Saturday Morning Kick in the Ass
Get your book done.
Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.
~Pablo Picasso
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.
~Aristotle
The best way out is always through.
~Robert Frost
Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose--a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye.
~Mary Shelley
THERE. Consider your ass kicked. Now go and write.
Happy Saturday, everyone.
Where are you in your work in progress?
Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.
~Pablo Picasso
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.
~Aristotle
The best way out is always through.
~Robert Frost
Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose--a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye.
~Mary Shelley
THERE. Consider your ass kicked. Now go and write.
Happy Saturday, everyone.
Where are you in your work in progress?
Labels: motivation, works in progress
posted by Erica Orloff at 11:01 AM
27 Comments:
I feel like that boot was aimed right for me. I trying really I am. I'm revising and plan to start querying this time next week.
Thank you, sir. May I have another?
I am at a weird point where I don't know what will happen next. I've done the things I wanted to but the book hasn't ended and a new twist was thrown in last night. I don't know where they are taking me. I'm sure the ride will prove to be very interesting.
Erica, I was thinking of browsing quotes when I clicked on your site. Talk about serendipity!
Thanks for the inspiration! Message received.
Travis:
Consider yourself kicked.
E
Hi Sarah:
I am fine-tuning one manuscript to turn in Monday and another (poor timing of overlapping deadlines) to turn in at the end of the week. And then . . . Shiny New Idea here I come.
E
Ladonna:
Glad to help. ;-)
E
This morning I finished a scene that has taken much longer than I anticipated. I thought my MC was just passing through the dusty little town, but he decided to stay all day. He's back on the road and I am relieved. :)
LOL, I'm working, I'm working! Well, in a second, anyways.
Slogging through. I've finally released all expectation that my process in a new genre should bear any resemblance to my typical process.
Such a relief. I don't know why I didn't think of that before. I kinda liked knowing my process, though. Oh well. Good to shake things up.
(Funny about the first quote. I have tendency to say to myself: What if I die? Could I live with myself if I died before I finished this?)
melanie:
Sounds like me. I thought this one scene would be a shot of action. And it was. So much so it went on for two chapters.
:-)
E
Spy:
See . . . you and Picasso, Spy. :-)
I never think about that, to be honest. The only way I think abotu it is in making sure I see I love you and I'm proud of you to each of my kids every day. Because if I died tonight, I wouldn't ever want my last words to be "bitchy mom words." Which believe me occur with surprising regularity when I am without sleep. Did I mention Demon Baby rose FOR THE DAY at 4:30 a.m.??? And because he had fed our Fat Corgi . . . M&Ms and I think perhaps Life cereal, I awoke to rampant dog diarrhea on the whole upstairs carpet. Luckily I keep the carpet man on speed dial.
What a friggin' day.
E
Picasso's quote resounds well with me. For years I never let my husband leave the house without a kiss. Not sure when that slipped but we've been together over 30 years and it sure doesn't happen now.
With my latest ms, I have queried 17 agents, received 9 rejections and two partial requests but refuse to rewrite those last two chapter, which need it desperately, until I get a full request. I'm being bloody-minded about this.
I finished this week! Also revised the synopsis. One more read-through and it's off to my agent.
Third round of edits. Hoping for a home run this time *ggg*
Suzanne:
Single-minded purpose. Bravo!
E
Jude:
Congrats!
E
Hi Amie:
Third time's always the charm. I am always figuring my third husband (he doesn't know it yet, but it will be Anthony Bourdain) will be the one. ;-)
E
Ooh, I needed these earlier, though I did get my writing done. Will come in handy tomorrow, though!
Caryn:
Consider it a SUNDAY-morning butt kick.
:-)
E
This post ROCKS! :)
As for the WIP, I've been chipping, chipping away. Still trying to get a handle on POV -- it's a pretty epic tale that I'm trying to shoehorn into 1st person and I'm thinking I need to open it up. Also, researching like crazy, to the point where I am going to have to stop the insanity.
I love these quotes -- will print out and stick to my monitor. Thank you!
Hi Michele:
That's always so tricky, choosing the voice. I used to ONLY use first-person. Lately . . . less so. But I think I've been having "bigger" stories.
E
Thanks for the kick in the ass. We're having 11 people for Father's Day tomorrow, so I've been cleaning, laundry, and cooking today. I still have to finish the cake. Tomorrow I won't have much to do though except throw together a fruit salad and be social. Yay!
I wrote one page today, so at least I did something. I am making progress, though it's slower than I planned. I'm reading a book on self-hypnotitism. I'd like to see if I can use that for my writing in many ways, including getting out more pages.
I'm still on vacation, so "la, la, la, I'm not listening..." ;-)
After enjoying this break, I am refreshed (never mind my three kids and their vomit) and ready to get back to work.
Great quotes, E. Thanks for sharing.
I needed that kick. I finished a contest submission earlier this week and had been working pretty much nonstop on that, hours and hours and hours per day. I sent it off Tuesday (or was it Wednesday?) and I haven't written anything since. I needed the break, and to get my head back to the right spot in my book.
My WIP will be finished this summer and I will be querying in September. (fingers crossed she says, until she realizes one cannot type with crossed fingers. oy)
Hi Edie;
Enjoy the day!
E
Heather:
I have vacation-envy. Except for the kid-vomit.
E
Amy:
Great goal for the summer!
Check in when you need a kick in the ass. ;-)
E
The mail man just picked up my novella manuscript. I just did two chapters of edits on the novel, and after I go lay in the sun I'm writing rough draft words for the novella sequel.
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