Comments on Pens Fatales: Juliet's trying to figure out what Nanowrimo is al...

oh, I just love all the energy that's building...

2009-11-06T08:29:04.964-08:00

oh, I just love all the energy that's building steam! And that Harry was a wise man. Perhaps in November, even more than other times, we need to give ourselves the gift of listening within.

How many of us started our first books with that s...

2009-11-04T09:01:18.053-08:00

How many of us started our first books with that same thought - how hard could it be? Reality sure came down hard and fast, didn't it?

After just one day of NaNoWriMo, ideas are coming ...

2009-11-04T08:28:20.668-08:00

After just one day of NaNoWriMo, ideas are coming to me at 5am on the BART train, demanding to be written down.

My first book, after multiple screenplays, was written in grad school. It made me a little too CAREFUL. I'm finally learning to let the wild thing in my head run free in a first draft. Feels glorious and terrifying.

Thanks, pens fatales and commenters all, for encouragement!!!!!

Great post! I'd forgotten that I started my fi...

2009-11-04T08:24:47.552-08:00

Great post! I'd forgotten that I started my first book in a similar fashion. As a lark (and an antidote to the overly serious atmosphere of grad school at Cal), no critique group, no other writers at all, and supposedly with my sister. When it was time to do the research, though, it was just me. When I started writing, well, that ended up being just me, too. It was exciting, and that book, against all odds, was published and sold well. As you say, it was hard, but it was 'fun' hard.

I write a lot better now thanks to my critique group, writer friends, and years of practice. Even though I don't do NaNo, I've benefited hugely from critique partners doing it and seeing exactly what's possible. There really is a lot more time to write than we usually allow.

Good morning Gary! I think I got over the "r...

2009-11-04T07:12:00.877-08:00

Good morning Gary! I think I got over the "rubbish paralysis" by telling myself that it was a certainty that I would produce rubbish at least part of the time, but that occasional competency or --dare I say it?-- even true insight might peek out from time to time.

And Shelby, I couldn't agree more: Crap! It's a hard truth.
-Julie

"You have to go to considerable trouble to li...

2009-11-04T04:30:38.580-08:00

"You have to go to considerable trouble to live differently from the way the world wants you to live."

Yes. Crap. It is true tho.

Hi Juliet, I love the advice that if you want to ...

2009-11-04T00:47:42.974-08:00

Hi Juliet,

I love the advice that if you want to write, then write. It's surprising how hard it is to do but oh so essential. I suspect for most people the fear of producing rubbish is paralysing, but that of course is where revision comes in.