Sunday 29 June 2008

Full steam ahead...

On my other blog I mentioned that last week an idea fanned itself out, urging me to explore it. Because it's so new I can't elaborate. However, I will say that the story has been led by an actual older actress who is much admired - when the story presented itself it was her who 'popped up' as the main character. So much so that I had initially thought it should be a screenplay, but then I didn't want to confine myself to just 90-120 pages either, so, on Thursday evening I opened a new notebook and began writing and since then it has just rolled out. It's Sunday noon and I've already managed close to 16,000 words. Yes, as I've said before, it helps that I'm a super-fast typist, but my fingers have only been keeping up with the story itself. But, as the favoured saying goes, the first draft of anything is shit, but the first draft has to be allowed free-reign if the, hopefully better, second draft is going to take over. This story is also meandering, contradicting itself, but it's all part of the process - the main character is revealing herself in the most amazing way. Yesterday I even craved the old staples - chocolate, crisps and then a bag of chips heavily laden with salt and vinegar. It's just what's needed to keep the fingers tap-tap-tapping.

Sunday 15 June 2008

Procrastination or lack of motivation?

Is a lack of motivation and procrastination the same thing? I've had one or the other all through the week. As I've posted, the book I'm working on, or trying to work on, can in no way be described as 'light' and maybe that's it? Maybe it also has to do with the email I received from an agent last week who said my work was intense, claustorphobic and relentlessly gloomy! I said this to a writer friend and he said, 'yeah, and'? This judgement was based on her reading of my Tired Waves novella and The Carousel. If there is no room for the intense, claustorphobic and relentlessly gloomy then what sort of a market is it? I agree that, in parts, it is all of these things - and more, but then the same can be said of tonnes of work out there. Hey ho. I shall either wait for this lethargy to pass and try and cram in as much research and other things that I hope will inspire me forward, or plough through it. Me thinks it will be the former.

 
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