Friday, August 27, 2010

Project

Oh yes. My, my yes.
Thank you to the brilliant Levni Yilmaz for summing it all up, and to Patrick Rothfuss for posting it, and Stephanie Perkins for sending me the link. That is a lovely chain of brilliant: Levni Yilmaz, and two of my favorite writers, Patrick Rothfuss and Stephanie Perkins ;-)

By the way, Pat had a FABULOUS post on revision lately, in which he tries to explain, at the request of a non-writer, just what exactly it is we writers DO when we are "revising." So good. So so good. As much of a pain as revising can be, I am YEARNING to be there. There is little that I can think of (in the realm of work, that is) as pleasurable as sitting down with a big fat freshly printed manuscript, a new pack of post-its, and a good pen. Oh, the love, the love. And I am nearly there. Salty tears of joy, my friends, are soon to be streaming down my face. But now, I am still something like the above video.

Yesterday was not the most productive of days. It was more of a getting lost in my own storytelling day, trying to get some things to come together just right and feel like they happened that way inevitably, elegantly, like nothing else could possibly have happened but that. (That is the trick, because, you know, at any moment in writing a story, literally anything could happen, and choosing the thing that does happen and making it seem REAL, that is a big part of this gig. So. I am still working this particular thing out. I'm getting it. Yesterday it felt kind of like I had just dropped a handful of pickup sticks and was staring at them in dismay, knowing I needed to get down on my knees and start gathering them up again, but, you know, not wanting to. You just have to do it.)

Anyway. What should I NOT be doing?
a) watching videos.
b) blogging videos.

(Thanks a lot, Steph. No really: thanks. That was awesome. Steph, by the way, is blogging every day right now, which is not easy. Go cheer her on!)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Awww...Laini, don't be so hard on yourself! ANY work on your MS is productive--if you don't figure out where the story will go in your head, how will you ever get it on paper?

You've done this before, and you'll do it again. In fact, you're doing it right now. So don't worry. Just believe.

Bets said...

I posted this on Patrick Rothfuss' blog too, but this video makes me think of lyrics that often gets stuck in my head, from Charlie Brown's section of the song Book Report from the musical You're a Good Man Charlie Brown.

If I start writing now
When I'm not really rested
It could upset my thinking
Which is no good at all.
I'll get a fresh start tomorrow
And it's not due till Wednesday
So I'll have all of Tuesday
Unless something should happen.
Why does this always happen,
I should be outside playing
Getting fresh air and sunshine,
I work best under pressure,
And there'll be lots of pressure
If I wait till tomorrow
I should start writing now.
But I if I start writing now
When I'm not really rested
It could upset my thinking
Which is
No good at all....

Myrna Foster said...

Yep, Levni Yelnaz nailed that one. Thanks for posting this!

Though once I actually get started, it's not as bad as getting started, if you know what I mean. ;)

Stephanie Perkins said...

I just watched it again.

(Because I'm not working on my project, you see.)

Kim A said...

I just finished Lips Touch Three TImes, and fell madly in love with you, and then I found your website and saw your pink hair, and decided you are my hero, and then I played the video and now I know you are a goddess who knows the deepest fears of my heart.

No pressure or anything. ;-)

Thanks for providing inspiration in a week that sorely needed it.

Anonymous said...

Keep plugging away, Laini. Almost finished with a first draft! Awesome! I am no where /close/.

PS sorry about the dishes.

Quenafalle

Liana said...

Wow - I LOVED that little sketch! SO true...over-thinking is my main saboteur. Always.

jaecy bells said...

What do you know. My life was just summed up in one short video consisting of drawings and narration.

Who knew?

Genius.