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Friday, September 23, 2011

Friday Fricassee

It's one of those mornings when my (decaf!) coffee won't stay warm.  Which is disconcerting, since I'm still in denial that summer is actually over.

Le sigh!


At any rate, I would like to send forth a GREAT CHEER for those of you who responded to my Twitter plea yesterday for the neglected SA entries.  Throughout the day, critiques came through specifically for the number range I'd specified (13-33).  On behalf of the entrants, THANK YOU!

I'm looking forward to a weekend of relaxed plotting.  Admittedly, I'm a tough nut to crack, but I've had yet another revelation about the way-things-should-be for me as a writer.  This time, it's the whole It's Okay To Stare At Nothing For Days thing.  I've fought it, I've hated it, I've berated myself for being unproductive.

And now?  I think I've finally come to terms with the fact that this intense brain time is necessary.  And that it's ALLOWED.  I'm just so goal-oriented and results-focused that when I'm staring and thinking and scribbling a few notes in my notebook, I invariably feel like I'm doing nothing.

I think I've finally learned that I'm actually doing a lot.  Hence the "relaxed plotting."

So bring on the weekend and the illegible plot notes! I'm ready.

Hope you have a delightful end-of-week, too!
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15 comments:

  1. Laura PaulingSeptember 23, 2011 at 8:28 AM

    I do feel like the plotting time is unproductive b/c there's no word count, no pages edited. But I'm in that phase right now and accepting that it's needed for the health of my future story1

    ReplyDelete
  2. TeeSeptember 23, 2011 at 8:35 AM

    I find when I stare at nothing...nothing comes. When I'm all soapy in the shower, nodding off to sleep, or in the middle of a work-related meeting, that's when my plot points arrive. Then comes the game of trying to remember them. O_o

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  3. AnonymousSeptember 23, 2011 at 9:00 AM

    I can spend weeks outlining my WIPs, and the vast majority of that time is spent NOT outlining. I enjoy outlining, but I can see why people would feel unproductive. Yet, in my opinion, it's one of the most crucial parts to writing!

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  4. Adam HeineSeptember 23, 2011 at 9:02 AM

    Relaxed plotting. I like that. It's like a vacation where I get to do my very favorite thing.

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  5. Write LifeSeptember 23, 2011 at 9:12 AM

    Ugh! I thought you said 1-13!!! Oh well, think I popped in to quite a few. Can't wait to see who the secret agent is!

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  6. Jon PaulSeptember 23, 2011 at 9:21 AM

    Yeah, I'm learning that sometimes my best plotting happens when I'm not looking--and I'm learning to tune it in better.

    Have a great "relaxed" weekend. :D

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  7. Becky MahoneySeptember 23, 2011 at 11:51 AM

    I love relaxed plotting! It's so nice to just take a break and order my thoughts. It makes the writing part much easier.

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  8. Laura C.September 23, 2011 at 3:19 PM

    I used to have a 500 wd/day goal and would scold myself if I didn't reach it. But after the third time I threw out 3000+ wds because I realized the plot/scene/characterization had to go in another direction, I've gotten more patient. Now if I need to slow down, step back, and reevaluate, I give myself all the time I need.

    It's not a race to see how much you can get down. It's training for the Olympics where you must be sure the end product is outstanding.

    ReplyDelete
  9. texcatSeptember 23, 2011 at 3:55 PM

    Ask Jennifer Crusie (NYT Bestseller List) about her writing method--she stares out the window for how ever many months it takes, then turns around and starts typing. Eileen Dreyer stops typing every so often and walks around her house. She thought this was lack of discipline. Turns out she was an ER nurse for 20 before starting to write--she'd trained herself to think on her feet, so that's how she did her plotting. IOW, whatever works. No extra points for method used; it's however you get a quality product done. Have a great weekend!

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  10. Brenda DrakeSeptember 23, 2011 at 5:14 PM

    Well, now I feel like my staring at random things and not working productively is a good thing. I'm relaxed plotting. Thanks for that! <3

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  11. Charlie N. HolmbergSeptember 23, 2011 at 5:29 PM

    For some reason I'm having a harder time than usual accepting that it's getting colder and colder and colder... so depressing. :/

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  12. Sonja StoneSeptember 24, 2011 at 1:31 PM

    Good for you!

    Friday Fricassees are my favorite posts. You share with honest candor, and you know what's so strange? I'm often at the same point as you (in a WIP, MS, etc.) so it's like personal therapy. But I live in AZ, so I can't lament about the close of summer. It's still over 100 degrees here.

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  13. MandiSeptember 26, 2011 at 3:17 AM

    @Laura C- I need to learn that valuable lesson so bad!!!

    It's frustrating to me, if I only get 200 words down and depressing when I write nothing at all! I've gotta learn how to work when I can and what fits my lifestyle.

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  14. resume writerSeptember 26, 2011 at 8:07 AM

    oh! interesting article! thanks for it!

    ReplyDelete
  15. amongstSeptember 26, 2013 at 11:34 AM

    Hi,
    I'm testing my google-ability!

    ReplyDelete