Today’s Work
The tractor takes her loud time coming up the hill. Little dog tries in vain to sleep in her bed by the window. How far are we from where we want to be? I want to be so immersed in writing that I do not hear the tractor. Little dog wants her nap. But she is guarding me, always, so she is awake now and following the machine’s progress. Just in case. And I cannot resist getting up to see who is doing what in which field. The challenge is not looking. I know, Stephen King, I know. Cover the windows. Good advice. To let loose the distractions that keep me away from the center where the words are is the first step, every day.
Today I tough it out. I want to write and more importantly I want to write well. How funny it is that of all the things I have done — mountain climbing, horseback riding at breakneck speeds over fences, and facing down armed attackers — sitting here in this little room trying to write is the most frightening of all. I have stored up half a life time’s worth of experience and now is the time to tell all. Let all of the good and the wasted times mean something. I am trying.
Last week I struggled to restructure my first novel based on the excellent feedback I got from my readers. And then, I gave up. Truly. That was it. Honestly, there was so much change required that I just decided I did not care. I even wrote “I don’t care” at the end of a particularly bad page. I packed up drafts and notebooks and spent one day working on the new novel.
But the characters were not willing to be abandoned. I kept going back and writing down ideas in my notebook. I kept thinking, maybe this instead, maybe that. I know! How about this? That surprised me. I missed working on it. So this week I am back at it. It will be interesting to see where it leads.
© Margaret Grant and magoffleash, 2011-2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.
17 Comments on “Today’s Work”
What Do You Think?
I have always wanted to work at home writing in a quiet, white walled study surrounded by books. Now that I am here, I see there is a lot more to it than time and space.
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Keep working on that revision. you will get through it I’m sure
Thank you, griffor. Your reading and comments are much appreciated.
I live in the centre of London and imagined that if I could just move to the countryside all my distractions would melt away! Apparently not! Great post, keep at it!
Thank you, Emily. Distractions are everywhere – they want to be found! Keep writing.
I love your first paragraph, but don’t lose the distractions! Distractions will inspire. The image of the tractor was great writing. Your dog, too! That’s where to go. All joy in writing and loving every minute of it. HF
Thank you so much HF. You make an interesting case for distractions being, in fact, the meat of life and our sources of inspiration. Thank you for your kind words and support – I mean it!
I found I like revision time. It makes something better and I feel closer to it because I’m able to use stronger wording and get the message there with more force.
I will keep your words in mind. I just got my m/s back from my beta reader and have to account for several years in the story as she felt, and others did too, that the time gap was too long. So thanks, I will find your words helpful, I am sure!
Just go for it girl! If writing is your passion, your words will soon flow.
I have no problem writing blog posts and could write all day long with the drapes open, my first novel took a lot of self-discipline. I had to force my way through the first draft and the first big rewrite. After that, it became a blast! I think because if was my first, I made it a lot harder than it had to be, but I learned a ton. Now that I am nearing the end of my 459th rewrite, I am feeling pretty proud of what I’ve accomplished.
I would close the drapes if I were you and motor through the first draft.
Thanks for stopping by with a link to the party!
Be sure to click on a few links and tell them “Susie sent me,” and they should click back!
Thank you, Susie for your encouragement. I have a “time gap” to fill in on my first work and am already well into the second.
It’s that first fill in time that is the hardest. I went from 50,000 words to 99,000, but it took a while…
Yeah, I read about people whose work is too long and has to be edited down. Wish I had that problem.
I came over from Susie’s place. i envy you with the time to write a novel. I teach 7th grade and have ideas all the time, but i lack the time and the focus to see it through to the end. I blog about making the days count, my mantra. some days they count and others simply roll by. Keep at it and don’t forget to stop and look around once in a while, you might miss something.
Hi Clay, thanks so much for stopping by. The road to having this time to write was tough and I do worry sometimes about money. Nevertheless deep down I know this is my chance. It just didn’t quite look like I thought it would look. I look forward to reading your blog.
What a beautiful place to live! No wonder you’re distracted. Maybe, hopefully, distractions are feeding your fiction mind. Why do we do this writing stuff? You put it nicely: you miss it when you don’t. Paper over the window! But leave a little hole Your place is just too nice to block out, and I bet it gives more than it distracts. Best –
Thank you and thanks for coming by. I have to at least try my hand at writing, right?
Try? Sounds like you MUST write. As Yoda says, Do or do not. There is no try. Best –