Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Tuesday, The Writing Life




images today are from Sunday's walk in frozen beauty...


Yesterday Gwen and I worked for the best part of the day on our govt. writing. We worked through our confusion, our anger, our plain out and out grumpiness and got a good deal done. Today we are doing our own writing first and then we'll get back to it. I've been working for over an hour and have just finished the process I started last week of writing index cards from beat to beat all the way through the book so far. Now I'm left with lots of these **** which are holders for questions or places I need to put things in or connections that don't quite connect. I also have a bundle of index cards that are questions. I feel like there is a plot there but I just have the edges of it. I sure hope that is true. My cards say things like - where did killer get wooden pegs? Dr. Putney? Why is Rena suddenly able to sell house? Now, I suppose, my next work will be either just keeping those until I've bumbled all the way through to the end and then filling them in OR figuring out what is going on now and then writing that down. I will probably bumble through - that is more my style - but even asking the questions helps. It gets my mind searching for the answers, just like it might do if I were reading the book. So, back I go for another hour of this until Gwen and I go back to GOVT. HELL! Don't go feeling sorry for me though - GH pays just fine if we can stop them from adding stuff that is...

13 comments:

Hart Johnson said...

Funny... best I can figure, you and I are blogging about the same thing today--sort of... only I'm just whining and complaining, and you're giving a method to work through it... write down the damn questions! (that was me yelling at me, or me imagining YOU yelling at me, as opposed to anyone yelling at you)--it's a good plan. It's why I'm spinning my wheels a little... too many unanswered questions... If I just get them on paper, maybe I can make better progress.

Anonymous said...

You did know that you were supposed to be feeling that way yesterday, right? It is accepted wisdom that the third Monday in January is the absolute low point in the year psychologically. Blue Monday?, someone suggested it derived from this phenomenon. If my experience is any indication it felt like the low-ceilinged cloud cover that marked the day outside started about five feet off the ground and consumed my entire head and every last bit of positivity in it.
YEAAAA! We all made it to the third Tuesday!!

joe doaks-Author said...

Ha. I had to laugh at, "Government Hell" because I used to work for the US Federal government. I retired about a year ago, and yes, for the better part of my careerer that was an apt description.

Best Wishes Galen.
Imagineering Fiction Blog

Helen Ginger said...

Ooh, Govt. Hell sounds scary. If you can face that down, you can figure out the answers to all your questions. I have faith. And I never want to go to Govt. Hell.

Helen
Straight From Hel

Jan Morrison said...

Yes Tartlett - we are both at the stage when you've cleaned your child's room by moving everything into the center and now you must deal with five thousand pieces of lego and hair clips and pieces of puzzles. ARGGGHHH!
Annonymous - oh - blue? I wasn't blue, I was ANNOYED but I'm over it now. I have about two more hours of work to do while dinner cooks in the slow cooker. The kids are at their mothers' and we can eat at eight if we like. I'll be finished by then and we can eat and watch the rest of season 1 of WEST WING - ah, I'm happy.
Galen - yes. I love these writing gigs. Tomorrow I'm going to see my hairdresser for a cut. I'm thinking of telling him exactly how to cut my hair. In fact at one point I may wrench the scissors out of his hands and hack at it myself. I'll make him take much longer to cut my hair by changing my mind every few minutes and then act surprised when he charges me accordingly. I will be surprised that he couldn't incorporate my ideas more fluidly into his design and I'll bad mouth him to my friends. Just saying....

Elspeth Futcher said...

Government grant apps are a unique room in hell. I've been there. Gather all your correct phrases together and go to. Nasty.

Elspeth

P.S. What beautiful pictures! Thanks for posting them.

Patricia Stoltey said...

Phew! I glad I never worked for Government Hell. Business Hell was bad enough...

Jan Morrison said...

Ah, funny when you put down one of those phrases that resonates - govt. hell it is!
Helen - I've gone there before and I'll go there again - at least I go as an independent. God forbid I should have vacations and medical paid by them - nope I'm a consultant. Yay!
Elspeth - not a grant application. This is writing work for the govt. I do it for money and I burn for that sin. (and thanks about the pics! whenever the sun shines, I'll be there)
Patricia - govt. hell is very much like business hell but more idle minds to do the devil's handwork.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Government Hell! How do you survive in a place like that? You're a free spirit! I'd be bad there, too...I break rules sometimes. :)

That water looks COLD...

Elizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder
Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen

Stacy Post said...

Jan, lovely pics! I enjoy learning about your process too. You are blessed that you can write past the questions and return to them later. Best of luck!

Jan Morrison said...

Elizabeth - I survive by dancing quickly, dreaming of all the chocolate and travel the money can buy (not that it will but it gets me through) and thinking of the good the actual writing might do! And that water is frozen!
Stacy - I hope I can, haven't yet....

Anonymous said...

I am reading "Bird by Bird" right now, and she talks about letting the characters tell you... tat is if you wait around long enough, staring at the screen..

Jan Morrison said...

Denise - that is totally what I do. And it does require some patience - when I try to get them to do what I want, they balk and get all sullen. Hey, my characters are just like the teenagers in my life! Yikes! Double yikes!
I love Anne Lamott- BxB is never off of my desk. Humour and incandessence. wow.