Month: July 2008

Ted and Me

/ Tracy Abell / 19 Comments

I stayed true to my writing plan today and did not turn on my desk top computer (aka internet connection) until I’d written 1000 words.  And what was my reward? 

AK- SENATOR STEVENS INDICTED

Oh, happy day!

Ted and I go way back. 

When I lived in Anchorage I worked hard to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from drilling.  One cold, winter day I stood in front of the library with another volunteer and gathered signatures on a petition calling for protection of the Arctic Refuge.  For those of you who have petitioned, you know how it is: you launch into your spiel as soon as someone comes close and if that person isn’t interested, you turn to the next and start over.  You don’t pause to think because you’re on automatic pilot.  Zippy could’ve walked up and I would have been halfway through my pitch before realizing who I was talking to.

You can guess where this is headed.

I was just turning away from another person when an angry little white man in a suit came walking up.  I said, “Hello, would you like to sign a petition to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil drilling?”

Angry Little White Man In a Suit replied, “I’m Senator Ted Stevens.  Stop wasting my time.”

As he stalked away, I contemplated shouting “You look taller on television!”

I’ve always regretted that temporary lapse into maturity.  But that wasn’t my only regret.  The Anchorage Daily News refused to print my letter to the editor about the encounter with “my” representative.  The editor said I would hurt my “cause” by admitting I hadn’t recognized the legendary Senator Stevens.  (I didn’t even try the other paper – the Anchorage Times because it was owned by oil patch executive  Bill Allen.  If you read today’s indictment article, you’ll see Bill’s name mentioned a few times.  Ahem.)

Anyway, I know it’s bad form to gloat, but that’s what I’m doing.  In this era, it’s especially gratifying when the arrogant greed-heads get what’s coming to them.

              

Feeling Good

/ Tracy Abell / 13 Comments

I’ve written every single day for the past 36 days.  And with just a couple exceptions (several days when I tinkered  – over and over – with the final pages of my draft), each day I wrote 1000 words. 

This new disciplined approach to my writing process has been a pleasant surprise. 

It’s easier slipping into the flow.
The words come more easily.
The nasty inner critic’s voice is fading.
I’m not feeling nearly the angst and envy that dogged me this spring and early summer.
My writing muscles are stronger.  Leaner.

I really and truly feel like a writer.

It finally hit me that it’s now or never time.  I’m forty-five, and if I want a career as a writer I need to work at it.  Every day.  I can’t afford to take days off and allow my muscles to atrophy.  I have to keep writing so the stories are fresh in my mind, the characters living and breathing alongside me.  I have to be there for them.  Every day.

As of this morning I have 5000 words of my new project which, when completed, will be my fifth novel.  I like the sound of that: My fifth novel.

I’m a writer and I write novels. 
I’m working on my fifth.

Yes!

         

Stuff and Other

/ Tracy Abell / 21 Comments

Yesterday I finished the draft of my WIP and set it aside for at least one week but probably two!

Met online friends in person this week and enjoyed myself very much both times!  Hooray for Jennifer, Robin, Stephanie, Ingrid, Jean, and Sarah!

Cannibalized (with her permission) one of Robin’s throwaway comments and this morning used it as a jumping-off point for 1k words!  Have no idea if it’ll go anywhere but it was nice trying to get another voice/story going while the WIP simmers in the background!

Visited R in nursing home this afternoon and for the first time in weeks ( ! ) I witnessed him up and walking (with a walker).  He’s gained 4 pounds and the PT says this week has marked a real improvement in R’s strength! 

Tomorrow I’m taking Zebu and friend plus Wildebeest and friend to Elitch’s amusement park.  (I can’t bring myself to use an exclamation point for that news item).  Wish me well.

               

So Here’s a Question…

/ Tracy Abell / 30 Comments

How do you decide a draft is done?

I’ve been working on the fourth draft of my novel (at least, I think it’s the fourth draft but it’s probably only like a 3 1/6 draft .  Keep reading and you’ll understand why I’m not even sure what qualifies as a draft).  For the last couple days I’ve focused on the final twelve pages or so, trying to get them whipped into decent shape before calling this draft complete.  Well, today I’ve realized all sorts of stuff I need to change (lots of minor details but also rewriting several scenes).  And now I’m not sure how to proceed.

I can’t decide whether to
A) finish messing with the final pages and then start a whole new document for my next draft or
B) finish messing with the final pages AND go back to make minor changes throughout entire ms before starting a whole new document for the next draft

Is there a compelling reason to choose one approach over another?  How do you handle this?  I’m wondering whether I’ll lose stuff I might end up wanting if I make all those changes yet I also think if I call this draft complete, then I’ll, what?  I’m not really sure what I’m worried about.  All I know is neither approach is screaming out to me.  Man, I’m some kind of confused right now.

And here I am asking for advice on a Friday afternoon in July. 

Help!  Anyone out there?

                        

Endurance

/ Tracy Abell / 25 Comments

Today I continued with my final pages. 
I worked and worked. 
Took a break to eat and then worked some more.

I’m getting my writing muscles back.
I don’t get out of breath so easily.
My thinking remains lucid for longer periods.

Today I didn’t feel quite like a marathoner
but a half-marathoner
maybe.

              

Visualize This

/ Tracy Abell / 7 Comments

Last night I printed out the final twelve pages of my ms and read them again.  I felt cold dread.  Something was off.  So I went outside and hooped without music as I talked aloud (to myself and the occasional finch or robin) about my story.  And I realized I needed to use highlighters to, well, highlight the different plot and character interactions in those pages to get a handle on the situation.

Today I highlighted and wrote on sticky notes and scribbled in margins and crossed out paragraphs and basically had a good ol’ time ripping those pages apart.  The cold dread has now warmed to a tentative optimism. 

I wanted to post a photo of my efforts because it felt good to make that kind of progress but also because the results were rather colorful and festive.

Alas, I cannot locate my camera.  Perhaps Zippy took it to British Columbia. 

If you’d like to humor me, close your eyes and visualize yellow, pink, orange, green, and blue lines scattered with pale yellow sticky notes and illegible blue ballpoint scribbles.

Oohs and aahs optional.

             

Getting Closer – Clarification

/ Tracy Abell / 9 Comments

I appreciate the congrats on the progress I’m making but feel I must clarify my word count goal.  Not because I’m neurotic (well, I am, but not in this instance) but because if I read about another writer churning out 1k words/day, every day, I might feel a bit intimidated if I was already in a shaky place.

Now, I know plenty of you out there produce many words every single day, but I’m not one of those writers.  I’ve learned that if I write too many words in a session, I’ll often get off track and then have to spend lots of time just getting back to where the story is solid again.  I prefer the slow, steady route.  When I had the great fortune to study with Marilynne Robinson for three weeks, she advised me to write two pages a day.  Two good pages.

For me, two good pages are often much more difficult than ten or fifteen marginal pages.

But back to my clarification: I’m working on about the fourth draft of this book and while I had to trash a bunch of stuff that ended up serving as placeholder words (hat tip to the wise[info]idaho_laurie for the perfect term/concept) and write all new stuff, the closer I got to the ending the more I was able to utilize from the previous draft.  So in that context you can see I haven’t cranked out anywhere near 22k words.  However, I’ve moved 22k words closer to the end of this much more solid version of my story.  And that makes me very happy.

                    

Getting Closer

/ Tracy Abell / 21 Comments

I’m in the home stretch on this draft of my WIP.  I’ve written at least 1000 words every day for the past 22 days which makes my heart go pitty-pat.  Or something like that.  Oh drat.  An unintentional rhyme.

Ahem.

Not only do I feel better about myself as Writer but I think Zippy, Wildebeest, and Zebu have a different perspective now, too.  They ask if I’ve done my words for the day and are very respectful of my Writing – Please Do Not Disturb sign on my door.  It’s so much easier for me to write when I do it on a daily basis; the continuity definitely lubricates my brain.  Plus, I make sure to start each session with my figure eights so as to kick-start my left and right brains. 

Apologies if I sound a bit evangelical it’s just that it feels good.  And for far too long, it wasn’t feeling good.

Note: This morning the critic started up in my brain so I rephrased the criticism in R’s raspy voice and LAUGHED.  I swear, R’s given me the best damned gift!

If you haven’t done your writing today, please make the time to get it done.  Set a realistic goal and do it!  You’ll feel good, I promise.

                

Life Update

/ Tracy Abell / 11 Comments

I’m feeling weird and disconnected from LJ these days but in some ways that feels good because I’ve been much more productive without my internet habit.  I don’t turn on my desktop until I’ve done my writing and as a result, I’ve hit my daily word count goal for 16 days in a row!  Methinks I’m forming a habit!  Finally, a good one! 

R was moved from the hospital into a nursing home last Friday so that he can receive daily physical therapy.  The transition was extremely difficult and I’m still amazed he agreed to go through with it but I guess even he realized how weak he is right now.   He’s frighteningly thin and not eating much at all but when I was there today, the director spoke with him about strategies to get him eating again.  She was patient and understanding with his anxieties and negativity, and her kindness brought me to tears.  For the first time in weeks I feel hopeful about R’s chances for recovery.

And just so you don’t get the idea this is your one-stop shop for maudlin posts: 

R and his friend, S, have an ongoing “discussion” about bringing the horse and buggy back into practice.  S, who is probably 55 or so and a little off in the head, thinks it’s a great idea because it would help “green” our city and give jobs to kids whom he apparently thinks are dying for the chance to scoop poop from the streets.  R finds the idea absolutely ludicrous and lobs his counter-arguments across the room so that pretty soon they’re talking over each other while I try hard not to fall down laughing.   The other day I really, really wanted to whip out my notebook and jot down bits of dialogue but didn’t because I thought it would upset the balance.  But then I inadvertently pressed a button on my cell phone and found out I’d recorded a portion of the conversation which has planted a seed in my brain.  Now I’m dying to record one of those talks from start to finish.  In fact, today they started in on the horses again and I actually fondled my little voice activated recorder in my backpack.  I didn’t turn it on, though.  That feels a little too Bush/Cheney-ish.

Tomorrow I head to Westcliffe with Zebu and Wildebeest to see my parents.  We shall return Saturday.  I’ve vowed not to nag my boys about the excess of junk food my mom will provide.  Maybe I can form another good habit while I’m there.