Category: Writer’s High

In The Zone

By

On August 7, 2012

In Just Keep Writing, Planning for the Future, Things That Are Awesome, Writer's High

Well, I’ve found the place I should move to and become a full-time writer. Three days into a one-week vacation, I’ve written 6,500 words in about an hour and a half each day, and all of it I really, really like. I sit out on the deck and gaze out over the lake, watch the bald eagles fly by and soak up the sun, and my brain, free from all the distractions of home, gets to writing like a house on fire. I think if I could live here full-time (with the added benefit of family to babysit) I could write four times as fast as I’m used to, and better quality, to boot. I’m definitely going to see if I can find a way to come back here when it’s time to revise my first draft. It’s so easy to be happy and well-rested and stress-free here.

I’m about to reach a point where I’m not quite sure what exactly comes next, which I’m actually not dreading for once, because I want to see what my relaxed and unencumbered mind comes up with to fill that gap. And while I often listen to music while I write, and always when I’m looking for inspiration, I haven’t been this week, and the ideas are still flowing. Maybe the change of stimulation has made me look at things in a different way? I’m also finally starting to feel like I’m moving closer to the climax. I’m not nearly there yet, but I’d say I’m entering into the last third. Which, seeing as how I’m at almost 77,000 words, is probably a really good thing.

And… Go!

By

On July 14, 2012

In Excitement, Just Keep Writing, Things That Are Awesome, Writer's High

I have my laptop and my charger. I have a delicious smoothie full of fresh greens from the garden (and chocolate for balance). I have the pillows propped in a most comfortable manner. I have the entire house to myself until at least late afternoon tomorrow. I have a cat who seems inclined to sit beside me most of the day. I have a fresh mind after a lazy morning sleeping in, and I have some busywork to fall back on if my brain needs a break.

In short, I have the perfect recipe for a writer’s day in!

Goal: 5,000 words.

Update: Goal accomplished at 5,091, although it’s 2:30 in the damn morning. Holy shit am I slow. But OMG do I ever love chapter 11. I finished it tonight, and it’s by far my favourite chapter so far. There is so much awesome in it, and I love the relationship dynamic that’s developing.

And a short list of the random things I had to research today:

  • Piezoelectricity
  • Black cohosh
  • Quartz crystals
  • Methods for steeping tea, and why chamomile turns pink when you add lemon (I still don’t know the latter)

It’s funny when I read this post from ten days ago, and how apathetic I was toward writing then. Now, a short time later, I want to write ALL THE WORDS, to the point that it’s this ridiculous hour and I should have been in bed a long time ago because I have to go to work in the morning. Ebb and flow, right? Ebb and flow.

Longest. Thing. Ever.

By

On June 28, 2012

In By the Numbers, Excitement, Things That Are Awesome, Writer's High

That’s what she said. Am I right?

No really, check this out:

When I did NaNo last year, my story topped out at 53,789 words, and at the time it was the longest thing I’d ever written. Today, I surpassed that mark, with loads more to go. How great is that? Granted, that was over 50,000 words in 30 days, vs. the four months it’s taken me to get to this stage now, but that’s beside the point.

Now that I’ve passed the theoretical halfway marker – the story’s going to end when it’s going to end, I guess, but I’m aiming roughly for 100,000 words – I’m a little nervous because a lot of the second half is pretty murky in my mind. I’ve got the ending all figured out, and a couple key scenes before that building themselves up in my brain, but there are still a lot of holes. Then again, when I started writing the first half, months ago, there were a lot of holes there too, and they just seemed to fill themselves as I went along. So here’s hoping that trend will continue.

These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things

By

On June 18, 2012

In Excitement, Things That Are Awesome, Writer's High

Foreshadowing and red herrings, two things that I absolutely love to write. I get irrationally gleeful when one or other other is coming together, like, *singsong* “I know what’s happening and you don’t, I know what’s happening and you don’t…”

And someday you’re going to be reading the end of Book Three and your mind is going to be totally blown and you’re going to go, “holy shit that’s from all the way back at the beginning of Book One,” and you never saw it coming. Meanwhile, all those other things you thought were coming won’t, because of all the sneaky false clues I’m laying. And then I’ll be there, all “oh, snap!” or whatever for-the-times catchphrase we’ll be using to say gotcha in 2018.

In all seriousness, while I’ve loved pretty much every moment of writing this book so far, the last couple weeks and the next couple coming up have made me positively giddy about being a writer. I’m racing to my laptop every night after putting my kids to bed, and it’s all because of my two favourite plot elements.

I love being the one who knows all the secrets.

Halfway!

By

On June 17, 2012

In By the Numbers, Excitement, Writer's High

That came about because I wrote more than 3,700 words today, which is absolutely insane for me. Looking back at last year’s NaNoWriMo stats, my best day was 100 words less than that, and I remember that as being an all-day effort. It’s not a pace I can keep up with, for sure, but if I could do it every Saturday, and the same amount again through the rest of the week, I could write a chapter a week and hopefully have my first draft done in a little under two months. And that’s a great feeling. I never actually completed my NaNo novel – I did the 50,000 words (53,000 as a matter of fact) but the conclusion remains to be written. By 50,000 words I was heartily sick of it, and still don’t feel that it’s worth the time to complete, but 50,000 words into this story and I’m falling more and more in love with it every time I sit down in front of my laptop. So that’s gotta be a good sign, right?

Retreat, Retreat!

By

On June 16, 2012

In Distractions, Excitement, Just Keep Writing, Writer's High

I gave myself a mini-getaway today, taking over my parents’ vacant condo to sit on their balcony in the sunshine and write for the afternoon. I need to do this more often, even if it’s just at home. I normally write late at night, anywhere from 10pm to 1am, but doing it during the day, outside with the sun on my face and a beautiful view of the park and the river, really can’t be beat. Birds are chirping! Beez are buzzing! Golfers are cursing when they miss their second putts! Rather than jumping online when my mind needs a bit of a break, I can just gaze out over the city for a moment or two and then get back to my work, without having the interruption in my train of thought that internet distractions usually cause.

I never did think of the idea I’d lost the other day for the start of chapter 9, but I like where I’m going instead, so that’s all right, I guess. And, in keeping with my new no-wifi rule – I don’t know the password to my parents’ network anyway – I wrote 1,100 words in just over an hour, and every one of them came easily.

It’s good to be a writer today.

Cuddle Up

By

On June 9, 2012

In Routines, Writer's High

How great is writing in bed? I’ve been away from home all week and the only way I can get into my closed-door writing routine is to do it in my bedroom. I lay under all the heavy covers, all snuggled up, with a stack of pillows behind me, and peck away. This is heaven. It’s warm, it’s cozy, it’s quiet – everything I need to get my mind into a good groove for writing.

This is Mark Twain, another bed-writer.

I’m not all that creative when it comes to location, unlike a friend of mine who will carry her hammock down to the river, set it up and write in it there. At home it’s the couch for me. But I like this bed thing. Especially since, as a night writer, when I’m done I can just close my laptop, set it on the night table, switch off the light and go right to sleep. See? Bliss.

Count ‘Em Up

By

On May 31, 2012

In By the Numbers, Excitement, Writer's High

I’m 13,000 and change words away from this being the longest thing I’ve ever written. And I feel like I’m just starting to scratch the surface. When I did NaNo I hit this mark and wondered if the story would be over before I made my 50,000 word goal. Now I’m feeling like it’s entirely possible I’ll run over 100,000. It’s a wonderful feeling. 🙂

Paris, je t’adore

By

On April 29, 2012

In Writer's High

I’m having so much fun writing about Paris in this story. Having my characters running around the city makes me remember all the wonderful experiences I had there too, and hints of some of those have made their way into the narrative. I want to go back so badly!

Feeling it

By

On April 27, 2012

In Writer's High

I have so much love for the people in this story.

That’s all, really.

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