Thought-Drive

Trying to form better habits. Still not sure if blogging regularly is good, in the long term. Creative story ideas abound. Yesterday I attended a writer's group meeting, something I hadn't done in some months. I got up that morning and churned out a large bit of chapter 7's draft. At the meeting, labeled a "write in," I pecked away at a few more paragraphs. Functionally less productive. But then, there were things to discuss. A younger man sat down next to me after coming into the room, and looking around at all the full tables. I was reminded what it was like on the school bus for the first day of junior high. I offered, he sat, and said, "what's your story?" and nodded at my work. I never knew it could be that simple of a question. I couldn't tell him all I wanted to say in one sitting, and I felt good and bad about that. And like I said, there were things to be discussed. The group was considering a joint publication project, for a variet...

I guess this was all a big hiatus. Likewise, I suppose there are more than a few things to update. I've restarted the science fiction series. It took me so long, I think, because part of me really didn't want to put in the work. I couldn't have said it was perfect, or even very good, the way that it was, yet I was much more inclined to patch it, in places, stint, bandage, and staunch where it needed. Rather than tear it all down and start with a surer foundation. Objectively, I have to admit that even though I have many more months of work ahead of me, the book will absolutely be better. Everything I learned writing the first original novel, and half of the continuation I am able to incorporate into this new version. Looking back, even joining the world building group was of some help, even though I never work-shopped my world. I prepared its details as if I would, and that mindset put me in place where I could start all over again, and not feel like I failed. That end...

I did it. Last month I finished the last novel in my Where Shadows Lie series. Well, I almost did it. Last month I almost finished it, but on purpose. I left off the epilogue, because I didn't want to write it then. I wanted to write it when I finally submit it somewhere. I wanted all the experiences I'll have to weigh in on that final punctuation. But for the series' entirety, really, there isn't much more story to tell. The reason all of that didn't sound more joyous than it might have is because new problems have cropped up since then. I have new challenges, and have experienced new failures. Foremost is the science fiction story. I might have mentioned that meetup group I joined last year, the one that dealt primarily with world building. I joined that group because of my sci-fi story. Because I got about half way through the second book and recognized the setting as too two dimensional. I could see the strings holding things up. The sky was painted, and the ...

I wish I could report that the chapters of the novel have matriculated out of the teens, but I've yet to write chapter 20. It was very much uphill for a while, and it's still uphill, but where before I toiled in the shadow of clouds surrounding seemingly limitless peaks, now I can see the character of the heights I've almost reached. When I set out to finish off the series, I had a lot of goals, and the first among them was to finish things up well, to put as much energy into this last book as I did every book leading up to it combined. To the end of getting everything down with a significant degree of verisimilitude, I went back and read all the previous novels. I think it's paid off, but at this point I've done this enough to know that the first draft is only the first draft; it's a long way removed from an idea and an empty page, but still far afield of a published book. Still, I can see daylight, and I'm happy about it. I've also moved, here in th...

Missed the new year by a few weeks, I guess. The applications are in. My mentor told me to let him know "when" I get the good news. It's nice to have people believe in you. Now is also about the time that I start sending emails to publishers I submitted to back in the fall. Missives to the tune of "Hey, so... I sent a submission in. The three months have passed. Did you guys get it?" It's a pretty fragile situation. They could have gotten it, and they could still be mulling over its merits. Or, it never arrived, or worse was long discarded into a slush pile somewhere. Either way, it's just as likely that they will have never heard of me. I guess it's not so nice to not have people believe in you. Work has started back up, and this time around I got a chance to sit in on some of the conversations the counselors have with the students. They pull up graphs and charts and talk about what's against them, things they didn't even realize, and...

Late again with the blog, but I haven't been slacking, either. The story was drafted, successfully, I think. I shared it with half a dozen people and got an equal amount of varied ideas and opinions. Not that I needed a reminder that ultimately, the only person that had to be happy with it is me. Still, I know an eclectic bunch of readers, and writers, those who do it for hobby, those who do it professionally, and academically. It was the third draft that I ended up passing around. The feedback was reminiscent of earlier stories. No one said it was bad, but I got about as many good comments, too. Pauses, confused faces, and frowns. It helped a lot. It was the process of actually writing it that was fairly frustrating. Normally, I think about a story, I sketch out pertinent details, I think, and I mull, and I percolate, and I introspect. Then, when I'm fit to bursting, I sit down and I write. It's rough, and not fit to show to anyone, but front to back it is a completed d...

They say that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.  Three days ago, I scrounged through my email for a correspondence concerning an electronic, unofficial copy of my college transcript, a necessary piece of my upcoming submission packets to various universities. I didn't find the email, though I did find the file. I also found other conversations with people concerning my last attempt at this grad-school endeavor. I want to say I was much younger, though it's only been a few years. I had searched diligently for a creative writing MFA program that did not require the GRE. I sent off for letters of recommendation, I pushed and shoved my various ducks into a row. I unearthed old contacts and summoned my resolve. I made a final decision based on friends I had staying in the area.  As it turned out, there was a dispute with my alma mater. Transcripts weren't sent, the window closed. My friends even moved out of the area. At the time, I was crushed...