13 Jun 2011

From a serial writers diary ...

I'm almost up to speed on my new plan. I was heading for 1500 words a day, and I have managed on average about 1340. That's a lot better than I was afraid of before I did the math.
There's no use getting stressed about not hitting the expected goal here because Life happens, and some days there will be fewer hours for writing. That's just the way it is.
Besides I can't write all the time.
My brain needs some R & R - or at least time to think about the story, to let it unfold, to mature. Otherwise I just keep going and then I write all sorts of stuff that has nothing to do with the mainstory, and I have to rewrite more than I like.
So what happened to ruin my average?

There was the toilet that needed replacing, the painter who came to look at the windows (they are in desperate need of paint. The windows, not the guy), and the tileguy, the one who will repair the wonky bathroom floor (the tiles keep falling off - or would that be up, since it's the tiles on the floor?) Anyway, it's all those little practical things that seems to take so much time and effort, and they just have to be done.
The trick is to write as much as possible despite all the disturbances.
I put earplugs in my ear, I write until 5 o'clock in the morning, and I sit outside in the sunshine with my notebook and pencil, and loads of coffee. 
But not always.
Today I haven't actually opened any manuscript. The entire day. That's very, very unusual.  I did some research, went to see a big house and got a lovely tour of the building. I bought some books.
So yes, I did do some work. I just didn't write.
And tomorrow I'm going to the annual summer party at my publishers. To meet other writers, eat good food, get a sunburn (actually it's going to rain, but there will be plenty of sunshine nonetheless).
So not much writing tomorrow either.

No comments:

Post a Comment