I'm not all here, and that's not all bad
Nov. 23rd, 2009 06:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wyld_dandelyonThis push to write so much of Clockwork Dragon all at once, while I'm still very much in the world building stage, and really in the exploring stage of so many other aspects of the story is interesting. I can tell it's using a lot of processing time, much of which is in the back of my brain, so it's hard to describe what's going on.
In some ways, it's like the typing sprints when I was learning to type--you go as fast as you can, knowing you're making mistakes, but that it builds muscle and skill. In typing, you alternate this with sessions where you concentrate on making no mistakes, doing everything perfectly, going only as fast as you can go making no mistakes. I guess that's what the rewrite process is for.
But in other ways it's different. A lot of my mind is off in my alternate Chicago, thinking about the things people do and why, of what would drive someone to kidnapping and murder, how people of different ages and backgrounds react and interact, how that would affect their art, their music, their relationships. How the ways the worlds are different affect how things unfold, affect the "color" of the world and the plot, both. And how being not exactly human affects all those things too, in the characters for whom that's an accurate description.
But it's coming together. Not as fast as I want, but I think I'm starting to build momentum. Hopefully, soon I'll be doing more stretches where my fingers are struggling to keep up with my brain.
And maybe I'll be more regular about posting stuff here then, too. I know I thought of something I wanted to talk about earlier, but in this moment, my brain is all wrapped up in and around the story.
Oh--I know one thing I didn't talk about. I had a job interview Friday. It was very short, though I think it went well. It was also informative about the job market. This lawyer told me he had received over 200 resumes, of which 50 were "highly qualified", and he interviewed about half of those. That's consistent with the feedback I've gotten from the other places that have shared that kind of information. There's just not as many job openings as there are qualified applicants. He told me I have high-quality competition, and his decision would be very difficult.
But I meant to write about that Friday night! See what I mean?
As to numbers, I'm up to 35,300+ words, which is 5000 more than yesterday. And I got yet another rejection on a story that I'd really like to see sell, and sent it out again.
So much of this is just keeping on taking the next step, whether that is sending out my resume, or dressing up in the sincere suit for an interview, or submitting a story to another editor, or simply typing the next word--and the next one after that, and the next one after that. And repeat.
And now I think I'll go off and ponder where my kidnapper plans to put the kidnap-ee, especially since the first one didn't cooperate with the plan and stay put. Though that first experience is back story, it still affects the character in question. And, of course, there's the fact that I don't expect this one to cooperate either, so I'll have to ponder those efforts and their consequences too.
See you when I'm back in this space-time continuum!
In some ways, it's like the typing sprints when I was learning to type--you go as fast as you can, knowing you're making mistakes, but that it builds muscle and skill. In typing, you alternate this with sessions where you concentrate on making no mistakes, doing everything perfectly, going only as fast as you can go making no mistakes. I guess that's what the rewrite process is for.
But in other ways it's different. A lot of my mind is off in my alternate Chicago, thinking about the things people do and why, of what would drive someone to kidnapping and murder, how people of different ages and backgrounds react and interact, how that would affect their art, their music, their relationships. How the ways the worlds are different affect how things unfold, affect the "color" of the world and the plot, both. And how being not exactly human affects all those things too, in the characters for whom that's an accurate description.
But it's coming together. Not as fast as I want, but I think I'm starting to build momentum. Hopefully, soon I'll be doing more stretches where my fingers are struggling to keep up with my brain.
And maybe I'll be more regular about posting stuff here then, too. I know I thought of something I wanted to talk about earlier, but in this moment, my brain is all wrapped up in and around the story.
Oh--I know one thing I didn't talk about. I had a job interview Friday. It was very short, though I think it went well. It was also informative about the job market. This lawyer told me he had received over 200 resumes, of which 50 were "highly qualified", and he interviewed about half of those. That's consistent with the feedback I've gotten from the other places that have shared that kind of information. There's just not as many job openings as there are qualified applicants. He told me I have high-quality competition, and his decision would be very difficult.
But I meant to write about that Friday night! See what I mean?
As to numbers, I'm up to 35,300+ words, which is 5000 more than yesterday. And I got yet another rejection on a story that I'd really like to see sell, and sent it out again.
So much of this is just keeping on taking the next step, whether that is sending out my resume, or dressing up in the sincere suit for an interview, or submitting a story to another editor, or simply typing the next word--and the next one after that, and the next one after that. And repeat.
And now I think I'll go off and ponder where my kidnapper plans to put the kidnap-ee, especially since the first one didn't cooperate with the plan and stay put. Though that first experience is back story, it still affects the character in question. And, of course, there's the fact that I don't expect this one to cooperate either, so I'll have to ponder those efforts and their consequences too.
See you when I'm back in this space-time continuum!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-28 06:32 am (UTC)I hope the job interview went well and pans out. I know it would take you away from writing but I also understand it's been far too long as being unemployed.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-28 09:04 am (UTC)Yes, a job would take some time away from writing, though I do need to spend some time every day doing other things; typing 10k in a day is quite feasible, but not as new fiction. Time spent thinking and planning is very much a part of the process.
I think the job interview went well; the last several interviewers told me, in so many words, that I'm one of the most highly qualified candidates, and that there was no doubt in their minds that I could do the job. But also that that was true of a bunch of other people too. There's more highly qualified people who need a job in my area right now than there are jobs.
Sadly, this guy was pretty clear that he wanted to have someone start before Thanksgiving so his current secretary could acquaint the new person with his preferences and the office procedures. And I didn't get a call Monday morning. So I don't think I will get that job.
But maybe the next one. :-D
And in the meantime, I will keep writing.