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What are you waiting for - your luck to change, your 'man' to come as in today's clip (when you think of your Muse is it a he or a she)? Maybe you're working through one of those spells we all hit occasionally when writing your blog or book seems impossible. 'The whole process of writing is an endless process of doubt' Hanif Kureishi said in an interview a couple of years ago. Do you know how he feels? I do - when you write you put yourself on the line time and time again. Can I finish this book? Can I get an agent? Will anyone want to publish this? If it's published will anyone want to read it? Then if you are successful there is the ever present 'Can I do it all again'?
Maybe all writers are gamblers. We take a chance when all the people who 'have a book in them' but never pick up a pen don't. We risk our time, hard work, creativity, income (and if you're unlucky health and sanity). Why? Blogging over the last year has given me a chance to reflect on this and the only answer I came up with was 'because I love it and I have to'. The proof copies of WKDN are on their way from Blurb - editing down a few of the most popular prompts and posts into a book has been challenging. Moving from multimedia stream of consciousness to plain text makes you aware of every word. No bells and whistles, no images. It felt like each word mattered more - yes, the book is for charity, and yes if it only sells a few copies that will be pretty good for POD, but I wanted it to be the best it could be - it's a workbook format so unlike the blog you can scribble away to your heart's content and I hope a few of you will have fun with it once it's launched.
Compare this to publishing WKDN on Kindle this week. A few clicks setting up the RSS and it was done. For $1.99 (70% of which goes to Amazon ...) any Kindle fans can now get the blog that way. Just as well the blog is written for love not money :) but anything to make it more accessible to people who have adopted e-books. Unlike me. One of the things I am enjoying most about being at the start of writing a new book is the excuse to read. Hours spent legitimately with my nose buried in a book. Famously someone once said that all financial rewards with writing are backpay ('the advance is really a retrospective') but I've remembered this week why I took a chance and started writing. The real reward is the writing itself, reading, researching - when it's going well it is like a run of luck, every word is gold.
TODAY'S PROMPT: What's your attitude to luck? Is it pure chance or is it sheer hard work and keeping an eye out for an opportunity? Do you think you make your own luck as a writer or is there too much beyond your control? Are you a gambler in life? Lottery tickets, casinos, tossing a coin - all are great creative devices for kicking a story off in an unexpected direction. Wasn't there even a book called 'The Dice Man' where the character's life depended on the throw of a dice?
When the words are flowing well it really does feel like a lucky streak but there's the flip side, the times when you are down on your luck, the words disappear, plots shrivel and you wind up wondering how to dig yourself out. I've used a couple of techniques to get through bad patches you might want to try if you're stuck at the moment - you could try just writing on, work through it towards a point in the story you know it will take off again. When you edit the draft perhaps that section won't be as bad as you thought. Alternatively if you are really stuck and can't write another word, a brutal but effective solution is to work back in the story to a point you were happy with and delete everything that came after it. Start again from that place. Sometimes we all take a wrong turn (in life and literature), and we need to take a chance on starting over again.
Hope everyone taking part in the six week challenge has had a good few days - let's check in in the comments.
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Sun's out, kids in the pool, hound sunbathing, pilot home - hellooo half term :) Hope everyone had a good week? I concentrated on getting WKDN published with Blurb now MMU have my application (yikes). Lots of walks (pilates not so much ..:) Lots of research but not so many words yet. This week's a 'breather' for me and a few of you but I'm hoping to finish up my research so I can get writing the week after. How about you?
Emma and I have reached a point where our MSS is 90% finished and now needs careful editing. I have taken on the editing job, and sadist that I am, I am actually looking forward to cutting and pasting and sense checking etc. After our disappointment with the last agent it has made us determined to go back out there with a perfectly hilarious complete product that we are 100% proud of.
On the novel front- nothing done this week as was working full time in a week where my husband was away in Grimsby (don't ask)but for now I need to concentrate on the humour book. It's going to take more than a crappy half-assed agent to stop Emma and me.
Oh and we might be looking for a proofreading/honest to goodness critic friend, Kate, since you like your nose in a book and all....
I believe in good luck... just not for me.
I very rarely win anything by chance. I always get on the longest grocery check out line, even when it is the shortest. The lottery is a waste of my time.
Almost everything I have received is because of the work I have done or what I have already achieved. That's not a bad way to go, but I do get tired of always having to take the hard steps to get everywhere. I go by foot where most people take cars or boats or jet planes. Sigh.
As for the writing. You have good advice for keeping the writing going when stuck. Do you have any good advice for revising? It seems such a different process to me than creating a first draft. I get stuck in rewriting. :(
I have lost some weight altho it was not through dieting - just walking a lot because it is sunny. Misssy is a saint to revise our book - we can do it we know it, just needs tweaking! Wrote a bit of the erotic novel now need cold shower.
I like the Chinese, the I Ching, version of good luck, which is good fortune. My husband is half Chinese and his Chinese grandmother was a Taoist. They follow the ebbs and flows of the Universe. And, like you said, when good fortune is flowing the In Ching guides one in how to get the most at this time. Likewise, when times are chaotic or dangerous, there are guidelines to get one through with the least loss.
Misssy - it would be a pleasure :) Good for you both - keep going. If we carry on raising our game by the time publishing wakes up we'll be ready!
Rowena - rewriting is a different ball game as you say. Is there anyone you trust to take a look at the m/s for you? It's always a good idea to give the story a bit of breathing space for a couple of weeks - then you go back to it fresh. Read it through once without stopping to edit. What's your overall impression? Good bits, bad bits, missing bits? Then read it again several times with this in mind - mark up the m/s with typos, sections you think need a bit more work. Read it out loud (or record it on a dictaphone). Somehow when you hear a book there's no hiding place - always find this helps esp with dialogue. When you go back to start the rewrite of the next draft you'll have a feeling for the book as a reader as well as the writer. Hope that helps?
Emma - bravo! (Think all the walking has just made me hungrier ..:() Have no doubt that you and Misssy can do it! Wld be very happy to read for you.
Hi Pseudo - that's really interesting. I like the idea of fortune flowing (do tend to think 'what have I done?!' when you're stuck in chaotic times).
Never read The Dice Man. But I remember a s/f short story from looooong ago called The Pi Man -- pi as in Greek p (which sounds a bit naughty now that I put it that way) -- the title character was obsessed with creating patterns, hated randomness, was always doing things like throwing away pocket change just so he'd have (say) 10.01 in cash.
Writing through is the only thing that works for me. And I've done the thing you suggest, too -- back up to a point where it stopped working, and cut from there forward -- but often just paste that stuff in to a separate file called "cuts" because I sometimes later want to remember what I said, or how... a potential gold mine for future literary archaeologists, no doubt! *coughcough*
I do love the research. Love it so much that I have to, y'know, keep an eye on it so it doesn't run away with my real reason for writing.
(Someone with French skills: what would be the raison d'etre-style translation of "reason for writing"?)
(Of course I'm tempted to research it myself, but, well... :))
'The whole process of writing is an endless process of doubt'
I suppose the doubts must reduce if and when you've had your first big hit.
Thoughts on luck? I don't possess the luck virus as many others do. Something might come to me and then something else taketh away.
Nice blog. I saw you on my old friend Leigh and thought to visit. Now on to Pi who I saw there too.
Hi John - raison d'ecrire??! or maybe more besoin d'ecrire as it is a necessity ...
Hi GB - let's hope we all find out soon :)
Welcome Middle Ditch - thanks for coming by. There are so many bugs and viruses around at the moment let's hope the luck one strikes soon.
I think it's an incredible mixture of both- good luck and hard work.
And plus.........a tiny bit of talent............
My luck--being born in a time when women aren't slaves to their biology in a country where I can speak my mind. My luck--having a barista ask to see my art which lead to my first show which lead to the art festival which lead to my art in a shop.
My hard work--gave up most TV and outings with friends to get work done instead of talking about getting work done. Hours up late writing and making art, throwing things away and putting other pieces out in the world. Hours at the festival greeting strangers and asking them to look at my art. Sending out queries even after many rejections.
I'm almost done with the latest novel & I've sold more art. Sometimes all the hard work isn't enough--if you're born in the wrong place or encounter the wrong people. And you can have loads of luck but if you can't work to follow it through, what does it matter?
Hi VM - that's it - if you have one of the elements without the others you won't get far. Combine all three forces - talent, hard work AND luck ... the world's your oyster :)
Hi Marta - it's been great following your success on Fbook. Really thrilled that all your hard work is deservedly beginning to pay off for you. Just hope when (and it is when not if ...) your writing is picked up they let you design the cover!
Tsk. I had a dreadful week. It started with another power cut! I haven't really caught up with myself.
Ha... I love The Dice Man, Luke Rhinehart. We used to play the dice game at school.. you can then blame the dice for all your bad behaviour. We had to read it for Sociology.
Sx
Hi scarlet - that's the one! I remember copies being passed round at school too. x
Luck - I wouldn't say I was lucky (never win at anything) but sometimes fate's moved in and things that seemed negative, have turned out very much for the positive.
I've had the Dice Man in my bookcase for years so now it's been mentioned, I've dusted it off and it's my next read.
Six week goals
Got the second draft finished and I've taken up the offer from Nanowrimo for a draft copy. Called it by a different title and it's nowhere near finished but thought I'd grab a free copy. Loved the quote, because that's what I felt as I was working through parts of the second draft
'The whole process of writing is an endless process of doubt'
Meditating gone the pan as I've abandoned routine for a week. Same as the healthy eating but that is more to do with the delicious box of See's Candies a friend bought me back from the States and too many meals out.
Hi Susie - great stuff! I enjoyed Nano more than I thought I would last Nov, and there's nothing like seeing a draft copy to make your work seem 'real'. As for the other goals we all have blips but tomorrow is a new day :)
'the real reward is the writing itself, reading, researching - when it's going well it is like a run of luck, every word is gold.'
I agree with this whole heartedly and as for getting lucky IMO it takes a great deal of nose to the grind-stone.
Hi Pat - the best things are worth working for until nose/grindstone runs out :) Funnily enough remember trying to turn the grindstone at my father's sawmill as a child and not being able to - amazed seeing man cranking it round, sparks flying as they sharpened the huge saws ... Hope some of that has rubbed off and will keep nose down.
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