On a writing note...

on Sunday, August 1, 2010
I'm not freaking letting Effulgent Corruption die.

This happened last year about this same time. I finished a book (Lacrymosa) for Sanderson's class. I wrote another one super fast over the summer (Harbinger). I was pumped so I started a third (Ringforger). And then it died.

History is repeating itself (Replace Lacrymosa with Where Gods and Mortals Dance and Harbinger with Paradise Seekers). Ringforger is so low on the list now it doesn't even have its own folder in dropbox. It's just, "Misc ideas" now. I got about 5k words in and dropped it. Just couldn't get into it.

I'm having the same problem with EC. THIS IS BAD. 


The weird part is both Ringforger and Effulgent Corruption are plotted out enough that I could easily write them if I took the time. There's just some brain roadblock keeping me from wanting to write like a freak maniac and put out 5-10k a day on these puppies.

I'm fairly certain this is what writers block is.

However, I am the kind of person to learn from my mistakes, because I'm a discovery writer and that makes me a superior life-form. So, unlike the poorly dismantled Ringforger, Effulgent Corruption will live on and I will write it even if it kills me.

Especially since it's probably the coolest book I've written. If we are gauging it in 100% raw cool quantities. Yes, that exists. I'm an author. I'm allowed to do crap like that.

I'm going to write every day until this book is done. Commitment, set, match. 1,000 word daily minimum. It'll happen.

(...please work) :P

3 comments:

Ben Godby said...

If you mean that writer's block is the sheer-lazy or the non-inspirado, I think you're right. That is not meant to be offensive, of course, but merely to confirm that such is exactly what I think. For example, yesterday I played the new version of Dwarf Fortress for hours upon hours instead of working on a manuscript that, really, wouldn't have been so hard to finish. Is that writer's block? Well, it certainly blocked me from accomplishing my writing goals...

Good luck!

-bn

Anonymous said...

Ha ha, I love your blog-prose.

You can do it! Maybe it's just a hump, and once you pass the hump you'll be free sailing.

I kind of have the same thing with TR, and my friend is experiencing similar difficulties. Maybe it's a disease spreading around. Through Gchat.

Nathan said...

I'm not sure. I think it's a combination of burnout (writing two full length books in under six months) with just freaking terrible timing (I start it when I get a new computer, and move, and my car breaks, and I'm in spring/summer term).

Usually with stuff like this I have to get about 30k in and I suddenly magically love everything about it and it is fairy drops and doughnuts and happy fun times. But until then, it's a pain.

However, having a plot now helps. Kind of a lot.

I do my best to not think about how those five days in Modern Warfare 2 (meaning, my total time playing that game is five days. 120 hours. Wow.) could have easily been converted probably into a good half a novel. Don't think about that...don't think about that...

Also, Chuck, I am willing to bet gchat IS the disease. It is a distraction.

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