Yes, It Is All My Fault!

Often, when I’m not writing as much or as frequently as I’d prefer to be, I think up new systems or patterns to try to kick-start more writing. Occasionally they’re in complete seriousness, but more often they are light-hearted, an attempt to laugh myself (or laugh at myself) into workfulness. Even my catwaxing isn’t entirely frivolous, which apparently according to some writers means I’m not really waxing the cat. Ahh well. To view my latest geeky foray, read on!

This system is designed to address the needs of a specific writing phase. Obviously, if I wake up and know what I want to write that day, then the decision of what to write is rather made. Ditto for waking up knowing you need to take a day off. (A day what?) However, this system is designed to answer the question of what to write when you have the vague itch to write something, but no blinding inspiration is moving you toward an individual project. Those of you gamer geeks may have already guessed what’s coming…

You decide that this time, you’ll get the dice involved.

First, make a numbered list all of your current projects and works-in-progress. (Obviously, those of you that only work on one project at a time won’t really need any of this, as the decision is inherent in the choice.) Here, I’ll give my own example:

1. Novel-in-progress
2. collaborative project, non-fiction-ish
3. collaborative project, fiction
4. Elliot’s story
5. the twins’ story
6. business model paper
7. Arse Elektronika paper
8. revise tabled story drafts

So from the list above: whenever I’m feeling the edgy urge to write, but whining internally about not knowing what I want to work on, I’d select an 8-sided die and roll it.

Rules of the game: You’re allowed one re-roll per writing session (the time between catwaxing); if you reject a rolled option more than three times in one week you might want to consider whether it belongs on the list for now; anytime you work on any point you have the option to shuffle the numbering; anytime you complete a list point you can reward yourself as desired before adding the next project (or, if you’re trying to downsize, find some way to reward yourself anytime you drop down a die size, like from 8-sided to 6-sided). If you roll and decide that no, you actually want to work on a different option instead, inspiration trumps randomization: go with what you want to write. If you don’t like any of your list options, write a different list before rolling.

So far this week I’ve done work on 2, 3, and 6.

You know I have the brain-worms when I’m in the middle of updating my works-in-progress section of “My Writing” here on the ‘Net, and I hear the following conversation in my head:

“Really, it’s not *that* much to get done.”

“Have you been snorting kittens again? What?”

“Oh come on, look! It’s one novel with most half a good amount of work done on, two or three short stories, and one story of indeterminate size.”

“I am looking, and I see you forgot to mention the ongoing project and the ‘various sundry bits’ barely worth listing–but still taking up neural space and ‘time’.”

“Well, the short stories are only a couple of weeks time-use each.”

“And you’re lying out your ass on that “story of indeterminate size” thing, you know it’s at least a novella.”

“Maybe, but…”

“Plus that academic paper and accompanying presentation due in September you sort of forgot to mention.”

“But there’s already at least some work done on all of those! The short stories, the paper, the novel, and the other story thingy all at least have notes if not also written text.”

“So? You know who we are. Don’t forget that in order to cope with the “lists” and “deadlines”, there’ll need to be at least one or two short projects done concurrently with the official work that aren’t even *on* the list.”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Well?”

“Um…it could be worse?”

“Shh, don’t give anyone any bright ideas. Just get back to work, if you want to keep that kitten supply flowing and fresh.”

Thanks to everyone who helped on this latest short story. It was a lot of fun and turned out to be a lovely and creepy little piece. (Although I do hit a point in every story so far where I ask the skies, “why can’t I just write straightforward adventure stories?” But I’m sure that even if I tried, layering and ambiguity would sneak back in.) Anyway, thanks this time go to Kit O’Connell, Steven Brust, Jennifer Evans, abigail d, Kiki Christie, and Megan Elizabeth Morris from my writing group (The Society of Voluptuaries), and special thanks go to Mary Dell–first-time beta reader for me and I very highly recommend her work and hope to use her skills again.

It’s a much better story than it was thanks to all of you, and I even sent it in on the day I had wanted to submit by, with 30 minutes to spare. I’m excited about it, and ready to move on to other projects. I keep distracting myself with these anthology projects from getting back into the heavy novel work, so I think for the month of August, (barring sudden rays of inspiration) I will not plan to work on any writing work other than my novel or the collaborative project. If I need short story time, I have several related to the novel that need more work.

I saw an opening for a slush reader at an online magazine I like, and thought hard about whether or not to apply. I’ve heard several accounts from writers who felt that time spent slush reading really helped hone their skills as writers. On the other hand, I already have a full plate of commitments and projects and then some, so committing to read several stories a week on top of that seems like added stress that I just don’t need. So I think I’ve decided not to pursue the gig, but I wonder if I’m doing my writing (and editing) a disservice by not stretching in areas like these. What do you think, gentle reader?

I’ve received some excellent critiques of my latest story, and I think I’ll get back to work on another revision pass, hopefully this evening–definitely this weekend. Anyone want to get in on reading the next draft?  That one will be close to done (one hopes), except for minor tweaking. Props and shout-outs will go out to my fine team of helpers when I’ve sent this puppy off into the wide world of hopefully-not-many-rejections, mere days from now.

Finished the first revision pass, changing some things significantly and others not, and now it’s off at my writer’s group where I hope to get at least a few more opinions and comments before I have to tackle final revisions and sending it off. I like this one and had a lot of fun writing it, it’s been a challenge and an educational one. I’ve been working on the idea and the story since I first read about the anthology at the beginning of May, and seeing as how I did no writing at all in May, I don’t think I did too badly. Thanks to my first readers, Kit, Steve, and Jennifer, and any fellow Voluptuaries that want to help out!