GOAL: finish my novel by Dec. 31

Posted inWriting
Amid all these other projects, one of my goals this year was to finish the dystopian science fiction novel I've been working on. My progress has been unsteady, but it is moving forward. I'm roughly 25,000 words into it. But that's not far enough. I need to get the first draft finished by the end of this year. That's my personal goal. So I'm calling myself out. First draft finished before the end of the year. If I do not do that, I suck. That is my deadline. First draft, end of the year. Deadline. I am committed to doing…
Getting through those difficult chapters

Getting through those difficult chapters

Posted inWriting
Sometimes the words don't come. It's not a matter of not having ideas, it's that the ideas won't come out. You sit down, place your hands on the keyboard knowing you need to get something done ... but nothing happens. You don't have any words. I've had a few of these nights recently as I've tried to get back into the swing of things. Six weeks away from writing ended up being far too long. As I previously blogged, for me routine and momentum are absolutely vital in staying productive. Short breaks are fine, but those extended breaks can put…

Back to the keyboard!

Posted inWriting
After taking a long break from writing, as of last night I am officially behind the keyboard again. Or in front of the keyboard. Whichever. It's been about six weeks, which is as long as I've gone in quite some time. Sure, I had a good deal of work to do on my comic anthology during that time, but by the end of the process it wasn't writing that needed to be done, it was largely administrative stuff and layout work. So last night, after another superb episode of Deadwood, I sat down for a short writing session. Got back…

Writers, put your work in front of people

Posted inWriting
One of the hardest points to reach as a writer is the point at which you're willing to put your work in front of people and are not seeking validation. In other words, when you're ready for real opinions rather than pats on the back. The praise of family and friends is the bane of the aspiring writer, though too often the aspiring writer does not realize this. Your mother and your close friend tell you your work is good, and you believe it because that's what you want to hear. However, praise for its own sake does you more…

Trunk novel? What the hell is a trunk novel?

Posted inRandom Musings, Writing
Trunk novel. Somehow I had never come across the term, only seeing it for the first time these last few days. Don't know how it eluded me. If you've never heard the term, you'll certainly be familiar with the concept. A trunk novel is an old, unpublished manuscript stuffed away in a trunk (or drawer, or closet, or box, or whatever), in most cases because it's terrible. You pull out your old trunk novel, read it, and remember how bad you were. I can relate to that! My trunk novel -- and dear god I hope I don't build up…