinking I take one day a week and set it aside to actually Get Stuff Done that's not writing: tagging chapters, fixing errors, correspondence, formatting stuff for sale, etc.
The rest of the week? Write, write, write. Or muse, muse, muse as the case may be. My timer experiments notwithstanding, there is more to writing than sitting in front of a keyboard and pressing the right buttons in the right order. But still, I've been seeing remarkable results when I give myself a day and say, "Okay, nothing to do but write."
So let's go with that. Yes, to be an independent author you have to wear a lot of hats (this is one of my main qualifications, as I have a lot of hats), but I'm going to start operating consciously under the assumption that being a really prodigiously prolific author of Things People Want To Read can help make up for deficiencies in other areas.
I've been saying for years that the secret to writing is writing, and there's increasing evidence that the best promotion for one piece of work is to have more pieces that can lead to it. I'm frequently spoiled when it comes to ideas for things I want to write or need to write. And then I set myself to tasks that do eventually need to be done but aren't writing and... pfffft. It takes me an hour to get ten minutes' worth done, and it's hard to get back into the swing of writing.
So, during the Weekly Work Day, I'm going to lay out specific tasks and put myself on the clock for them. The thing about being a submissive is I have a really great work ethic but it's hard to get myself into the necessary head space to access it when I'm working for myself. But I'll work on it. WWD will probably either be Monday, since I'm not home alone Monday and that impairs my creativity, or Wednesday, because that's new comic day and (Black March notwithstanding) that's something I can use as a work incentive for myself. It might also have a tendency to float.
None of this is set in stone, of course. As always, I'm trying things and figuring out what works. But like the man said: you need to fall on your face sometimes, or what's a heaven for?
STATE OF THE ME
Doing okay. Sniffliness is abating. Sleep was good, woke up in the morning part of the morning, though it took me a while to get going.
PLANS FOR TODAY
Well, I've written 2,000 words of By Half Measures... meant to spend an hour on it but was on a roll so I spent two. I've got a chapter of Tales of MU to wrap up and post, that'll be coming up this evening.