Posted by Astronommy 3 years ago Report

Three cheers for this new initiative!

I should be around to be picking at the new novel's bones while it's still taking its first breaths, but actually writing something along in a show of workshop solidarity is something best left to those qualified.

Posted by 4ofSwords 3 years ago Report

Unqualified writing can still be quantified! The whole point of something like nanowrimo isn't that it has to be good, it just has to be done: setting a goal and reaching it. 'Good' is for the editing pass after. ;)

If you wanna try, I'll three cheers you back!

Posted by Astronommy 3 years ago Report

Thank you for the words of encouragement! Even though productivity drives like NaNoWriMo and its wildcat versions are used primarily by professionals to keep their abilities sharp and their peer networks nice and sprawling, they may also be a wonderful tool for the newbies to get their start, there's no doubt.

It's not really feasible for me at the moment, unfortunately, mostly due to sloth and poor time management, partly because of the amateur editor's curse of seeing all those possibilities for improvement even in the big fish writers' works, and grading my own prenatal skillset against that standard; nothing helps a budding artist take wing in an established hierarchy like healthy delusions of grandeur.

Here's something I stumbled on today that you might find relatable -- an illustrated detailing of a Hugo-winning freelance writer-artist's process:

https://twitter.com/UrsulaV/status/1356327203655593984

(it's a thread; there are several of those doodle comics covering the day)

Posted by 4ofSwords 3 years ago Report

> It's not really feasible for me at the moment

That is perfectly acceptable! 'Not gonna, don' wanna' is a discussion-ender, as far as I'm concerned.

> unfortunately, mostly due to sloth and poor time management, partly because of the amateur editor's curse of seeing all those possibilities for improvement even in the big fish writers' works,

Promises of ending discussions aside, this is exactly the sort of thing NaNoWriMo and its newly dubbed cousin ShoNoWriMo are meant to address: The only real goal is to finish. Quality is secondary. Writing something that even makes sense is secondary. The first time my sister did it, her novel turned into a cookbook musing on gardening techniques. Perfectly acceptable. It's a bit like (I was assume, being a lazy slug myself) that thing in exercise/running/whatever where it stops being all kinds of achey-terrible and you just hit flow and keep going. And very frequently, looking back afterward, less of it is is terrible than one remembers when writing.

Now, with that said, I require whiskey (or similar) in order to write without constant self-editing. It's not easy. But it's a skill I wish I would have developed earlier in my writing hobby. Just writing, just pounding something junky out, and then using it as the starting point for the joyous work of editing.

Posted by Astronommy 3 years ago Report

I once again thank you for your tactfully pressing past my reluctance in order to jump start my creativity drive, it shows a responsible approach to a potential fellow writer's professional well-being, and I appreciate it greatly! Thank you also for the lovely candid anecdotes, they would have been a great help under different circumstances!

And it makes me feel all the more guilty to disappoint you by doubling down on the refusal, as well as for having falsely lead you to believe I were some kind of a proper artist on hiatus; leaving vague clues in my speech implying I'm more than actually has always been an irresistible temptation for me. In truth, I haven't written anything in over a decade, and I'd become so disgusted with what I'd written before then, I purged it all off the Internet, and presently, in addition to the prohibitive ineptitude at time management and other material hindrances, I've been struggling with the ethics of the kind of indulgent scenarios I'd have enjoyed writing out, I've discovered better versions of almost all of my imagined plots already realized by others, and I have nothing but a history of painful creative failure to extrapolate from; maybe the lynchpin in all these frustrations is that I don't drink, saving my health and clarity of mind for the better appreciation of all the anguish, I guess.

I realize the proper cathartic resolution to this exchange should be my tentative acceptance of your well-intended wisdom and promising to at least give it a try, so I sincerely apologize for falling short of even that small expectation; as I explained, it's not so much a case of an old racing champ's anxiety at facing the crowds again, and more a case of a simple commuter who's refusing to touch the wheel after having been in a serious car accident years ago, who no longer owns a car, has long forgotten how to actually drive, but retains an interest in the current traffic laws; the best I can hope for my creative expression remains the parasitic insertion into other people's works as a glorified spell-checker, which I sometimes find the gall to justify as maybe being partially symbiotic after all.

The one thing that I've been sort of successful at lately, art-wise, is engaging with artists, which is something I'd not done in years until relatively recently, although I still haven't touched this site's own ObsidianSnake's seemingly superb novels that got recommended to me months ago.

Your exercising analogy is valid, however, as I've learned from other areas of life to which it may be applied, and likewise the observation about the older projects revealing surprising artistic merits upon revisiting is very apt. Apologies for the let down, again! May your own writing life go on flourishing, and the struggles you face always be matched and overcome by your strengths coming through!

Posted by 4ofSwords 3 years ago Report

I will accept that as a 'not gonna', and not press any further. :)

Posted by Astronommy 3 years ago Report

Very considerate of you, thanks!

If at some point I do end up betraying my principles and overcoming my fears, I will still duly credit you for my progress!

Posted by Bitter 3 years ago Report

I'll commit to writing... something... this month.

Posted by 4ofSwords 3 years ago Report

Nice! Want word-count checkins or anything, or should I just watch your page for something at some point?

Posted by Bitter 3 years ago Report

I've had a project intended as a gift for a friend that I haven't started for far too long; I don't know that I'd ever post it publicly nor exactly how long the word count will be. But I'll let you know that it's finished, with an absolute deadline of the end of the month.

Posted by 4ofSwords 3 years ago Report

Splendid!

Posted by 4ofSwords 3 years ago Report

How's your project coming along, Bitter? Was this the Mercury story you posted?

Posted by Bitter 3 years ago Report

Mercury was a detour. The project is going poorly due to 1) inexcusable neglect, and 2) suddenly finding myself in the middle of buying a house.

I *have* started it. I *may* be able to complete it if I can wrangle the required emotional stability to continue writing over the next couple days. I am not optimistic.

Posted by 4ofSwords 3 years ago Report

Well, congratulations on the house!

Posted by The Fennec Fox 3 years ago Report

I wish i saw this earlier. I've been reviving a project leading up to a 100k words. If you're comfortable with it, would you like to be friends on NaNoWriMo?

Posted by 4ofSwords 3 years ago Report

I'm open to it, but I'm JUUUUST about done (I should squeak in at the end of the month) and probably won't be doing this again for a bit. This round left me pretty wrung out. :D But I'm happy to encourage you.

Posted by The Fennec Fox 3 years ago Report

I'd be honored. I published two nano projects, and I'm about to finish this huge project. Gentleman Rat is my username, and i could use all the support i can get lol

Posted by 4ofSwords 3 years ago Report

Got it. Invitation sent!