Tag Archive: Writing

In between projects … and glad

September 4, 2009 0 Comments

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 chugs along, but that’s an obligation from which I cannot escape at the moment. Otherwise, though, I’ve set everything aside for some family, relaxation, and…
Read more

Random Musings, Uncategorized

, , ,

Writers, put your work in front of people

July 8, 2009 2 Comments

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 harm than good. It blinds you to flaws in your own work and gives you an elevated sense of where you are in your development…
Read more

Writing

, , , , ,

Trunk novel? What the hell is a trunk novel?

June 27, 2009 2 Comments

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 A trunk novel is an old, unpublished manuscript stuffed away in a trunk (or drawer, or closet, or box, or whatever), in most cases because it’s terrible.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 more than, say, three of them — was an epic fantasy, the first book in (naturally) a trilogy. The delightfully bland title was The Fortress…
Read more

Random Musings, Writing

,

Balancing enjoyment and WORK

June 22, 2009 1 Comment

I write because I love to write. But sometimes I write because it provides a check. I don’t apologize for that. We all need to eat. Still, taking assignments you don’t love can be a slog. You take a freelance assignment because it will make you a few extra bucks — always welcome in this economy — but if it saps all the joy out of being in front of the keyboard, is it worth it? I don’t have an answer to that. I still throw my all into each project, even if it bores me to tears. I always strive to do my best work. And hey, I must be doing something right or I wouldn’t get hired for this stuff, right? But let…
Read more

Random Musings, Writing

, , ,

Keep going, keep going, keep going

June 20, 2009 2 Comments

When it comes to writing, I obsess a lot about keeping productive. I do this because at heart I am a lazy, unmotivated person. People who see my list o’ projects might think otherwise, but believe me, if I could lounge around all day I would. That, and I am a horrible, horrible procrastinator. It’s not that I don’t love writing — I’m absolutely passionate about it — it’s that I’m allergic to work and obligation. I can jump into something with great vigor and tear through a project like it’s the only thing in the world, but once I decide it’s a Real Project and not a Fun Distraction it becomes work, and I don’t like to work. So needless to say, I struggle…
Read more

Writing

, , ,