Comments on: Virtual Kinship http://5-rings.com/blog/2009/08/virtual-kinship/ A journal of the creative writing process. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:36:26 +0000 hourly 1 By: Nick Enlowe http://5-rings.com/blog/2009/08/virtual-kinship/#comment-1571 Nick Enlowe Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:43:47 +0000 http://5-rings.com/blog/2009/08/distractions/#comment-1571 @RG: From your latest posts, you seem to be getting back in the writer's chair, hitting your stride, too. I've just been telling myself that this'll all be worth it, if nothing else just to feel that completed, revised formal manuscript in my hands and share it with my friends and family. And to complete something amazing, something bigger than me. @RG: From your latest posts, you seem to be getting back in the writer’s chair, hitting your stride, too.
I’ve just been telling myself that this’ll all be worth it, if nothing else just to feel that completed, revised formal manuscript in my hands and share it with my friends and family. And to complete something amazing, something bigger than me.

]]> By: Nick Enlowe http://5-rings.com/blog/2009/08/virtual-kinship/#comment-1570 Nick Enlowe Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:39:55 +0000 http://5-rings.com/blog/2009/08/distractions/#comment-1570 Thanks Darcy! Your words, as always, are inspiring! The analogy for creating a soup works so well right now for me because I just finished watching the inpiring movie 'Julie & Julia'. It's about Julia Child herself, and a modern day young person who was inspired by Julia to undertake a huge and difficult experiment --- Both despite what naysayers had to say. The movie reminds us Julia wasn't always JULIA CHILD and that she had to work so hard to find the success that she finally did, including working on writing and revising her cookbook 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' for eight years before it finally got published. Thanks Darcy! Your words, as always, are inspiring!

The analogy for creating a soup works so well right now for me because I just finished watching the inpiring movie ‘Julie & Julia’.

It’s about Julia Child herself, and a modern day young person who was inspired by Julia to undertake a huge and difficult experiment — Both despite what naysayers had to say.

The movie reminds us Julia wasn’t always JULIA CHILD and that she had to work so hard to find the success that she finally did, including working on writing and revising her cookbook ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ for eight years before it finally got published.

]]> By: L. http://5-rings.com/blog/2009/08/virtual-kinship/#comment-1564 L. Sat, 08 Aug 2009 17:36:32 +0000 http://5-rings.com/blog/2009/08/distractions/#comment-1564 “Maybe it’s because the changes I make feel more permanent this time around. I more or less have to get it right this time, you know?” It sounds like you were psyching yourself out and making the editing work into an Everest. You really don’t have to get it right this first time around. The beauty of word and multiple saves is that nothing is ever permanent. You can always go back or update. You’ve gotten your ideas onto the paper and have the basic structure of the story. What comes next is a process of experimentation. It’s like making a good soup. You can’t just through the ingredients into a pot and expect it to come out perfect. You keep adding to it over time, layering the flavors. If you mess up, you adjust and taste-test the soup frequently along the way. Think about this too, even after you’ve worked the manuscript to the point that you’re ready to start querying, the manuscript still hasn’t reached it’s final form. If you get a contract, there is still all the in-house revisions it will have to go through. So relax a little, try and have as much fun with the editing as you did with the writing. Your twitter updates seem indicative that you are finding your groove. Good luck with the rest! ~ L. (the letter formerly known as Darcy, hehe) “Maybe it’s because the changes I make feel more permanent this time around. I more or less have to get it right this time, you know?”

It sounds like you were psyching yourself out and making the editing work into an Everest. You really don’t have to get it right this first time around. The beauty of word and multiple saves is that nothing is ever permanent. You can always go back or update. You’ve gotten your ideas onto the paper and have the basic structure of the story. What comes next is a process of experimentation. It’s like making a good soup. You can’t just through the ingredients into a pot and expect it to come out perfect. You keep adding to it over time, layering the flavors. If you mess up, you adjust and taste-test the soup frequently along the way.

Think about this too, even after you’ve worked the manuscript to the point that you’re ready to start querying, the manuscript still hasn’t reached it’s final form. If you get a contract, there is still all the in-house revisions it will have to go through. So relax a little, try and have as much fun with the editing as you did with the writing. Your twitter updates seem indicative that you are finding your groove. Good luck with the rest!

~ L. (the letter formerly known as Darcy, hehe)

]]> By: RG Sanders http://5-rings.com/blog/2009/08/virtual-kinship/#comment-1562 RG Sanders Sat, 08 Aug 2009 00:55:21 +0000 http://5-rings.com/blog/2009/08/distractions/#comment-1562 "Inspiration doesn’t strike often enough to cut it." Amen to that. I'm trying to re-find my feet and approach what I have done the last few months but something is missing and for some reason, I too cannot seem to get myself to 'click' with my book at the moment. “Inspiration doesn’t strike often enough to cut it.”

Amen to that. I’m trying to re-find my feet and approach what I have done the last few months but something is missing and for some reason, I too cannot seem to get myself to ‘click’ with my book at the moment.

]]> By: Nick Enlowe http://5-rings.com/blog/2009/08/virtual-kinship/#comment-1548 Nick Enlowe Mon, 03 Aug 2009 02:21:50 +0000 http://5-rings.com/blog/2009/08/distractions/#comment-1548 @Merrilee: Thanks for replying :) I do keep up with your blog, I visit it almost every day, I promise! And I read all your tweets, too ^__^ Goal-setting has never really worked for me. I think I'm searching for something else... Maybe an edit marathon? For writing, it was making promises here (and hosting contests) that worked. For editing, it looks like I need a different method. The only thing currently getting me in the chair is when 'inspiration strikes me', and as all good writers know, inspiration doesn't strike often enough to cut it. @Merrilee: Thanks for replying :)
I do keep up with your blog, I visit it almost every day, I promise! And I read all your tweets, too ^__^

Goal-setting has never really worked for me. I think I’m searching for something else…
Maybe an edit marathon?

For writing, it was making promises here (and hosting contests) that worked. For editing, it looks like I need a different method.

The only thing currently getting me in the chair is when ‘inspiration strikes me’, and as all good writers know, inspiration doesn’t strike often enough to cut it.

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