wtmarkham3

This is W. T. Markham, III's writing blog. He will be discussing projects and some personal things that deals writing.

I have decided--well, my body has--that I can do only 300 words a day. Normally, I would try to push pass it because I want to be like everyone else. I finally understand that I have to listen to my body to be successful.

This week I had several epiphanies about The Golden Hunter; I have renamed it to The Golden Rider. The first epiphany appeared to me ages ago, but I ignore because I thought I would do a disservice to the story if I follow that epiphany. God has a funny way to remind me that I made a mistake by sending me another epiphany, a clearer one. This time I knew I made a big ole mistake.
I restarted it from scratch yesterday from another POV, and so far, it feels like the correct decision, but we'll see in about six months or sooner. I just wish I could finish a damned manuscript without backtracking or starting over.

Today I started the death march of The Golden Hunter, and I am hoqping to be done within three months. I do better when, as Roxi says, I am hyper-focused on a project. I can't explain why I am like that. However, I get things done when I do, and I have to be fearful of not getting too focus on the death march because I will burn out; and we can't afford that to occur.
Every couple of weeks I will post my progress. I wrote eight hundred and eighty words today. Sorry, I haven't been posting that often recently, but my life has been hectic especially with the preparations for Roxi's move.

I think I am finally over of being scared of finishing this draft, or I have found a word count I can handle for a while. I just hope my attention does not wane when I finally get comfortable with it. Only time will tell.
I also realized something last night as I fell asleep about the draft. The only thing I will say is the narrator is only the sidekick now.

Schedules are odd things to control under normal and calm circumstances. For me though, they are very mercurial at the best times. Last week my mind told me it was time to change my schedule because it felt my output was slowing a little. At the time, I agreed because I felt I was tiring. The odd thing is I know that in about three months from now my mind will demand a new schedule. I wish it would not; changing schedules one thing I hate my writing process, but I guess that is a part of being a writer for me personally.

It seems the old axiom about a book is a breathing thing is absolute true. I knew it was true, but I did not realize how true it was until last night. I guess I have been fooling myself for years. I hate when something I thought to be true was proven false. Oh well, that is life for you. The axiom forced me to change my schedule again; I frankly wish a book would pick a schedule and stick with it for the duration of writing it.

Last week I sent a poem back out, and I am enjoying submitting. I just wish writing a first draft was as fast as writing a poem. I am more scared of messing up this novel even though I know the first drafts are supposed to be filled with weeds and potholes. A part of me wants to get things done quickly and correctly on the first go round. I know it is a pipedream. I am trying to break myself of that bad habit. It seems the old adage is correct; it's a hard habit to break.

Saturday I started on chapter six. I always hate starting chapters due to the fact that it feels like I'm starting a relationship each time, but once the chapter starts flowing I'm usually back in my groove. I just wish I could get over that annoying feeling soon. If not, I guess I'm stuck with that flaw in my writing process.

When I started writing The Golden Hunter, I thought I knew where the plot would take me, but after six weeks of writing, I have no earthly idea where the book is going. I hope every book will be as easy and fun as The Golden Hunter is being at this time. If my second book is this cooperative, I will be pleased and extremely surprised.
The last month I have felt my writing has gotten better on the mechanical side of things, and I know I need to work on tightening up my prose. All I want to do is to get the story down before my momentum dies away like it has on every book I have tried to finish.