Clarity, Responsibility, Humility, and Other Curiosities
15 Oct
It may or may not be obvious, depending on your degree of association with me (this can range from unfortunately involved to tolerably indifferent), that I’m still having some trouble digging myself out from under the baggage of that last book. Yeah, I realize it was all fluffy Regency romance looking, with the occasional undead moment for spice, and it is. But I also made the mistake of including social issues like American class structure and sexual repression and injustice as main plot points. I’m about as deep as a mud puddle on a hot day; it taxes my brain to be serious. But my point is that I’ve been a little clouded, and these are the reasons why.
I thought Nano would sort of clear my head of the whole thing. But honestly my head cleared yesterday when I did a readthrough of my latest little short, The Horologist, and sent it off for my husband to have a look. You know the act of sending the story out for a beta run is symbolic. I had officially completed something after writing That F@$king Book.
Head clear, I find I don’t actually want to do Nano. I want to take my books that are languishing– last year’s Nano book, Scripped, which just came back from a fresh pair of keen eyes, and my sort of major novel project in terms of trying to sell currently, Wolfton Paranormal.
I wrote the latter about two years ago, and started shopping it maybe 8-10 months after, and I’m still waiting to hear back from the only thing I had that made it to the full MS request stage– and effectively using it as an excuse not to do another round. Not that I haven’t other things published and requested and what the hell in the mean time– just not my poor Wolfton kids.
But now I have so much time and distance from the thing– especially after having it at PennWriters– that I feel pretty confident about fixing it up a bit. The Wolfton kids require assistance, and with a face like this involved, why shouldn’t I want to oblige? (Okay, so Vitya’s the only good looking one. Sue me.)
Plus, I gotta learn how to write a graphic novel in the next couple of months. Right. No problem. I got this. (She said, staring at her wall of comics and GNs and despairing.)
Guess I should go fix The Horologist this evening, though he’s intended for a market that isn’t open to regular submissions just now– poor little Victorian nerd-guy. But really I just wanted to come here and spew my justifications and wafflings. Not because there’s any absolution in it, but because we all have to do this regularly, make these decisions between projects. I figure my misery might find some company, as usual 
And for no particular reason but that I’m still on a Manics high and I like shiny, inspiring things:
Seems like something good to have on an author blog, really.
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Now playing: The Jam – Town Called Malice
via FoxyTunes
AHHHHHH! Don’t get discouraged from being absorbed in pertinant issues! Yes you may not be the one to whom people go for answers to philisophical conundrums but that doesn’t make your say on said quandries any less valuable! Your opinion on these things has opened my eyes more times than i would choose to admit, regardless of inebreation levels! Liszt wanted to be a priest after all…
I say go with your gut. I was tempted to do Nano, but I’m behind enough on LAST years book. I want a nice cushion of short storied before I delve into that, which leaves precious little time for a brand new idea : P
I have my evil head on and urge you not to do NaNo – mainly because I know I won’t be able to do it.
As for I’m about as deep as a mud puddle on a hot day; it taxes my brain to be serious. Are you kidding? Whenever I read your blog I walk away feeling I’m all fluff and nonsense and that I need to boost my research/knowledge to be at your level. I bow down to you and I don’t do that to many people as well I’m getting old and the knees can’t take it. – See, more fluff.
If Cate has put on her evil head, I will put on the good one…do NaNo and become obsessed with a new project (is that evil of me to say that!)
Besides, I’m running out of people to push me on and to pace me during NaNo. Either way, I know you’ll do what’s best for you.
I have also used the full MS request as an excuse to get lazy about future subs (and in some cases, progress for other projects).
Aww, I knew y’all would understand!
Nick, he did! And– wait. We already have this conversation on every porch and parking lot. Should we subject this corner of the internet to it? Oh Franz, you’re my hero.
I’ll try not to be discouraged in the future. Admittedly I might’ve been trying to say something in this book. But in the words of Liam Howlett of Prodigy, “But not in an intelligent way.”
Nat, you’re right, the gut is the answer. I like the idea of a short story cushion too, by the way– wonder if I’ll ever manage to get one of those. I’d love it!
Cate, we can sit on the bench together and play catch up. As for fluff and nonsense, that’s all this blog is!
Just goes to show that knowing a lot of inane facts doesn’t do much for depth of character
Alan, I’ll still be hanging out over there and watching the progress/cheering, never fear! I’m too addicted to process not to do that much at least!
Barry, yes. Oh god, yes. Thanks for that, it does make me less miserable, I confess.
Ya know, there is that forum for rule-breakers at NaNo. The one were folks are doing re-writes of past NaNos, writing non-fic, that sort of thing.
*nudgenudge*
I should probably run away now, right?
Hahaha no, no need to run away! I’m definitely going to hang out and see what everyone else is up to, man. I can’t just LEAVE
Good to know!
I was thinking of having a New Bedlam thread over there, but since I so rarely visit the forums during actual NaNo crunching, it’s unlikely.
10 days. o_O
I know right– I didn’t visit the forums last year except for before and then after when I somehow finished with time to spare. God it comes on so fast…