(I really must start doing my blog post earlier in the day, because if I don't one of these days I'm going to put it off until it's too late. I'll wake up in a sweaty panic around 2 a.m. and realize that I missed a day of posting, and I don't want to go through that -- and you don't want to read about it!)
Okay, so I thought I would write about writing today; specifically about where you write. Is there one place and one place only where you can write or does it matter? I have a desktop and a lap top, so I can write just about anywhere, but if I'm working on a project (like Nov-Nov) sometimes I find that I have to be in a certain place or the muse doesn't visit me.
For example I was working on a project a couple years ago and started it sitting at my kitchen table. My brain sent the right words to my fingers, my fingers flew, the characters started doing and saying things practically on their own. The next day I took my laptop to my bedroom to write so no one would disturb me and . . . nothing! I sat on the bed, I sat at my desk, I sat in an easy chair. Nothing. So the next day when I had some time to myself I sat at the kitchen table again, and the magic was back. Later I tried writing outside on the front porch, in the back yard, in the living room. I could not get anything decent to come unless I was sitting at the kitchen table!
The last big project I worked on I wrote in my bedroom, sitting on my bed. Again, nothing would come to me unless I was writing in that spot in that room. It's very strange I think. I'm a big believer in stories taking over and writing themselves, especially if it's a character-driven story. I've had characters jump up and shout until I noticed them and realized that they were actually more of a major character than I'd planned on them being. Conversely I've had characters kind of huddle down and hide and refuse to say anything until I left them alone. So I suppose it would only make sense for the story to prefer one place of creation over another. Whatever it is, I'm not going to ignore it. If I'm going to be on the computer for a long stretch of time I prefer using my desktop because I have a nice ergonomic chair there, and the desk is just the right height. So Nov-Nov is getting written here at the desktop, and so far it doesn't seem to mind.
I did 898 words yesterday. I had planned on coming back to it after showering and getting ready for bed, but I was just too tired. Today I did 1,018, so the grand total so far is 1,916. That's below par, but it's a good start.
Happy blogging and noveling!
P.S. Eler Beth decided at almost the last minute that she'd join NaBloPoMo this month too, so she made a post last night, and hopefully she's got one in today by now. Nelishia is doing NaBlo too this month.
7 comments:
Hmm, interesting stuff. Don't know as I have ever been unable to write certain places, but my travails were always with the old fashioned ways of writing. My poor left arm gave out years ago. I got bursitis, in fact to this day I can hardly handwrite very long at all. Then the old typewriters you had to pound, literally pound. I'd pound so hard I wore the letters off the main keys. Kids talked me into an electric one finally. I could not believe the dif. I didn't want to upgrade to a computer I loved my electric so much, but I did, and I love the silence of the keyes hitting compared to those old clackers. My kids claim they were raised by the sound of the old typwriter. Charles Bukowski the famous writer called his the 'typer', but I wasn't that nicknamy. I just loved every improvement that made typing so easy in my old age! Gerry
good for you for getting things written down! seems like you were trying to be semi-productive with it too!
betty
I did make a journal entry at last. You are right about where to write. I've ran into the same problem about where the muse finds me. Writing is also very different coming through a pen than with a laptop or computer. I'm very proud of you for starting to write again. I hope you share some of it. I'm going to visit Eler Beth again too. She has your natural passion about everything. I find that music or any type of noise distracts me too when I'm writing. As for me these days, it's a laptop a cup of coffee and the recliner.
Thank you for sparking off my muse,
Nelishia
I need a quiet house... so I usually write best when everyone is asleep!
be well...
I'm doing it but I'm not broadcasting it! LOL that way if I mess up a day no harm will come!
Good luck with your writing! I really can't say if it matters where I write since I've always had my regular desktop and never a laptop - if I ever manage to get one I'll let you know :-)
I remember doing most of my homework in the kitchen going up. I don't know exactly why--perhaps it was because I really didn't have desk in my room, or may be it's just the table was bigger so I could spread out all my books...etc. Or perhaps, the kitchen just has so much energy in it---it is the heart of a house. Keep on blogging!! :)
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