Interview; Some Reflection on Writing
Nov. 27th, 2007 09:23 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cathschaffstumpCool interview alert: ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jimhines interviews his agent, and they are funny. Together. Not serious. Here's the link:
http://jimhines.livejournal.com/326122.html
I love stuff like this.
***
Today is actually delirium day in the journal. I'm at work, on Benadryl (TM). Yes, the germs found me again, although I diligently tried to hide from them. I don't understand how this works at all. At any rate, sicker than um..(lessee...writing journal...can't say dog) a paranormal romance heroine falling for something half dead (actually I think that's twisted, but we're working under pressing circumstances.)
I have made the (not unlikely) discovery that revising Substance of Shadows again is a lot like writing your dissertation. Oh, I don't hate the book with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns or anything, as was the case with the dissertation, but it's slogging.
It's also more about patience and persistence. I remember getting the degree after working on the dissertation for three and a half years (see what full time jobs do for you.) It wasn't ready, it wasn't ready, suddenly, magically, it was ready. The planets aligned, the profs got drunk, I got lucky, whatever. I think selling books is pretty much persistence. Other things too, but persistence. And alignment of the planets. And connecting with people.
Writing is pretty much slogging. At first, it can be fun and inventive. I think it'll also be like my 20 year marriage in the end. Early spark, lots of fun, but in the final analysis, hard work and deeply satisfying. Working on craft, getting the best story out for the audience who's reading.
BTW, here's a gem from that interview I mentioned above which applies:
Publishing is not a right. It is a reward for mastering the craft and doing homework and having something salable at the right place at the right time.
Whether we publish or not, we master the story. If publishing were all there were, I'd just as soon do something else.
Hrm. Ready for my nap now. Let's see what kind of registration and orientation letters I write now, eh?
Squirrelly yours,
Catherine
jimhines interviews his agent, and they are funny. Together. Not serious. Here's the link: http://jimhines.livejournal.com/326122.html
I love stuff like this.
***
Today is actually delirium day in the journal. I'm at work, on Benadryl (TM). Yes, the germs found me again, although I diligently tried to hide from them. I don't understand how this works at all. At any rate, sicker than um..(lessee...writing journal...can't say dog) a paranormal romance heroine falling for something half dead (actually I think that's twisted, but we're working under pressing circumstances.)
I have made the (not unlikely) discovery that revising Substance of Shadows again is a lot like writing your dissertation. Oh, I don't hate the book with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns or anything, as was the case with the dissertation, but it's slogging.
It's also more about patience and persistence. I remember getting the degree after working on the dissertation for three and a half years (see what full time jobs do for you.) It wasn't ready, it wasn't ready, suddenly, magically, it was ready. The planets aligned, the profs got drunk, I got lucky, whatever. I think selling books is pretty much persistence. Other things too, but persistence. And alignment of the planets. And connecting with people.
Writing is pretty much slogging. At first, it can be fun and inventive. I think it'll also be like my 20 year marriage in the end. Early spark, lots of fun, but in the final analysis, hard work and deeply satisfying. Working on craft, getting the best story out for the audience who's reading.
BTW, here's a gem from that interview I mentioned above which applies:
Publishing is not a right. It is a reward for mastering the craft and doing homework and having something salable at the right place at the right time.
Whether we publish or not, we master the story. If publishing were all there were, I'd just as soon do something else.
Hrm. Ready for my nap now. Let's see what kind of registration and orientation letters I write now, eh?
Squirrelly yours,
Catherine
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-28 12:28 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-28 01:38 am (UTC)feel better,
Chris