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…
In between projects … and glad

In between projects … and glad

Posted inRandom Musings, Uncategorized
It has now been several weeks since I have been neck deep in a major project. And I'm glad for that. Sometimes I let myself get swamped in an effort to alleviate my perpetual boredom. All those writing projects I posted about a few months ago are on temporary hiatus as I get my head cleared. The comic anthology is finished and should be ready for order any day now, so that's off my plate. I'm not seriously working on any music projects right now (though I have some potential releases in the queue). Yes, the Year of Hitchcock podcast…

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…