Okay, so I’ve been a little remiss in my blog postings of late. Sure, I’ve given you some groovy pics to tide you over, but I know what you really want – you want to hear all about my writing woes.
Well, guess what?
I’m not having any writing woes at the moment.
What?!?
That’s not to say sitting down at the computer every single day, pounding out a string of words designed to exhibit a measure of cohesion isn’t a complete bitch. It is. On a good productive day, the process only sucks out all of my brain cells; on a bad day – well, let’s just say it leaves me a quivering mass of something that should never see the light of day.
So, let me recap for those who have not had to suffer my temper tantrums and pity parties. Several months ago – I’m going to refrain from embarrassing myself with the exact dates – I started writing a story I entitled Retribution. Anna’s story. I wrote 60K words within the span of a few months, and then it all went to hell. It was so bad, and I hated it so much, that I did the only humane thing I could think of – bonfire.
A few months later, a voice began whispering in my ear. It was Anna. She became my constant companion, her voice needling into my subconscious, demanding I give her the story she deserved. Eventually, I gave in and began drafting an outline – or six. June arrived and along with it Camp NaNoWriMo. I threw my hat into the ring, and by the middle of the month, I had written 26.5K words. I was on a roll.
Then it all went to hell – again. I learned a valuable lesson last summer: Going on a family vacation for a week to Washington D.C., in the midst of an intense writing challenge, is not conducive to success. My fall schedule didn’t help matters either. It was consumed by Geology, Political Science, African-American history, and the Cold War. There was no room for Anna.
I’ve spent the early part 2013 recuperating, trying to find my bearings. For me, the transition from scholarly writing to fictional is a difficult adjustment. I envy writers who can do it and make it appear seamless. At the end of February, I opened my Retribution files again, sifted through scene after scene, made some notes and a few plot adjustments, did a little research. In March, I heard the rumblings of an April edition of NaNoWriMo with an adjustable word count goal. My heart did a little flip-flop. A sign? I think so. I joined without hesitation.
So, where am I going with all of this rambling nonsense?
It is day three of the challenge. I’ve written almost 5,000 words toward my 25K word goal, and I’m feeling groovy.
Write on happy campers.
Write on.
Of Bears and Boating 