Scrivner

Uh, me.

First discovery along the path of writing this book – I do think that there is truly nothing I’d rather be doing when I’m in the act of writing (getting to the place where I am doing this is another story).

Second discovery is being sick is crappy.  Especially when I’d like to get ahead in the word count to store for desperate times.

Third discovery is that perhaps storing for desperate times is an excuse not to come and write every day.  The magic is in the every time, not in the marathon sessions.

Off to shower and think some more.

So it’s begun.  Having no idea what the first sentence of my magnum opus was going to be, I dove in anyway.  Funny thing with my writing, it’s usually the last sentence that comes first.  In this case, I have no idea about that either.

I have a wicked cold today.  I think I would have written more but Hark!  The extended family called to wish us a Happy New Year.

Figures!

…of course, this is not including actual blast off on New Year’s Eve.

I suppose I got this idea of the delay in blasting from NASA when we visited this November.  We didn’t get to see a rocket blast off, but we did get to see lots of footage, actual capsules, IMAX films, buildings from the 60′s, etc.  No one seems too interested in space anymore, i.e. the younger generation.  The kids were bored spitless.  Although, they did perk up a little around lunchtime when we went to the space cafe.

I’m procrastinating.

I’ve thought everything and nothing more on writing a book since I’ve just woken up.

Here is a thought I’ve had in the past about writing in general:  I need to be very careful of what I’m reading at the time I’m writing.  I don’t know if it’s a mimic issue or what, but I tend to pick up the narrator’s voice in context of what I’m reading at the moment.  Currently, I’m reading Under the Dome by Stephen King which I received for Christmas.  Since it has over 1000 pages and I nearly knock myself unconscious whenever I try to read it (the thing is HEAVY!), I may be reading it well into February.  I think that’s okay.  His voice and mine are copacetic.  As long as I don’t inadvertently insert science fiction elements into my story.  I don’t think a pacemaker exploding out of someone’s chest would fit (or would it??).

Other thoughts for today – sometimes it’s best to have no thoughts about the project and go and have fun.  That’s what I’m planning on today!

As I’m approaching B-day (b for book, of course), I’m getting a taste of what will go wrong when writing during the next year.  Here’s some thoughts I’ve had of this subject so far:

1.   I’ll die and not finish.

2.  I’ll get sick and get behind and not feel like finishing.

3.  I’ll get discouraged.

4.  I’ll feel ‘why should I?’ and ‘who cares?’ and ‘what for?’.

5.  I’ll get bored.

6.  It’ll suck and I’ll have wasted this time for nothing.

7.  Everyone else will be having fun while I’m writing.

8.  Everyone else is better at this.

9.  When I’m rich, everyone will just want to like me for all the money I made from writing. (Pendulum swings…)

10. I won’t have anything left to say after I’m done.

On a more positive note, my family saw a great musical at Disneyworld this November “Finding Nemo”.  ‘Just Keep Swmming’ my just have to be the mantra for this book.  One year seems like a long time now – I’ll have to trust it won’t be.

My thought of the day anticipating the book today is one I often get and that is, ‘this story has already been told by someone else…and probably done better’.  Since there is only 5 stories out there in the world, I try to convince myself that every story has indeed been told before.  It’s just up to me to tell it differently.

I’m having problems coming up with names of characters.  I may want to name to main character Suz.  Is that too old-fashioned?

So here’s some preliminary thoughts about beginning a novel at the top of the year: it scares me to death.  Something akin to standing on a ledge and watching your legs move forward of their on volition.  Almost hypnotizing, mesmerizing, stupefying.

Another thought, this from the so-called logical side of the brain.  If I can write 200 words per day, taking Mondays off to edit, I’ll end up with a lot of words.  Well-written words?  Maybe not.  But words!  You can’t have a book without words!

At least that is what I’m trying to convince myself of today.