Making a Literary Life
I'm reading Making a Literary Life by Carolyn See. This book is different from other writing books designed to help aspriring writers find the time and the guts to write. Many books tell you to call yourself a writer even if you aren't published. See recommends not saying anything about your writing aspirations, at least not at first. What I have found most helpful and intriguing is her 18-minute version of making a literary life, which states; 1) Write 1000 words a day, five days a week and 2) write "charming notes" to literary people you admire, five days a week. Both of these are to be done for the rest of your life.
Today it took me just about an hour to write 1000 words. Now who can't find an hour? Okay, so sometimes I can't. It's not so much that I can't find the hour, its that I waste it somewhere.
Right now I'm at 43,742 words towards a 57,000 word goal. At 1000 words a day, for 5 days a week, it would take about 14 days (two weeks and 4 days with weekends off) to finish. I can live with that. Of course, you can check my blog for previous posts to find other gimmicks designed to get my book written that I have tried that didn't last one day. But, always an optimist, I'm going to try.
The second recommendation of writing notes to other writers seems like fun... or maybe its just another thing I can do to put off writing. In the book See indicates that many writers in her seminars and courses don't like this activity, but I'm looking forward to trying it, at least until I run out of writers to write to. I've already made my list:
Nora Roberts (regarding JD Robb books)
Janet Evanovich - Stephanie Plum and her new book How I Write
Sandra Brown - I loved Envy. I also enjoyed her new one, Ricochette
Heather Graham - Ghost Walk and The Vision
Linda Howard - Mr. Perfect is one of my all time favorites.
Tami Hoag - Lucky's Lady and Cry Wolf are other all time faves.
I figure I can write non-fiction people too. I think I'll write Ms. See once I finish the book.
I'm off to read some more. I'm on chapter 4: Pretend to be a Writer. I have that mastered by now.
Jenna
Today it took me just about an hour to write 1000 words. Now who can't find an hour? Okay, so sometimes I can't. It's not so much that I can't find the hour, its that I waste it somewhere.
Right now I'm at 43,742 words towards a 57,000 word goal. At 1000 words a day, for 5 days a week, it would take about 14 days (two weeks and 4 days with weekends off) to finish. I can live with that. Of course, you can check my blog for previous posts to find other gimmicks designed to get my book written that I have tried that didn't last one day. But, always an optimist, I'm going to try.
The second recommendation of writing notes to other writers seems like fun... or maybe its just another thing I can do to put off writing. In the book See indicates that many writers in her seminars and courses don't like this activity, but I'm looking forward to trying it, at least until I run out of writers to write to. I've already made my list:
Nora Roberts (regarding JD Robb books)
Janet Evanovich - Stephanie Plum and her new book How I Write
Sandra Brown - I loved Envy. I also enjoyed her new one, Ricochette
Heather Graham - Ghost Walk and The Vision
Linda Howard - Mr. Perfect is one of my all time favorites.
Tami Hoag - Lucky's Lady and Cry Wolf are other all time faves.
I figure I can write non-fiction people too. I think I'll write Ms. See once I finish the book.
I'm off to read some more. I'm on chapter 4: Pretend to be a Writer. I have that mastered by now.
Jenna
posted by Jenna Harte @ 5:05 PM
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