The Olympics have been contagious, infectious, feverish and glorius. I have spent the past seventeen days juggling work, writing, sleeping and the quest for the gold. Struck by tragedy before the opening ceremonies, I rode the wave of emotions of all viewers, the highs and the lows, more tragedy and more gold and then the almost gold by Team USA.
Inspired by the sheer determination of the participants I hurl myself into my go-for-gold challenge of writing my third novel. Plowing through the calendar towards completion by June thirtieth, I must admit I have fallen very short of words as February rolls into March.
Sleep deprived I nodded off at the keyboard once too many times this month and “lost” days of writing to cyberspace. I started backward, rereading, editing and researching again. I stumbled across a book written in the mid-nineties that has no similarity to mine except for the title. Changes. February was all about changes.
New title still a mystery I am, nevertheless, moving at a faster pace perhaps the bobsled competition has had its effect on me. I know that I am not alone on this writer’s slide to the finish line, sitting behind me are my characters, their voices loud inside my head, and they will guide me to “The End”.
My writer’s thought: Fictional characters have their own voices; sometimes they ride in your car, go food shopping and sit on your desk. Word of advice-keep them out of your bed…they snore.
Have the best day everyday.
Blog what you think, hear, and feel.
Linda
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Blog Rewrite
I caught my self the other day, mid-sentence small talk, excused myself and stepped away like some obnoxious cell phone user. I dug into my bag for a pen and then for something to write on. My multi-tasking brain, that was feigning interest in a dull conversation, had just pumped out an amazing string of sentences that I had to instantly write down or forever forget. Forgive my pea brain.
My writer’s challenge is past the half way point of February’s goal. The numbers are thin; I am cursed by the compulsion to edit repeatedly. My last lengthy effort restructured the entire length of chapters, shorter, much shorter. I promise myself that I cannot be hung up in the count, except for the other night when all I could get through were two measly paragraphs. Reword-rehash-rewrite, and woe to my obsession or should I say, whoa?
My inspirational writer’s thought: Oh Gawd…I am writing on napkins again.
Have the best day everyday.
Linda
My writer’s challenge is past the half way point of February’s goal. The numbers are thin; I am cursed by the compulsion to edit repeatedly. My last lengthy effort restructured the entire length of chapters, shorter, much shorter. I promise myself that I cannot be hung up in the count, except for the other night when all I could get through were two measly paragraphs. Reword-rehash-rewrite, and woe to my obsession or should I say, whoa?
My inspirational writer’s thought: Oh Gawd…I am writing on napkins again.
Have the best day everyday.
Linda
Friday, February 12, 2010
Blog Distractions
I am a few miles from Boston in my childhood bedroom. Not much has changed; headlights still penetrate the shades, turning the night into morning again and again. No, this is not the first line of a memoir, although it has great potential. This is real life, present day, full of its responsibilities.
I am writing here, been up since before 5 a.m., laptop perched on my knees and dog curled at my feet. The thief in me steals cyber space from two unsuspecting guys named William and Andrew. Thanks boys.
My writing deadline followed me to Boston, but does not sleep, has no internal alarm clock, just simply does not snooze. Nope, it paces, my deadline, paces the room, this room, every room, any room that I happen to be in with its foot tapping.
“I know,” I say, “I know…just chill.”
My inspirational thought for today: Distractions come quicker than words.
Have the best day everyday.
Linda
I am writing here, been up since before 5 a.m., laptop perched on my knees and dog curled at my feet. The thief in me steals cyber space from two unsuspecting guys named William and Andrew. Thanks boys.
My writing deadline followed me to Boston, but does not sleep, has no internal alarm clock, just simply does not snooze. Nope, it paces, my deadline, paces the room, this room, every room, any room that I happen to be in with its foot tapping.
“I know,” I say, “I know…just chill.”
My inspirational thought for today: Distractions come quicker than words.
Have the best day everyday.
Linda
Monday, February 8, 2010
Longhand Blog
I am just coming off a longhand weekend, a string of days when writing means paper and pen. A good portion of my world is composed of family time, a welcome and necessary part of my life that forces me into my car, onto a train or maybe a plane. Juggling the life I have with a writer’s life sometimes demands a legal pad and a ballpoint. I welcome these opportunities to write longhand because each time I do I am able to tap into the old me, the one who wrote anywhere, anytime.
The results of this past weekend reflect writing without boundaries. There are notes and sentences in the margins, and arrows denoting add and delete, along with pages of my story is simply the story, the meat, and the content; more paragraphs expanded and lists made. Longhand is a good exercise in creativity; it keeps the writer in me honest.
My inspirational thought of the day: Take all that I have, but not my pen or paper.
Blog what you think, hear and feel.
Have the best day every day…Linda
The results of this past weekend reflect writing without boundaries. There are notes and sentences in the margins, and arrows denoting add and delete, along with pages of my story is simply the story, the meat, and the content; more paragraphs expanded and lists made. Longhand is a good exercise in creativity; it keeps the writer in me honest.
My inspirational thought of the day: Take all that I have, but not my pen or paper.
Blog what you think, hear and feel.
Have the best day every day…Linda
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Blog Writer's Challenge
Month number two: February Report: Seven hundred words short of January goal.
Writing my third book in ten years does not exactly make me prolific, persistent, maybe, but not prolific. The third manuscript should be a piece-of-cake as the old cliché goes, but no, cake it ain’t. For one thing, the discipline needed chafes my inner free spirit; a five a.m. start is the key but not always achievable. When I am in a rhythm, it clicks, rise at five, dog, yoga, write, work, home, dog, dinner, write, and sleep. Throw in, or throw out, the following: fending off life’s surprises, also life’s responsibilities and oh yes, having a life.
The truth is I am committed to this writer’s challenge. There is no stopping the writing machine; I am out of the gate, tweets and blogs all about words and numbers, 500 a day, 12,000 a month by June 30, 2010, no rest until “The End”.
Inspirational thought: Nothing to do but write, write as if my life depended on it.
Blog what you think, see, hear and feel.
Have the best day everyday.
Linda
Writing my third book in ten years does not exactly make me prolific, persistent, maybe, but not prolific. The third manuscript should be a piece-of-cake as the old cliché goes, but no, cake it ain’t. For one thing, the discipline needed chafes my inner free spirit; a five a.m. start is the key but not always achievable. When I am in a rhythm, it clicks, rise at five, dog, yoga, write, work, home, dog, dinner, write, and sleep. Throw in, or throw out, the following: fending off life’s surprises, also life’s responsibilities and oh yes, having a life.
The truth is I am committed to this writer’s challenge. There is no stopping the writing machine; I am out of the gate, tweets and blogs all about words and numbers, 500 a day, 12,000 a month by June 30, 2010, no rest until “The End”.
Inspirational thought: Nothing to do but write, write as if my life depended on it.
Blog what you think, see, hear and feel.
Have the best day everyday.
Linda
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