Monday, May 23, 2011

Switch in focus

Success this weekend.  Roughly 1500 words.  It started with an agonizing ripping of even the most willing verb onto the page, and by the time the weekend was done I was pouring them out.  Well, relatively speaking.  There was studying to be done as well.

This next week promises to be a busy one.  Exam on Friday so studying and preps will take the lion's share of time.  Words shall have to wait.  Once this week is done, though, I can regain balance.

That's it for now.  Just happy to crank some words out and finish a scene that was being ... fussy, for want of a better term.  Oh, and I just looked at the bottom of the page.  Page 100!  Whooo! (yeah, I'll take the small victories.)

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Words vs words vs words

Nothing like being on the opposite coast from home to give you time to write. I'm in Halifax right now on another training course. Seems endless some days, but that's what you get when you change trades.
The downside: my family is still on the west coast. This sucks, but my wife and I decided that any course (or combination of courses) under a year would be a 'no move' if possible. Saves on the upheaval.
The upside: I have only my course to worry about, and the after hours are free to write.
Have I been ironclad in my discipline and written every day? Heh. This is me we're talking about here folks. However, despite my procrastinative tendencies (yep, I did just make that word up), I have actually managed to churn out more words. When added to the pile I've done since the last time I posted, I'm cruising right along.
(And no, there's no reason besides life and other craziness why the last post was so long ago. Deal.)
So now here I am, a naval engineer now instead of MARS, and ready to finish the book this year. I'd say earlier, but courses and other job-related things (those things that pay the bills right now) have a terrible habit of getting in the way.
An interesting thought came to me as I was walking back from the grocery store. I was laughing to myself (inwardly, of course, else people do tend to look at you funny and cross the street) as I carried my parcels down the street. Why was I laughing? Well, I was thinking about Queen's Legacy, and how I'll definitely need to rework things in revision. Then I wondered how my words could ever be as good as many of the published writers I read every day. Then my mind turns back to the fact that all those people are just people, like me, who have put a lot of work, practice and effort into their writing. So my mind returns to its original confident state, thinking that with enough work and practice, so too can I go there.
The point of my rambling is not to draw down the accomplishments of published writers, many of whom I enjoy and/or revere. Rather, to remind myself that it is mere mortals who write these words, and pour hours of effort and work into their texts. Like any other profession, it's skills are learned through doing. I can do this. Maybe no one will want to read my works. Maybe they will. I'll not know unless I finish, and get them out there.
That's my thoughts for today. If you've stuck through my rambling, then good on you. Right now I think it's time to get back to writing, then some technical drawings.