throw another bear in the canoe - can the blogosphere talk about something else nao?

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can the blogosphere talk about something else nao?

Dec. 28th, 2007 at 10:53 AM

Re: the fake publicist thing? So don't care. Worried about my own career, thanks.

And speaking of which:

I will write this five hundred times on the internets:

The scene does not have to be perfect. The scene has to be written.

I can fix it on the second draft. I can fix it on the second draft. I can fix it on the second draft.

Right. Beginner mind. Just because you aren't good enough to do this, and never will be, doesn't mean you can't do it.

Trust the story. It's always worked before.

1782 words on Bone & Jewel Creatures this morning, to a total of 18,146. And it's looking like the novella will come in very tidily around where it needs to, because there's just the zombie apocalypse and the climactic space battle to go, now. And some angst and pathos. I'm hoping for around 25,000 words, which would be just perfect, I think. And still might get itself written by the end of the year. Tomorrow and Sunday are scheduled as Word Days, and I plan to get as much done as I can.

I have figured out some things about the villain, and some other things will have to wait until the second draft.

Mood: optimistic
Music:a working silence.

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Comments

( 25 comments — Leave a comment )

kendwoods wrote:

Dec. 28th, 2007 04:07 pm (UTC)

I finished reading A Companion To Wolves and hearted it muchly.

The boy bought me Datlow's Inferno for Christmas and surprise, story from Bear in there!

And must buy Dust today.

Have a beer on me this New Year's, Oh Prolific One, lol.

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matociquala wrote:

Dec. 28th, 2007 04:11 pm (UTC)

Half a beer, anyway!

I am so glad you liked the wolfie book. *loff*

Give my best to the Boy.

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quilzas wrote:

Dec. 28th, 2007 04:18 pm (UTC)

No matter how many times I say something akin to "The scene does not have to be perfect. The scene has to be written. I can fix it on the second draft." sometimes it's still so hard to choke down and do. Slowly getting better at it. I think.

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mearn4d10 wrote:

Dec. 28th, 2007 04:18 pm (UTC)

...I'm going to have to start paying more attention to your little bits of writer's advice. Wow.

*goes and writes things down*

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stwish wrote:

Dec. 28th, 2007 04:19 pm (UTC)

and remember it's only words on paper (pixels on a screen) kids.

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stevenagy wrote:

Dec. 28th, 2007 04:28 pm (UTC)

I've a note printed out and taped above my keyboard, both at work and at home, that says "get the story written, then get it right."

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paigemom wrote:

Dec. 28th, 2007 04:31 pm (UTC)

I so need to post those mantras on the wall behind my computer...

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stevenagy wrote:

Dec. 28th, 2007 09:06 pm (UTC)

It helps most times. Better than letting the angst build to the point where you feel guilty about not writing. It's a kinder, gentler reminder. :-)

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arunthol wrote:

Dec. 28th, 2007 04:35 pm (UTC)

Because I'm a sucker for the inflated outrage exhibited in bloggery...

...I just had to go see what you meant about fake publicists.

Sheesh - of all the things in the world to get upset about.

And if you figure out a way to get that little bit of wisdom through your head, let me know, okay? I'd like to borrow the hammer when you're done.

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matociquala wrote:

Dec. 28th, 2007 04:36 pm (UTC)

Re: Because I'm a sucker for the inflated outrage exhibited in bloggery...

Here. I use a ball-peen. ;-)

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arunthol wrote:

Dec. 28th, 2007 04:42 pm (UTC)

Re: Because I'm a sucker for the inflated outrage exhibited in bloggery...

Why thank you! And they said home trepanation was a bad idea... Why, I'm more carrot warthog than I was phalanges!

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queenoftheskies wrote:

Dec. 28th, 2007 04:38 pm (UTC)

The scene does not have to be perfect. The scene has to be written.

I can fix it on the second draft. I can fix it on the second draft. I can fix it on the second draft.

Thank you! I really needed to be reminded of this right about now.

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jaylake wrote:

Dec. 28th, 2007 04:41 pm (UTC)

You can fix it on second draft. Trust the process.

I sometimes feel like the girl in the old "just say no" commercial who dives off the board into the empty pool. I have to believe there will be water before I fall all the way down.

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erinya wrote:

Dec. 28th, 2007 06:13 pm (UTC)

I'm reading Dust right now and am completely entranced.

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matociquala wrote:

Dec. 28th, 2007 06:16 pm (UTC)

Thank you!

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decarnin wrote:

Dec. 28th, 2007 06:57 pm (UTC)

Sometimes I wish I could write that way, especially now when the "inspired" state is just not happening any more. But I can't. The more I have to mess with something, the more muddled it gets. If I don't get it right the first time, the only remedy is to throw it out and start over from the last point at which it had some level of sucklessness. These days I don't really ask for much, but even so, can't do the draft thing. I think these are really the two basic kinds of writer, those who can rewrite and those who absolutely must not. Sort of a different twist on "first thought, best thought". The words come out of your head fully formed like, you know, Athena or something, or they don't come out at all, and that's that. I'm wondering now, if it really has stopped happening, if I could ever *learn* to write in drafts. Ones that got, you know, progressively better instead of worse. Experience is not encouraging. It's still fascinating to read about other people doing it.

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matociquala wrote:

Dec. 28th, 2007 07:00 pm (UTC)

That's very interesting, that is. Of course, revising is a skill too--

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halfmoon_mollie wrote:

Dec. 29th, 2007 12:18 am (UTC)

I got one of your books at the library last night...New Amsterdam. And 'Dust' hasn't arrived yet.

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matociquala wrote:

Dec. 29th, 2007 12:19 am (UTC)

I hope you like it!

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klingonguy wrote:

Dec. 29th, 2007 01:17 am (UTC)

The scene does not have to be perfect. The scene has to be written.

Thanks. I really needed to be reminded of that today.

(goes off to write the scene)

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mystcphoenxcafe wrote:

Dec. 29th, 2007 08:13 am (UTC)

Greetings!

Just because you aren't good enough to do this, and never will be, doesn't mean you can't do it.

Trust the story. It's always worked before.

Thank you so much for reminding me of this today. Very much needed. :-)

Been working on applying your draft advice as well since hearing it at Penguicon. The freedom is loverly! I give myself 'x' amount of time to figure out a word, name, plot point, etc., then if I have not discovered it in that time, I place an '*' at the spot and MOVE ON! I am so proud. :-D

-Katrina

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matociquala wrote:

Dec. 29th, 2007 12:58 pm (UTC)

Hee. Square brackets! They work!

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crcook wrote:

Dec. 29th, 2007 06:31 pm (UTC)

Just because you aren't good enough to do this, and never will be, doesn't mean you can't do it

I really needed to hear that today. And everyday.

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brni wrote:

Dec. 29th, 2007 07:37 pm (UTC)

Just because you aren't good enough to do this, and never will be, doesn't mean you can't do it.

i remember having the sheet music for Count Basie's Wind Machine (absurdly fast at 240bpm or so) set in front of me, and thinking, "well, if i never play things i can't play, i never will."

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ms_anthropy wrote:

Dec. 31st, 2007 10:18 pm (UTC)

The scene does not have to be perfect. The scene has to be written.

I can fix it on the second draft. I can fix it on the second draft. I can fix it on the second draft.

Right. Beginner mind. Just because you aren't good enough to do this, and never will be, doesn't mean you can't do it.

Thank you for the much-needed reminder. I'm now printing this out and adding it to the you-can-do-this corkboard over my desk.

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( 25 comments — Leave a comment )