I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Monday, June 18, 2007

My Muse Keeps Weird Hours

Okay, I know I keep strange hours, but this weekend I kept getting awakened to write down lines for the book.

More stuff for the "Handbasket In Hell" section. I have a feeling I'm going to be writing this book backwards, once I find the time to write/type it all down. It exists now as lots of pages of notes and computer files. I need to organize, type in all the notes, and fill in the blanks and write the big sweep stuff to tie everything together. That should only take a few weeks.

Right? :)

5 comments:

Camille Alexa said...

Diana Gabaldon says she just writes all the sections (her chapters are as short as one page or as long as...well, as long as she wants). She then arranges them like puzzle pieces and lets them fall into place to tell the story. Maybe you've got to roll with the muse's punches?

Steve Buchheit said...

I've done short stories like that. And while sometimes it's okay (when I know the whole arc and can place the pieces somewhat in order), I did have one short story that I wish I could have cut it apart with scissors and glue it back together. All of the story was there, is was just in all the wrong places (even though I thought I knew answer, well I did, but I could not say).

Todd Wheeler said...

That's the best, those little ideas that show up without warning. Bits and pieces getting flung up to the conscious level.

Todd Wheeler said...

And it must be catching, 'cause late in bed my pen starts scratching. Out of my head like a beat poet dead, the prose-poem howls into the wee hours. Done.

Yeah, that muse is a tricksy one.

Steve Buchheit said...

Yeah, those ideas out of the blue are great. Sometimes I know where they came from and where they go. And then there is the majority, which get written down on little pieces of paper (note to self, write post on little pieces of paper, I mean about little pieces of paper) and eventually find their way here or into my notebook.

And I think our Muses need a better schedule. Although, to be fair to mine, she (and I think of her as a she) is used to me writing at that time (since it used to be my only time to write). Mayeb I need to get her a gift and ask politely to time shift back into the early evenings. Although, sometimes she does ride to work with me (I need to get that Belkin Microphone for my iPod).