Sunday, February 18, 2007
After 20 minutes staring at the screen, time to give up
My prose style has gone down the crapper, and I'm running out of words. Plus there's way too much distraction, and then add in the Sunday night blahs (tomorrow is work). So, time for something else. 5150 words. Some of which will have to go. Sigh.
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I don't handle distraction well during the writing process.
I handle some distraction pretty well. I tried writing in the office/bedroom, and that didn't work well for my marriage as we don't see each other for that much during the non-sleeping time of the day. So now I write at the kitchen table, so we can usually see each other. At least now when I need to get up and walk to get the ideas back to flowing, I'm no longer side tracked by other projects.
I can't see the TV unless I crane my neck. But there's enough noise to distract that part of my mind that likes to tap my fingers or toes, twist my watch band, etc. I've worked in cubicles and "open office spaces" for over the past decade, so I know how to limit my range of operational awareness. When I'm really into writing, everything else gets washed away.
This weekend, especially on Sunday, my wife wanted a lot of attention. The cat was needy. Add in that I was mostly doing Butt in Chair writing, and it was easy to get distracted. Also add that I realized that my main character didn't have many small obstacles to get over and the short was mostly getting over the big obstacle (how to stop the pirates from getting away with everything) so every little thing knocked me out of writing mode.
Process, Dude...
It's not a simple action, the writing; it's a whole freakin' process.
I'm gonna need more LBB. If by process you mean, brainstorm, outline, flesh out outline, write story, rewrite and edit ad naseum, I'm not that kind of writer (at least for short stories). I really like being surprised by what happens.
When I start a short, I have either the middle or the beginning, rarely the end. So I write it out to find out what happens. For the pirate story, I was really shocked when I realized my main character was going to use a car bomb (well, a hovertank with it's reactive armor jerry-rigged with a little extra boost from some things hidden in with it, like a small tactical nuke - blammo) to take out the Pirate Ship. I didn't expect him to go that way.
Now, for the book, yeah I have an outline, but that's more to keep all my thoughts together on how the story should progress. I've got bits and pieces from all over the story, and more notes than I know what to do with (note to self, I should post a photo of the notes). So outlining was almost mandatory.
Now, the rewrite and edit, I've got that down. My first drafts are really crappy first drafts (as exampled by my prose last night). I need to add in descriptions, adjust pacing (although I think I have it pretty good for the start of the story), make sure I don't have a one-handed man use both hands later on, verb tense, etc. I'm now down to below ten rewrites (so I've progressed), but I'm a rewrite kind of guy.
I also don't have a life that allows me to say, "between 7-9pm each week night I'm going to be BIC (butt in chair) writing." So, that part of the process is also out. I wish I had a life like that, but until I win the lottery, it just ain't there. So I work with what I have 'cause I really want to do this.
So, what do you mean by "process?"
I have outlined after the fact, but that was an exercise to see where my prose was spending it's time (word count compared to importance to plot).
It sounds like the actual writing-writing part of the process is similar for you and me. I have vague ideas of the main character or two and why they exist and what makes them or their circumstances interesting, but they take the show and run with it. Any outline I write cannot be even recognizably reconciled w/the novel by the end of the first or second chapter. It comes as it comes and goes where it does.
But then, I think that's a process. Not one I could necessarily describe or direct with any accuracy.
I was thinking about writing process as I read your descriptions of your physical and psychological and emotional distractions from whatever subtle, magical process there is that bubbles and brews inside you until your story emerges.
Your environment seems...noisy. I don't mean aurally noisy, though that too, I suppose. Just too too too...distracty.
An hour of absolute stillness around me will produce more actual writing than five hours w/the television on in the next room and the dog moaning for attention or snoring too loudly or whatever.
I'm shuddering just thinking about it. I love the bustle and the company of my household and friends and music and activity. Just not when I need the creative process to take over.
AH, yes, there is a lot of white noise. It seems strange, and I think it has to do with past experiences, but I do better blocking out noise then when it's intentionally quiet. Sometimes I need that quiet, but I can block out most noises. It keeps the gremlins occupied, I think. When it's very quiet, if I'm not totally focused (which is hard to do these days), I'm easily distracted by the slightest sound (house settling, etc).
Another way to explain it would be this. I have to keep telling Bette not to tiptoe when I'm asleep. She's trying to be nice, but it wakes me up, fully. As compared to when she walks normally I only wake up a little. Now, banging around the kitchen is another thing.
As I said before, I've worked in noisy environments most of my career and I can filter out what I don't need. Freaks some of my coworkers out, they can be right behind me, talking to me, and I can't hear them. It makes me look like a jerk, but really, I can filter it all out. I really don't hear them consciously.
Then there's the rest of my mind. Play music, and my whole mind will listen to it, but if it's background noise, it keeps that figgety part busy and lets the other parts of my head work.
That sounds like I need to be medicated, but it works for me. YMMV.
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