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DEVIN BOND
Thoughts of a wanna-be author and student.


August 25, 2011

Are You a Juggler?

How many of you out there are the type that get yourself completely immersed in one story and have to get at least the first draft written--or hell, have to even get the entire set of revisions completed until it's query ready before you can move onto another story?

And what do you do when you've got other ideas itching at the back of your brain, trying to coax you into spending time with them instead of the characters you've already got dancing around on your temporal lobes? Do you ignore them with a promise of revisiting later? Or perhaps you choose to ignore completely?

I've had another story idea chirping in the back of my mind for some time now. So while I really like the idea of finishing a story before I go onto another one, I've decided that I can handle two at the same time. It's how I've always written when I was younger. Why not now?

It'll be exciting to get this one out, and to see the differences between the worlds in both my stories. Ah~ I'm just excited for it in general! This involved everything that I love the most! Magic, secrets, a backstabbing villain with a sexy voice (that bit is optional :P) and a lot of romance!

Yep. It's about as exciting as winning the lottery on your birthday. (Wouldn't we all like for that to happen?) So how do you like to work? One thing at a time or are you a story juggler?

If only I could juggle in real life too...

August 22, 2011

What's the Rush?

Yeah, that whole scheduling thing? Not working out so much, haha. But, I've gotta get myself on track somehow! And I'm going to be trying a bit harder at keeping it up. We shall see how it goes....

Anyway, my goal for finishing my first draft before my birthday is just not going to happen. 56k in 11 days? Not going to happen with this lady behind the keyboard. That's over 5000 a day. And even on a good day, I can't manage that much. My peak has been just over 3000. Some people are maniacs and can whip out chapters like nobodies business. They can crank out a first draft in a month. But that's just not me.

Whether I'd like to be fast or not, doesn't really make a difference. I've learned that while yes, people can change it's about as easy as sawing off your own arm. And not all of us have the balls of steel like Aron Ralston. (Would you be able to amputate your arm to save your life like he did? I don't think I'd be able to.) So I've learned to accept the fact that I like to take certain things slow.

Which in this world, just doesn't cut it. Everything needs to be done right now. If you don't cram enough into your day or work at the speed of sound (cause if you work at the speed of light, you're a busybody.) then you're just lazy. If you don't want to finish your book within three months, then do you even really want to get published?

I know I've felt that sort of pressure. If you aren't doing it as quick as you can, then do you really want it? Is your dream of becoming an author really true? Yes. It damn well is true.

My favorite teacher in high school instilled this saying that I've kept with me: Quality, not quantity. Of course, he was talking about plants... but I've found that it can be applied everywhere in life. He should be proud, because three years out of high school I'm still abiding by that motto--even though it's the opposite of the world at large.

So yeah, it's taken me six plots to reach one I'm happy with. And it's taken me about two months to write five chapters. I'm just going to keep at it and when I finish my first draft, I'm going to celebrate because I completed it. Not because I did it before some date.

Not that I'm not going to try to finish it soon, I'd like to, but I'm not going to beat myself up for being a bit of a turtle. Sometimes slow and steady really does win the race.
And even the slowpoke gets a prize at the end.

What type of person are you? Do you like to go, go, go? Or are you the take it easy type?