I saw an interesting post on another blog a few weeks ago. They were talking about writing and whether you should wait for the muse or not (I am a strong anti-muse believer myself ;)).
One woman had posted how she didn't want to write if the "spirit wasn't upon her" aka the MUSE, because then it would just be wasted writing if it wasn't any good.
Ok, I read this a few weeks ago folks, and it's taken my mind this long to work around the concept.
Wasted writing. It's still a concept my poor tired brain just isn't grasping. First we have to consider how writers come about. BY WRITING. No one is born with an amazing voice, kick ass descriptive sense, and an ability to make characters so real you find yourself adding them to your wedding guest list.
We learn it.
And how do we learn it? By writing crap. Lots and lots and LOTS of crap. Eventually the crap will become less-craptastic. Eventually, it will become good.
But the first step is to write.
I just sent off my geek novella and a friend of a friend asked what I was going to do with it if it isn't accepted. How could I stand thinking all that work would be wasted?
I agree, there probably isn't a huge call for funny geek love stories set around Comic Con, a former SciFi actress, and a crashed alien researcher. But I'm not worried about "wasting" my time having written it. Even if it (or any of my work) never finds a public home, it has contributed to my skills. Its gotten me one step away from craptastic.
So, while I was too gobsmacked to respond to that blog comment about wasting writing at the time, I like to send this out now: NO writing is wasted as long as you learn from it. And since, at least for me, it's impossible not to learn when I write, then nothing is ever wasted.
So flip the muse the bird, and get yer ass back in that chair- and WRITE!
Three cheers and a hearty amen to that. Excellent advice, Marie!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kayelle! :)
ReplyDeleteI heartily agree. I play the flute and the piccolo, and I know that no musician, however talented, gets anywhere without practice, practice, practice. There is always, IMO, a lesson to be learned from writing that doesn't work.
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by Madcapmaggie (LOVE your handle btw :)). It's interesting, I doubt a musician would say they didn't want to practice and waste their music...yet that writer (and a few others who commented) did.
DeleteMarie Andreas (at work, can't log into blogger)
I write everyday. It might not be great stuff but I write and write. It's my job and I loved it and out of the the writing, writing and more writing a story appears! Marian
ReplyDeleteYou have a wonderful mind set and work ethic Marian! Thanks for coming by and commenting!
DeleteMarie Andreas (at work, can't log into blogger)
yup--it's not a waste when you show up and WRITE ! Good thoughts here :D
ReplyDeleteThanks Lynne :0) as long as we Just. Keep. Writing. we'll make it!
DeleteMarie Andreas (at work, can't log into blogger)
LOL. A few weeks ago I took a writing class in which, for a practice story, I had an sf actor and a blind sf writer fall in love at Comicon. Then I heard about a similar book published years ago, and now your story. Sounds like Synchronicity to me.
ReplyDeleteI think your story will get picked up! Good luck!
OOOO! I like your thinking doxymom! Maybe there will be some good vibes out there for my wee story :). Thanks for coming by and commenting!
DeleteMarie Andreas (at work, can't log into blogger)
I agree, no writing is "wasted." I go to a lot of writing workshops where we are given a very general prompt ("describe something from all five senses" or "I remember...") and no matter how far the prompt may seem from what I'm writing about in my novel, I usually come up with something that will be used later. I fact, on such prompt ("write about a suspicion") from a workshop given by Judy Reeves, has turned into a major plot line for a new book in my series "Salem's Circle", but also a new recurring character.
ReplyDeleteThat is wonderful Linda! And a perfect example of the nothing is wasted concept. You're out there walking the walk!
DeleteThanks for coming by and commenting!
Marie Andreas (at work, can't log into blogger)
A few weeks ago, I had a writer with over 50 book titles to her name tell me there is no such thing as writer's block. It's your job, as a writer to write. Doesn't matter if you're "moved"... you sit down and start writing. At first, I was a little miffed because I thought I was having writer's block, but she's right. What I had was a desire to not write. When I would sit down, words came.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post!!!
I will admit that sometimes when I sit down to write the stuff that shows up on the page is crap. It doesn't fit. It goes nowhere. It changed the direction of the story so far that, as if the world of my story were flat, I'm headed off the edge for a drop into oblivion. But the truth of the matter is, those days are rare. Like hen's teeth. Almost always what I thought was crap has something worthwhile in it. There may be the germ of a different layer, a fork in the road that leads to a magical place, or a new depth to a character or plot line that, until then, hadn't occurred to me. Sometimes crap is only crap. But sometimes it only looks like crap. Like a dung beatle, you have to roll it around a bit, looking at it up close for those tidbits that are golden.
ReplyDeleteSharon
Thanks for coming by and commenting Sarah and Sharon!
ReplyDeleteSarah-I completely agree with that 50 book author- it's our job (even when we're not making money at it ;))- we WRITE.
Sharon...great, now I'll be thinking of dung beetles rolling my mss around! :)- But excellent points!
Thanks ladies!
I don't believe in 'muses' and I don't believe any writing is ever wasted. Apart from the learning process, stuff you cut from one book can sometimes find a home in another. Like you said - writers have to write. That's what they do.
ReplyDeleteWOW I agree there is NO wasted writing. NaNo's popularity shows that the most important thing is you have to sit in your chair and write. I agree with your there is no wasted writing. If you delete maybe it isn't bad writing. It didn't fit that spot. Sometimes putting the words on the page leads to the ability to see something you were stuck trying ot fix.
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by Greta and Kathy! You both made excellent points.
ReplyDeleteMarie Andreas- stuck at day job can't log into blogger ;)
Hi Marie!
ReplyDeleteExcellent points. If I had not "wasted writing" with my first few stories back after a 15 or so year hiatus from writing, I'd still be not writing today. Does that make sense? Think I'm having a blonde moment. It's okay, though--I'm blonde.
I love the setup of your blog. Can you tell me how you got the word count widgets to show up correctly? I also use Blogger and can't seem to get the HTML to work. :(
Thanks for coming by and all your comments Lynne :) and I'm glad you like my blog!
ReplyDeleteI think I just cut and pasted the html into the text box- but I'm at the evil day job so I can't access anything right now :(.
email me at marieandreas (at) rocketmail (dot) com if I don't post back about this! I might lose track of it.
Thanks!
Marie Andreas
HI Marie,
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you. There are days I sit in front of the tv and after an hour wondered what the hell I just watched and can't recall a single bit of it. Then I want to smack myself for wasting precious time that could have been used writing something, anything!
I have made a resolution this year to spend at least 2 hours a day trying to type some words, even if in the end I eventually chuck it to the trash. Still 2 hours a day x 1 week = 14 hours! And that is amazing. Because for sure, waiting for my muse to pop up may take weeks because she is a diva and I have no time to waste.
Thanks for coming by and commenting Gabriella!
DeleteYeah, musei are fickle critters, I figure we work better with out them ;).
And I totally hear you on the TV! OMG- I forget eps right after I watch them...yet I keep watching them! *hangs head in shame*
I would love to read your geek novella. Anything set at a con would be fun to read. Good luck with it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Margaret! If it gets picked up, I'll be shouting it here that's for sure! I'm afraid I may have gone TOO Con geek over board though!
DeleteMarie