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The Daily Dose
Smattering of Romance, Paranormal, and General ObservationsDon't Make Me Pull This Computer Over
November 20, 2009
One of the best things about being a writer is all the stories knocking around
inside of my head. One of the worst things about being a writer is all the
stories knocking around inside my head. When it is the former, I sit down to
write and words just pour out to fill the metaphorical cup created by the blank
screen or page. However, when it is the latter … Ding! Ding! In This Corner, Weighing In at 85,000 Words … Writing anything is like refereeing a cage match. For example, currently I am
working on a fantasy romance, the sequel to Remembering Ashby. But vying for attention are sequels to Prime Evil, Hel’s Belle and a third as yet fully formed
novel tentatively titled The Rapture. Like wiggling puppies, if I so much as
glance in their direction they dash up to grab hold of my attention and soon,
instead of writing, I feel like wrung out, wet rag as the tug-of-war becomes a
three or five way battle. It is enough to make me want to yell, “don’t make me pull this computer over!”
Because you can’t get too frustrated. You can’t try to block out all the other
stories. Inevitably, when you attempt that, the story you want to hear – it
silences the one you want to be talking. Sifting Through the Noise Sifting through the noise can be more than a bit of a challenge. I handle it by
listening only for the story I want to tell. Whenever any of the others gets too
loud or too obnoxious, I take notes. It’s like throwing a bone for the wiggling
pack of pups, but they like it. Most of the time, the right story puppies run
away to chase the bone while the one I am working on grooming sits like a princess. And then other times, she knocks over the trashcan and roots around for all the
story points that won’t make it to the finished product. But I take them anyway.
I can write 5,000 words and only end up using 100 of them, but without that
5,000 I wouldn’t have found the magical 100. Sometimes it takes talking to another writer to find someone who understands
“Jack won’t shut up and wait her turn. James is being too cagey and hard to draw
out.” But in writing, as in life, patience and persistence do pay off. So does pulling the computer over and walking away to let the characters stew.
Sometimes five or ten minutes of a time out are all they need to realize that I
won’t start typing until they start cooperating. Happy Friday Have a great Friday and be sure to check out my new release of Prime Evil available from most eBook dealers. $0.25 of every
sale will go to the World Wildlife Fund.
A lifelong writer turned author, Heather Long's first book
Remembering Ashby is
available for purchase at Sapphire Blue Publishing. Coming soon is the urban
fantasy: Prime Evil. The Daily
Dose explores books, television, writing and more -- all topics that Heather
enjoys.
Comments
11 comments posted.
Re: Don't Make Me Pull This Computer Over
Trudge ahead, you're almost there!
(Lisa Glidewell 9:07pm November 20, 2009)
I know authors work hard, but I thought it would be wonderful to have stories in your head. Your own entertainment. I never thought about them all fighting to get out at once. Ouch! Good Luck.
(Theresa Buckholtz 10:49am November 21, 2009)
Wow! Great to know that you
are a published writer when
you start hearing all those
people in your head, if not
the guys with the little white
jackets might be right around
the corner.
(Lisa Richards 9:11pm November 21, 2009)
I don't have stories in my head, I don't understand how authors get their books written.
(Brenda Rupp 12:28pm November 22, 2009)
I have stories in my head but don't write
them down. There are times when the
plots change, or I revisit them and try
them different ways. If I wrote them
down, they might stay the same.
(Patricia Barraclough 12:49pm November 22, 2009)
Wow! While I am not a published writer (or even anywhere near even attempting to realize that dream), I can totally identify with you. What's even worse is that I have a 2 year old daughter and 13 year old son and not only have the time or attention to put towards realizing that dream but I also have no way to do so until my husband gets me a laptop someday. Also, while I have one, my husband is rarely home because of his work and school schedules so he isn't able to even give me an hour to attempt to write (as if the stories would wait for whatever time I could allot to them LOL)! Oh well, someday...
(Dawn Detkowski 1:09am November 22, 2009)
By the way, I absolutely LOVE that you referred to all those stories in your head as puppies! That's a truly fantastic analogy!
(Dawn Detkowski 1:17am November 22, 2009)
I have so much respect for writers. I can barely put 2 words together some days.
(Mary Preston 2:14am November 22, 2009)
I'm always eager to write down those stories in my head, but when driving, I have to hold that thought for a bit. I mull it around and keep the essence.
(Alyson Widen 4:51pm November 22, 2009)
Puppies need lots of training. Is it possible to "train" your thought puppies to wait their turn by spending five or ten minutes with each? It might make 'long down stays' easier for you and them. Good training makes good dogs, and the more time you spend with the mental and emotional discipline of training, the better behaved the dogs are. If you can train your thought puppies to cooperate, it might make it easier to continue producing great books for the rest of us. Gotta laugh at the imagery, thanks.
(Susan Driskill 6:57pm November 22, 2009)
I woould love to read this book
(Allison Gardner 11:48am November 25, 2009)
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