Thoughts on Writing #26: Hermitage.

[seanan_mcguire]

It's time for the twenty-sixth essay in my ongoing series of essays on the art and craft of writing. We're more than halfway to the end of the series now, since all these essays are based around my fifty thoughts on writing. Thanks to everyone who's been reading, discussing, and generally making this a fascinating process. I've learned a great

Comments

[seanan_mcguire]

Writing a novel has a disturbing amount in common with joining Weight Watchers, except for the part where I don't think anyone's ever made somebody do aerobics in order to increase their word count.

[seanan_mcguire]

I do oddly better when I'm doing both at once. Maybe hunger makes me focus?

[kyra_neko_rei]

Thank you. This is something I struggle with quite a lot---there are times when I am prolific and on top of things and yet others where I can go a month without writing anything, and this will hopefully help. I am one of the people who spent years not doing the homework, and after high school for several years my study philosophy was "how little can I do and still pass?" I am in the middle of changing that in both school and writing; it is not easy in the slightest, but this should help.

[seanan_mcguire]

Time management is the monster under all our beds. Sometimes we do need to admit that we're going to be less prolific, because the time just isn't there. Still, we have to find our balances.

[archangelbeth]

Time to migrate to my writing machine, I see!

Thanks.

[seanan_mcguire]

Welcome.

[archangelbeth]

Rewrote a chapter and am pondering doing some similar stuff to another one... Hooray for the Thoughts On Writing! O:>

[seanan_mcguire]

Hee.

[aryana_filker]

Thank you for writing this! When my hubby asks me again about this writing time I need, I will point him to this article. :) I should go writing...

[seanan_mcguire]

It's soothing, fun, and crazy-making! A pastime for the ages.

[aryana_filker]

Don't know how I lived without writing for such a long time. :) Okay, reviewing is not alwaysfun, but my editor is a nice person and seems to like my book. MY book. Published soon. Wah. I'm so excited!

[seanan_mcguire]

HOORAY! Is there going to be an English-language edition, or just the German?

[jenk]

Most people can't tell the difference between 'I am staying home to mope around doing nothing' and 'I am staying home to write.'

Yes and no. The people who I've had the most difficulty with are the ones who never want to do anything alone, so they see you as actively preventing them from having fun if you won't go do with them.

Then there's the people who can't conceive that different people have different interests. "Why are you reading all the time? Let's do something fun." "I am doing something fun." "No one actually reads for fun."

[baka_kit]

Yes and no. The people who I've had the most difficulty with are the ones who never want to do anything alone, so they see you as actively preventing them from having fun if you won't go do with them.

One of my best friends is an extreme extrovert. She hates being alone, and if her husband is at work or asleep, she'll call me just so she can have someone to talk to.

I love her, but she drives me nuts sometimes. :(

[seanan_mcguire]

"Oops -- my phone battery died. For a week. After I put it in the blender..."

[seanan_mcguire]

That is a very good point. Thank you!