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2292 sats \ 6 comments \ @plebpoet 9h the_stacker_muse

writing notes

I made a post a few months ago #1251969 where I mentioned I was beginning work on a book. I confess, progress has been slooooowww on this idea. But I really want to bring it into the world. I guess what happens is I forget to think about it from day to day. I try to build writing habits but then something comes up that needs my focus, or I get interested in other projects. I get weary of being the boss of me. Basically, I’m soft. Writing a book is hard. And it doesn’t matter to anyone but me if it exists. In a real sense, it is superfluous to my life that I should write a book. But in my soul, it is the reason I am alive to write a book. So, you see, I’m in a soft war with myself.
But today, it happened. I took the idea of my book on a coffee date. I sat with it, asked it questions, made notes of its answers. I know the materials of its world. I have the images. I sketched a couple of its central characters.
Progress was made. I’m so encouraged that when I gave my attention to the idea today, the creating spark was there. I filled pages quickly. My pencil flew. Even if I never have a book to show for it, this is the creating that enriches me.
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151 sats \ 0 replies \ @Scoresby 7h
Hey! good job on putting pencil to paper. I've found the best thing for long writing projects is to just force yourself to work on it every day. Sometimes you spend an hour or two and get nowhere, sometimes you make tracks. But it's the turning and returning to it that builds the story, like the many lines of a drawing.
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90 sats \ 0 replies \ @billytheked 3h
I took the idea of my book on a coffee date
I really like this framing. First dates have a way of setting off so many mental fireworks.1 I will try this over the holidays.
It's good to hear other people share my sometimes-lukewarm relationship with writing. Having external bosses can be a damned good motivator, as you alluded to.
I do get quite a bit from leaving the ideas to stew with negative capability, though, while I'm pulled by the reins of my life obligations.

Footnotes

  1. these are the questions I imagine I might ask myself: Does the book like this place? Should I ask the book about its past? Should I ask it out again? Am I being awkward? What if the book and I don't get along? What if the book gets away? is the book thinking about me now? ↩
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50 sats \ 1 reply \ @SimpleStacker 7h
Do you plan to post excerpts / updates on SN? Or would that be spoiling things?
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110 sats \ 0 replies \ @plebpoet OP 6h
I do want there to be a trail of notes that I share with SN along the way because I think we both can benefit. But I am not sure exactly what that will look like
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11 sats \ 0 replies \ @Kontext 4h
Nice! The first step is always the most difficult to make.
@k00b gave some solid advice, I'd also add that you can divide book into tiny goals - i.e.:
Today I will write a paragraph (or two) on subject X.
On the weekend, I will play around with some ideas for the cover.
Next week, I will work on chapter Y.
A book as a goal in and of itself can be too daunting and put you off from doing it due to its perceived scope and complexity. It can also make you drift from actually relaying a message to publishing a book for the sake of publishing a book. I remember browsing some writing related subreddits some time ago and I was always irked by how writers were concerned about their word count. It's like with body count, IMO - the less, the better, but make sure they're meaningful!
Pretty basic advice, I know, but hey, perhaps it helps!
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70 sats \ 0 replies \ @k00b 8h
I'm no writer, but it might help to not think about writing a book. I imagine it constrains the work in an unhelpful way. I'd think about describing/communicating something with words. The book is just one potential artifact should the description be a certain size and warrant sharing.
Like, if I were an actor, I wouldn't think of my task as starring in movies. Where would I start in that case? Every small step I made toward the goal would feel worthless, pointless. Instead, I'd think of my task as pretending well. It overwhelms the task to constrain yourself to a particular outcome.
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