How about a little humor for a Friday?
“Anybody who writes a book is an optimist. First of all, they think they’re going to finish it. Second, they think somebody’s going to publish it. Third, they think somebody’s going to read it. Fourth, they think somebody’s going to like it. How optimistic is that?”
- Margaret Atwood in an interview with CNN (via Amanda the Aspiring Writer)
Awesome, no? Then in the comments section of that interview, I found something that’s awesome in an entirely different way:
guest: That’s interesting considering it wasn’t published until 1985.
Hehehe.
Other than nerdy writing funnies, I’m keeping myself busy with the new WIP. Starting slow (daily quota of 500 words) but I’d like to finish the whole thing by April, so obviously I’ll be picking up the pace.
I’ve also started “morning pages” — which I haven’t been doing in the morning, but whatever. Through this freewriting, I’ve already gotten a new idea for a YA novel. Because, you know, FIVE ideas waiting to be written wasn’t enough.
o_O
Ah well, into the queue it goes…
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I don’t know if we’re optimists or just deluded. I think writers are smart enough to know better, and deluded enough to try anyway. Call it optimism if you want but that just seems like a facade to me.
Tchuss,
Lystra
Optimistic… ha! I vote delusional! I think that term is more fitting, at least in my case.
Good luck on your WIP. And thanks for the funnies today. I needed a laugh! : D
It’s interesting that it is taken for granted that writing a book means you will try to get it published. I remember this episode of Friends where Phoebe was writing in a notebook and one of the others asked what she was doing, and she said, “I’m writing a novel.” The other one said, “I didn’t know you were writing a book.” And she answers, “I’ve written seven books, actually. And as the only person who’s ever read them, I can tell you they’ve been very well received.” I guess I take my cue from her. :)
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I really like the idea of morning pages. I may try that. It’s a way to just get past the grogginess of the morning and actually write. I just wish I could remember the funny things I thought of before nodding off!
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good stuff!
keep up the morning pages! before I had time in the mornings, I was still so determined to do them that I’d finish them every day, at lunch or as soon as I could be alone. and now I am so dependent on it that I have a rule that I shouldn’t be expected/allowed to interact with anyone before I write the pages. (it’s like trying to talk to people right after you wake up and before coffee.)
but, it saves my life on a regular basis and it’s also where I get all my ideas. =)
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LOL. Thanks for this!
And I have about six “active” ideas, although I’m only focusing my energy on writing two right now (while world building a third). So I know the whole writing quene thing very well!
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Ha! I totally wrote a post about that Atwood quote! Maybe I’ll save it a little while now. I love that quote. It made me smile.
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Lystra & Kim-
Does insisting that it is in fact optimism prove that I’m REALLY optimistic, or REALLY delusional? :P
Sonja-
Well what if you just take out step 2? Then it still fits, even if that “somebody” is the writer. :)
Dara-
Wow, girl! I can only work on one at a time, but I’m impressed that you’re tackling so many!
Think of it this way: at least you have ideas for books. It seems to me that if you’re going to try to make a career out of this business, you’d darn well better have a lot of ideas on the back burner. I mean, what if you ran out??
So what’s another novel idea among friends, right?
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LOL and I love The Handmaid’s Tale!
Mary-
Lol yeah, running out would be bad. I’m glad for the ideas, I only wish my fingers could keep up!
Angie-
You must be very radicalized and down on men then. :P
Kristan, That Margaret Atwood quote is so great–one of the reasons I love her voice and writing. I also LOVE the idea of morning pages (or, for me, night pages)…am going to try to work this into my daily routine. You are always illuminating something for me, thanks!
I vote for optimism of the “Kung Fu Panda” kind…that annoying kind of person that keeps taking the hits and getting back up. For instance, my eight-year old has been playing Wario land II on his gameboy and he gets really mad if he falls off the platforms. He asks me to do it. I fall off the platforms too, over and over and over and he shouts, “You’re doing that on purpose!” and I insist I’m not. But, I keep getting back up on the platform and eventually, I make it. Can’t help but being an optimist. I’m kooky like that. :)
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I love that you just related Margaret Atwood and Kung Fu Panda! :D
Great quote! And good job on your WIP. I forgot to ask how many hours people wrote this week. I wrote … uh … the week’s not over yet, right? I think I wrote 4.5 so far this week. My goal is 10.
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Oy… Yeah I probably did about 5 hrs last week. (I’m assuming your weeks go from Sun to Sat?) My goal to at least double that this week — so yeah, 10 hrs.