Thursday, September 10, 2009

Could be titled, Why Am I Writing Crud?

I noticed this last night. My last chapter is crud. Not all of it, mind you. Just some of it. So now I'm worried that I've lost my golden writing touch. Things were moving along. Now it's crud. UGH.

Am I tired? Yes! Home school has begun and life is moving along. Hospital visits pick back up in September too. My diabetes is letting me know that it is there with a vengeance. Plus, there's all the talk about the H1N1. And where will I be when this virus is picking up steam? Chapel Hill hospital. Oh yeah, and I'm writing crud. I can't give myself permission to put my WIP on the shelf for a little while. It's really good. There are parts of it that I am so proud of.

Do I force myself to put this mystery on the shelf for a few days? Or do I write through the crud? Would you just keep writing until you come out on the other side?

What say you my bloggy pals. :)

15 comments:

  1. Skip the crud and keep writing. You can always shine the crud later. :)

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  2. I'm with Jennifer . . . skip the crud and keep writing. I've written a ton of crud, and probably will write some more. I worked on one chapter all evening long one time . . . and I just wasn't happy with what I wrote. I put the chapter aside, came back the next day, pretty much deleted what I had written, and started from scratch on that chapter . . . which emerged like a butterfly from a cocoon!

    So, you're golden touch is still there. Take a deep breath, count to ten, slowly exhale, and begin writing. I know you can do it.

    As for the lovely diabetes. You are in control. It won't conquer you. It's a struggle, every single day of our lives, but, in the end, we have the ultimate control over our diabetes. We might have a ton of uphill battles, but every now and then we hit a lovely plateau. Focus on those moments and don't let the lows/highs, and all the myriad other things diabetes brings with it, get you down.

    S

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  3. Write right through it! It's like a dead skunk in the road...you just keep going (with your windows closed tight) and never look back. :)

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  4. Are you one of those writers that have to write the book in order from the first page to the last? I'm not. I write a scene that catches my attention here and then another scene there. Then later on I fill in the spaces and smooth over.

    If you skip around like I do you can continue on with the story, writing other parts, all the while thinking about and absorbing more ideas about how to polish out the crud scene you don't like. That's what I do, anyway. Work on a different area while I deliberate.

    I've also entered scenes I KNOW I need help with into writing contests, which doesn't score me very high points and makes me feel even cruddier after recieving a load of negative comments. But with their ideas and my own ideas of how to fix things, I have actually been able to clean up a crud scene until it's the strongest, best scene in my story that I'm most proud of.

    There's one idea for you to consider. But whatever method you use, I'm sure it'll eventually get worked out. Good Luck!

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  5. I take a break! I've not written anything new for awhile...it's refreshing to breathe easier!!

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  6. Angie's comment has me cracking up. I say listen to your intuition. What is it telling you? How can you prioritize other things to ease the pressure behind the writing now? Can you read a fantastic new book to get the juices flowing again? That one always works for me.

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  7. Aw, just scrap the crud off your boots and keep moving on. Really, you may only think it's crud because you're down, so don't let it bog you down. Everybody's advice is good--take a break, go for a ride, have coffee with a friend, write silly limericks for fun--shake it up. And here's a *hug* if that's any help.

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  8. It's okay to write crud as long as you're writing. Crud can be fixed.

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  9. Skip the crud, move on, and go back and fix the crud later.

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  10. I agree. Keep writing. Take breaks when you need to and keep healthy, but keep writing. The more it flows, the better it gets--and then you can fix those parts later.

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  11. I just keep writing. I don't mind writing crud. It might not actually be crud. Or, if it is, you can delete it later. I'm in the middle of writing crud as we speak, but I think it's the entranceway for better writing as I get to know my new character, Victoria.

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  12. Scott, thanks for the encouragement. Especially where the diabetes is concerned. UGH! I had an awful high, over treated and went down, down, down. I'm trying to get back on track today. If that's possible. :(

    As for the crud, I shall just write like it wasn't even there. I may try what Linda does. It seems like a great idea. Instead of writing in an orderly fashion, I'm gonna mix it up. Skip around! :) Thanks buddy. :)

    Angie, PU! I'm driving onward to get away from that skunk!!!!! :)

    Linda, I really think I'm going to try your method. Both of them actually. They sound great. And I have often thought about skipping around. Thanks for the info. I'll let you know how it went. :)

    Beth, I made need one! I'm away from it today. But tonight I'm going to jump to another chapter that I have some ideas about. :)

    Tess, after my meeting with Beth I'm gonna go by the bookstore and buy some more books. They're having a S-A-L-E! :)

    Tricia, the hug really helped. I needed that. And so off I go to write magnificent words! Yeah! Pumps fist!! :)

    PJ, I never thought of it like that. You go girl. I feel better! :)

    Susan, BY BY CRUD! :)

    Cindy, Keep writing, no matter what .Thanks pal!! I so appreciate everyone coming to help. :)

    Davin, I like the way you think. It may not be crud. Hmmm, thanks friend. :)

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  13. Just skip the junk and keep moving.

    "It is better to write a bad first draft than to write no first draft at all."
    ~ Will Shetterly

    If you can just keep moving you can fix it later - if there's one thing NaNoWriMo taught me it's that. I also think you'll have a lot of fun if you try it that way. :)

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