As some of you may have noticed, I've not written much here lately. There's a very good reason for that: I've been awfully busy. Things are getting set aside, brushed aside, looked at sideways. Aw, hell, I've just been frigging busy.I've been able to keep working on my current novel, which now tops 52,000 words, but that's because I have a very clear routine to it.
Which brings me to my question, inspired somewhat by the oft-used Keanu Reeves' line in Speed, What do you do?
In this case, it goes like this: You're a writer with an idea burning in your head that needs to be written down. But you've got a job, a spouse, a family of kids twisting you every which way but to the computer, and you know that if you gave them all up, you'd be more screwed up than if you kept struggling to get by with the status quo.
So what do you do? How do you get that manuscript out of your brain, onto paper or a computer, out the door, and into the minds of agents and readers?
Me? I keep writing. I sequester these stories in my computer and pray that a lightning bolt doesn't make me regret that I've not backedup my files since the Bush Administration. There's probably some psychological term for this — other than denial, which everyone seems to suffer from. But it doesn't make me feel any better.
What do you do?
9 comments:
I put mine on a skydrive (on msn). I also obsessively save them on a couple different computers. :)
It's crazy trying to fit it all in. I do about the same thing - write when and where I can. Cross a lot of fingers.
Although I did start using Mozy to do online back ups. It does it all by itself if your computer is left idle for 20 minutes or so. Love it!
Interesting blog here.
It's been several days since I've written anything outside my blog, but that's because I'm taking a break. :]
Thanks, Amanda, both for your visit and your commnt. Welcome. I hope you come back often.
Jemi and Lisa, thanks for sharing that information. I've been on the fence about the automatic backups. It seems like money I can better spend on things like diapers, baby food, and mommy and daddy food. But it would certainly alleviate a fair amount of stress that exists in my brain.
Matt,
Not to worry, I'm just like you. In fact, last night I was jerked awake by a clap of thunder that shook the house. In a panic I ran to the kitchen and unplugged my laptop for fear it would frizzle up in the next bolt of lightning.
You'd think the horror stories are abundant enough to keep us on our toes about this...
It sounds like you're clicking right along on your WIP. Good for you and best of luck as you push through the next ten grand.
~cat
Thanks, Cat.
Clicking away is a good way to put it. The 52,000 includes lots of sections of telling rather than showing, so I know there's weeks if not months of revision to come after I finish the first draft. But I feel confident that I've written at least half of said first draft.
Just as important is that I've gotten to know these characters a lot better than I knew them even five months ago. So far, 2010 has been a decent year of writing, albeit slow-moving.
Hmmm, let's see. I guess I've just embraced the fact that my life is writing and chaos. Oh and I'll bet not having kids helps:) We're all a mess, but at least we can write about it, eh?
A life of chaos should involve writing. Hopefully it's the creative chaos, not the mind-numbing, questioning-why-I-do-this-type-of-thing chaos. Having witnessed that type of chaos, I highly recommend against it.
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