So… There’s a small chance that my work training did not go as I planned for getting in some additional writing time. Normally I’d have the first evening all to myself but one of the other managers wanted to get together and I needed to vent, so that worked out. As for writing on my novel? I wrote two hundred and thirty words in two days. I have the next two days off, so I’m hoping to get caught up on everything. Or at least back on track. I’m aiming to have my fifty thousand complete by the twentieth. Only five thousand words a day. We shall see.
As you can see today’s post is Office Space themed (that tagline still applies) and subsequently the post has some flair to it! One of my coworkers asked how my writing was going, which flattered me that they remembered, but when I told them I’d written so little they replied with “Oh, do you have writer’s block?” This conversation was actually the whole inspiration for this post as I suddenly experienced how “Somebody’s got a case of the mondays” would have felt. No. I don’t have writer’s block… unless we’re including work, which as managed to get into the way of my writing… then yes, in that case, I would. A two and a half hour drive there and back, not to mention the training itself, was mentally draining. It was so much so that I fell asleep almost immediately. I can blame that on the bed too. So comfortable. So… Zzz…
I love people who ask about my novel. I’m very passionate and will tell you of the political intrigue, the double agents if you would, the magic, the war, the demon realm, the inquisition and anything you’ll listen to. Then, after I’ve given them the run down, I get responses like… “Isn’t that like Harry Potter?” or “Kinda like Lord of the Rings?” to which I feel like they heard a few keywords. Magic? War? Sounds like The Hobbit.
There are almost times when i wish people would just say that sounds crappy. Or that sounds awesome. Instead I get compared to fiction which may very well have inspired me in my literary journey, but I’m honestly hoping I didn’t rip off. I’m doing my best to set my characters apart from those novels, but I suppose writing a magical fantasy with war… these are the risks I run. It’s not that I’m offended as I love both series very, very dearly, but you hope that someone, along the way, will just say… wow? And you thought this up yourself? You’re crazy!
On a side note, if you see someone in their car talking; It’s not necessarily on their phone. I found myself on a lengthy drive today talking through character conversations and ideas aloud in the sanctity of my car, only to get strange looks from some family in a minivan. First off, if someone is talking to themselves, don’t stare. You’re never sure what they’ll be capable of. Number two? You’ll thank me later when the characters make more sense separately.
I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching, trying to figure out what drives me to write. Someone asked me via email why I write so much and why I’m so passionate about it. In a few reasons, it is a release! I have thousands of characters spread across hundreds of worlds, all begging to have their stories told. I write because they deserve it. I also write because I’m a serious introvert, and despite people never noticing or understanding that side of me, meeting people in a story is less exhausting because they don’t judge or have drama unless I make it so. Being social takes up energy for me, just like lifting TVs or walking the dogs. So I suppose in short, I write to let the voices out of my head. Don’t sound too crazy do I? Moving on!
So now I stare at Scrivener… and I will write some words. Or I will zone out, and fall asleep with my eyes open now that it’s after eight hours of training and two and a half hours of driving. Maybe I’ll write another blog post. Who knows?! Until then, how goes your own writing?