I'm horrible about scattering my thoughts. I can't shut down the idea machine long enough to really work out a good idea. I'll get a good idea and start with my pre-writing. I'll work out some notes, outlines and character sketches, but as soon as I actually start writing I get another neat idea and start pre-writing on that. The result is three novels (one crime caper, one detective story and a humourous Anti-Clancy submarine novel) in various stages of incompletion, outlines for another two or three books, outlines for a dozen short stories and more character work than I should have ever done. For all that effort, I've only got about five short stories and a handful of rejection letters to show. It is entirely possible that I could one day become a prolific writer if I can ever shut my brain off.
I can relate here big time. I've written one novel (really badly) and have never taken the time to edit it or rewrite. I have a book of short stories, too. Like the novel, it's nowhere near close to being published. Every writing book suggests we write, write, write -- everyday. As reporters, we must write about 2,000 words today -- more than that if you consider blogging, stories-in-progress, and the un-Godly number of e-mails the job requires. We should be book machines, right? I read a really good strategy to getting a book written, and I forget where. This was a tip for writing a book in a month. To get to novel-length, you need 50,000 words. So this book said to write 1,667 words a day for a month. That gets you to 50,000 words in 30 days. Of course you need to find the time and energy to do it. I like your true crime story book idea. I've always thought it'd be fun to write non-fiction using fiction techniques -- Truman Capote-style. Whenever I get in a slump, I read a John McPhee story. For some reason, his attention to detail -- and descriptive style -- gets me rejuvenated. I keep a copy of "Oranges" on hand in case of emergency!
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I'm horrible about scattering my thoughts. I can't shut down the idea machine long enough to really work out a good idea. I'll get a good idea and start with my pre-writing. I'll work out some notes, outlines and character sketches, but as soon as I actually start writing I get another neat idea and start pre-writing on that. The result is three novels (one crime caper, one detective story and a humourous Anti-Clancy submarine novel) in various stages of incompletion, outlines for another two or three books, outlines for a dozen short stories and more character work than I should have ever done. For all that effort, I've only got about five short stories and a handful of rejection letters to show.
October 15, 2007 at 9:08 a.m.It is entirely possible that I could one day become a prolific writer if I can ever shut my brain off.
I can relate here big time. I've written one novel (really badly) and have never taken the time to edit it or rewrite. I have a book of short stories, too. Like the novel, it's nowhere near close to being published.
October 14, 2007 at 11:11 a.m.Every writing book suggests we write, write, write -- everyday. As reporters, we must write about 2,000 words today -- more than that if you consider blogging, stories-in-progress, and the un-Godly number of e-mails the job requires.
We should be book machines, right?
I read a really good strategy to getting a book written, and I forget where. This was a tip for writing a book in a month. To get to novel-length, you need 50,000 words. So this book said to write 1,667 words a day for a month. That gets you to 50,000 words in 30 days. Of course you need to find the time and energy to do it.
I like your true crime story book idea. I've always thought it'd be fun to write non-fiction using fiction techniques -- Truman Capote-style. Whenever I get in a slump, I read a John McPhee story. For some reason, his attention to detail -- and descriptive style -- gets me rejuvenated. I keep a copy of "Oranges" on hand in case of emergency!