Kiteanic.com

You get to this point, eventually. Doesn’t matter if it’s skiing, running a marathon, or writing a book. Sooner or later the pristine powder you’ve been swooshing down just becomes a bunch of frozen water crystals, the test of running prowess becomes nothing more than some stupid, pointless activity that sees you dropping one foot in front of the other, over and over again. If you’re writing, the words may no longer sparkle like they did when you first began, and you begin to ask yourself questions like, “Why oh why did I ever think that this was a good idea?” and, “Who in their right mind would want to read this horrible, horrible tripe?”

Whoops, didn’t mean to mention the whole ‘reading of entrails’ thing. This post isn’t about religion, after all.

Still, it’s annoying when I get to this part, because not only do I know that most of these words aren’t nearly as bad as I’m thinking they are, but I also know that if they are, I’m not just going to leave them like that! Look at all those other words in the previous chapters! How many times did you go over it? Are you happy with how *those* words work?

What? ‘No’?! Uhh . . . hmm. I was rather banking on me saying ‘yes’, actually.

Well, okay, there’s several chapters that don’t need all that much work, and several that I actually enjoyed re-reading when I was doing some idle proofing, but first drafts are supposed to be messy. They’re supposed to be cleaned up later – shaped into whatever pleasing form you’ve determined it should take. I don’t know of anyone who writes something from beginning to end in one try, just like I don’t know of anyone who paints one small section of a picture at a time, waiting until that section is finished before going on to the next. You always start off with broad, bold strokes, leaving the finer detail work until you’ve got a firm understanding of the overall picture, and know how it’s going to look, more or less.

Sure, I’m a creative guy, but I’ve found that one of my main talents is the ability to take something and improve it, whether that something is a business plan, a photograph, a painting, or a collection of sentences. Even if they don’t sparkle right now, I’m good at adding sparkles. Why, I have a half-pound of rainbow glitter in my pocket as we speak.

Don’t ask.

So, why should I be distressed over something that I know I’m doing to be doing anyway, and believe I’m particularly good at? Why, because that ‘fixing’ stuff happens sometime in the nebulous future. This writing thing sucks *now*.

(sigh) Don’t mind me. It’s a phase, I’ll get over it.

Update: Hamlet – Up to page 31 complete

See that? Just like I predicted. Happened yesterday too, which means that today gets to be a ‘focus on the new chapter’ day. Thus my mini-rant above.

Update: Black Glass – Decent start, 40% or so.

750 words or so in so far, and I think it’ll be a short one. In fact, this whole chapter is going to be fairly easy to write I think, despite the distressing plain-ness of the words I’m using to write it with. You know, I may just need something fun to happen, something uplifting!

I know! The main character will tearfully admit that he’s always wanted to be a mime. That’ll spice things up!