I knew going in that this year was going to be the year I starting thinking about writing more as a business. Previously, I was concerned about it as a craft, that is how I could more adept at it—grammar, phrasing, pacing, characterization, GMC, etc—and make no mistake, that is an on going thing; whether it’s maintaining a level of skill or pushing beyond it. But this is a business. It’s the business of selling dreams, validation, escapism. It’s touching the heart and wringing the soul. Delivering belly-aching laughs, or seat steaming sensuality. For all the artistry—or craftsmanship involved—it ultimately comes down to dollars and cents. Marketing, demographics, trends, shelf space, or remaindering.
It’s been a tough month, trying to get back on track with so many other areas in my life; and I’m making progress there, notably with gym, more home cooking, interacting more with friends and family, but the writing isn’t coming quite as easy. Fits and starts. I think ditching ms#2, to revise ms#1 was a necessary thing--and it helped me grow as a writer, but I've put too much time in on one story. And once I was done those major revisions, I couldn't face the job of 'fixing' what I could so clearly see was wrong with ms#2. Plus, this 'limbo' could be because this new project is ‘bigger’ plotwise, than I’m used to. Or it could be that I’ve got these temptations (distractions) to try smaller projects on the side. But I think the biggest thing is discipline—I need to work on some. And that’s not craft, that’s business.
On the other hand, ‘procrastination’ is an art…. ;-)
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6 comments:
Boy, am I in your shoes. I've been there before and I'm sure I'll be there again until I figure out how to break the cycle.
Hmmm. Maybe that's my blog for today too. ::G::
Marjorie, I did put ms#2 aside. I'm working on brand new material now. I think, based on my experience of revising ms#2, that I can make a decent attempt at writing this new one. It's really just getting focused and staying focused. But there's all this other stuff in my life that needs to be dealt with also. I'm getting there. Just understanding what's going on is a big part of the journey.
Carole, thanks for dropping by. I'll have to drop by your blog a little later and poke around. I'm at work now with a pile of files staring at me. :-P so don't have the time now. Cheers!
Susan slaps a hand to her forehead as the railroad spike pain of revisions tears through her skull. I hear ya, babe. So what exactly is the current project and what's the next one?
You KNOW how I feel about "the business" so I'll just nod my head and smile.
Finding a balance between family and two jobs (the one that pays us and the one we sweat blood over) is hard. I still haven't found it. And I've given up on finding time for myself. When I do, I'm just too freaking tired.
January has just sucked the big one.
Susan, the current project is: Zoe and The Big O. It's about Zoe Hunter and Odil Cochet. It's a mishmash. gg. If you go into the archives you'll see a couple of first draft excerpts from chapter one and some other ruminations on it. After that, I don't know. FBS needs revising AGAIN, if it doesn't sell as is. And Raine & Winston's story needs revising--I was trying to make it into a romantic suspense, and it's not. Then I have two fairly dark paranormals that I keep putting off because they feel too dark. One has an H assassin and a 'possible' murderess h, (with a paranormal element/hook). The other one looks like it could be a horror romance. At least my son tells me to write it as a horror/thriller with a romantic subplot.
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