Seemed like the right time for a check-in on the state of affairs with the site.
2009 Writing resolutions. In January, I outlined the following writing goals:
Goal: Implement the marketing plan for The Last Track and allow for any outcome.
Progress: Via the process of the working the marketing plan–which included a video project and a new website–and wound up with a home for the novel by accident. By some quirk of fate, the very humble video project ( which everyone estimated would only take a few weeks but stretched to 10 plus months ) evolved into a great book trailer. The trailer and the site will be available about ten days before the novel launches, which is on or around August 25th, 2009.
Goal: Complete a decent draft of the new novel.
Progress: In motion, though a ways from completion. Probably the most important lesson learned this past year–and definitely through the most grueling of experiences–involved the risk of editing too early in the writing process. Particularly editing the first draft of a new project. See, writing involves a very different part of the brain than editing does. To “clean” a draft up mid-stream, no matter how well-intentioned those adjustments are, involves switching rapidly from one side of the brain to the other. Over time this self induced schizophrenia can derail the writing process. A traumatic stress, as it were.
In fact, I consider losing focus due to editing while actively writing the worst kind of distraction for a writer. It’s one thing to work on a device that precludes accessing Facebook or email when in the zone. Eliminating those sort of attention drags are necessary and a requirement. Certainly, editing is a moral imperative and part of the job. Like it or not, it must happen sometime.
Sometime can be later.
When the creative mind agonizes over sentence or chapter so freshly minted that it can scarcely stand on its own legs, there is a terrible risk: Every second gearing down from creative mode for edits is second not writing, and that’s one more second it’s going to take to finish the initial draft. Seconds do add up, often turning into months. Sometimes the best medicine for a weak passage can be allowing the words some time to breathe. To realize that what is on the page just might, with a tiny tweak down the line, perhaps a complete overhaul ( who knows ) work for the story–and not against it.
Only time will tell. And the time for any serious editing is after the first draft is done. Till then, I have a license to suck.
Goal: Enter the new novel in three high-quality contests.
Progress: Little to report. Did compile a long list of contests to enter.
To be continued . . .
