So, I totally blanked on the fact that Panera bread has different hours during the winter. Anyroad, my my friend Dennis for a writing session that was supposed to go from 8 - 10, but instead went from about 7:30 - 9. Next week, it'll be 7-9 and hopefully I can keep up the pace of the words to get four thousand.
We chatted a bit (and had a good laugh about the reasoning for my rant earlier today on Facebook) and I got to writing proper closer to 8. In an hour I pumped out over 2100 words. They were two great scenes (well, ok, one and a half) and I left the session feeling more energized than when I got there (of course, I also had two cups of coffee during my stay there, which were even more flavorful since they were free).
I enjoy the fact that getting out of the house, sitting down with a friend and pounding out some creativity is energizing and exciting. It helps and it's good and I'm looking forward to doing this every Monday (as often as possible, of course, what with raising two kids and care-taking for two old dogs, managing a house with my lovely wife and helping run a publishing company while she's still working on her costuming).
Writing in the evenings, every weeknight, is definitely working for me. Dennis and I chatted about patterns and tools for authors and writers and what I'd like to think came of this is some advice I'll offer out to the few who are reading this blog: Find what works for you. No one can tell you how to write but yourself. Since you're the one writing, you're the one who has to find the best method to get that done. If it's sequestering yourself in a dark, candle-lit room for a few hours, then great. If it's not, then don't try to make it work. Find what works for you and use it.
Alright, I'm stoked, I'm energized and I'm ready for the rest of the week (which, according to the weather report, is going to be overcast and rainy).
Weekly goal, ten-thousand words. I'm over a fifth of the way there.
Thanks for reading and thanks for your support!
~Stephan
I was talking to a friend of mine who is a published author of plays, novels, short stories, etc. I asked her advice on getting started in the writing trade and she said, "Don't do it, unless you have no alternative." Her point was that it's a very hard business to break into, hard to sustain because of the uncertain revenue stream, and just plain hard to maintain because of the discipline required and the heartbreak one must endure. By way of example, the work she is proudest of, that she poured all of her creativity and energy into barely sells. To achieve a more steady income, she writes trashy, steamy romance novels. Her advice was if you have some other way of making a living, by all means, do that instead.
ReplyDeleteThat said, there are a lot more opportunities for a writer these days with e-books and self-publishing, and so on. I applaud your effort, and admire how you've identified a specific objective for yourself and are pursuing it so assiduously; it's a goal that I wouldn't have the courage to try myself. Good luck; can't wait to read it!
The advantage Stephan has, beyond his talent and abilities, is that he has a wife who is knowledgeable about writing and publishing and can help him start and maintain his career. :D
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