Monday, March 19, 2007

Fess Up Monday!

Did you write? Did you sell? How many words? Tell, tell tell!

The Global Existential Threat Level remains at GUARDED.


Today's question: Why do we do this? Why, when we know the odds are against us meeting our ultimate goals, do we keep writing?

8 comments:

Joyce Ellen Armond said...

About 4,000 words this week. My productivity seems to be suffering from all my current existential angst.

Do you ever have these sorts of crises, when you question why you have set aside other hobbies, why you don't watch all the TV you'd like to, why you give up whatever you give up to write stories?

veinglory said...

Oh, hell. 3000 words maybe. urk.

Anonymous said...

Joyce --

I can SO relate. I've been writing for over 20 years now...been published in small presses for over ten of those 20, won awards, gotten some good reviews, and I STILL haven't met the life goal I set for myself of getting published by a major publisher, of having a book out that my family and friends could actually find in a bookstore.

I've written probably 30 novels altogether and given up a huge chunk of my life to this. For me, the results have been pretty minimal.

I wonder why I do this to myself. Until I try to stop writing and discover that I can't. I just can't. I don't know if it's an obsession, a compulsion, or what, but there are always characters in my head demanding I write down their stories.

Maybe it's just insanity.

Whatever...I had a good writing week. Almost 7K total.

veinglory said...

p.s. Joyce, thanks for the review!

Jody W. and Meankitty said...

I have no goals for this week. The girls and I are on vacation. Last week I wrote words, but I'm not counting or I'll be disappointed :). This week, my big accomplishment so far has been surviving a 20% incline hike with a baby and a stroller on a trail NOT meant for strollers. Luckily there was an extra adult to carry the stroller while I carried the baby. The question is, which was heavier?

L. A. Green said...

I stumbled upon your blog and decided this sounds like a kindred group. In response to the question: Why do I write? I think because it's part of my wiring. I can't sing, I'm not much of a musician, and I tend to be a little quiet in the verbal department, but self-expression must come out in some form. This is mine. :)

How many words? None this week...but I did finish a fourth draft of my 96,000 word sci-fi/romance recently. Does that count?

Thanks for creating this blog. I'll stop back again soon.

Ursula said...

I finally updated my blog! And completed all revisions, line edits, and selected excerpts for Immortal Protector.

I hear you on existential angst. Sometimes I think excess life density causes this. Life gets hairy and thick, and somehow presses hard on our creativity. Like a sun collapsing on itself. Utimatily, you explode from all the pressure, but the period leading up to that is draining.

Sometimes I give up stuff, but when I'm stuck in crisis of this nature, I tend to drift from thing to thing, not able to complete any one. It's maddening. Then the guilt sets in and I second guess myself on everything.

Anonymous said...

OK--baby step I know but done! I did a 750 word article for a news magazine. Am schmoozing my way up to contributing editor so I can get away from teaching Troubled High School Students. Going on vacation so resting a little--but taking the time to reset some goals. xxoocf