tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140580904828834702.post11871518153910068..comments2023-04-01T10:31:52.777-05:00Comments on Rockets2Writing: Why Each New Book Seems Harder to WriteJamie Krakoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16808802721340647047noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140580904828834702.post-25761834406073124782013-08-08T07:35:32.217-05:002013-08-08T07:35:32.217-05:00yes shiny new idea syndrome is so much fun! And I ...yes shiny new idea syndrome is so much fun! And I know they say everyone has a book in them which is why I think finishing more than one is such a key milestone. I think you are right. The more you write the easier it is to get distracted, but it's always nice to just stop thinking and let the imagination flow onto the page.<br /><br />Thanks for stopping by and commenting!Jamie Krakoverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16808802721340647047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140580904828834702.post-91392118896945960402013-08-07T20:54:44.344-05:002013-08-07T20:54:44.344-05:00I compltely agree. The first book I actually comp...I compltely agree. The first book I actually completed rushed out of me. Part of it was that I was like this is it, I'm going to do it, and instead of thinking about its marketability, etc...I just wrote it. Then I "got serious" about writing and BAM, everything became so much harder. I also get distracted easier now yet still, I love writing. I love my stories, worlds, characters, and when I find those blissful moments where I'm able to let go and just write, wonders happen :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140580904828834702.post-87454719698256863532013-07-22T10:53:09.835-05:002013-07-22T10:53:09.835-05:00Thanks!Thanks!Jamie Krakoverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16808802721340647047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140580904828834702.post-40132288823822241422013-07-22T10:52:51.931-05:002013-07-22T10:52:51.931-05:00You are right. Maintaining that drive is super imp...You are right. Maintaining that drive is super important to the writing journey. But you also have to want to continue the journey. I wish you the best of luck finding homes for your novels.<br /><br />Thanks for your insightful comment!Jamie Krakoverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16808802721340647047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140580904828834702.post-71376345263608081502013-07-22T10:51:41.157-05:002013-07-22T10:51:41.157-05:00Oh, BTW... Nice column, Jamie.Oh, BTW... Nice column, Jamie.Shawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10712572192641230315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140580904828834702.post-22152059354554512522013-07-22T10:48:09.698-05:002013-07-22T10:48:09.698-05:00The Parable of the Serial Marathon Runner:
I read...The Parable of the Serial Marathon Runner:<br /><br />I read an article in the local paper about 18(ish) years ago about a marathon runner who practiced by running three to five marathon distances PER WEEK. Really, the article was about how he needed people to donate a specific size of shoe because he wore out shoes so fast that he could not afford his hobby.<br /><br />Three to five marathons PER WEEK??? What??? As a guy who was trying to finish one marathon, that story blew my mind.<br /><br />You get where this is going.<br /><br />Finishing my first novel was the triumph of finishing a marathon... In 315th place. That novel was god-awful.<br /><br />I just finished my ninth novel. My last novel. I haven't queried it yet. Still in revision. So I don't know if I finally finished "in the money" yet. But if I don't get this one published, I'm done. I'm out. It takes too much time away from efforts I should be putting into my family to keep writing novels as a hobby.<br /><br />I realize now that the guy who ran three-to-five marathons per week was a guy who was never going to finish in the money. It was merely his obsession. <br /><br />There's DRIVE, and then there's TALENT. Mr. Marathons had the drive. I've got the drive. My last novel fell out of my fingertips in three and a half months. <br /><br />TALENT? Maybe not. Maybe that's just not me.Shawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10712572192641230315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140580904828834702.post-9794048034104078762013-07-22T09:29:27.191-05:002013-07-22T09:29:27.191-05:00I can definitely relate to the lack of motivation....I can definitely relate to the lack of motivation. That's another blocker I experience all the time. The inspiration definitely comes and goes. And you're right, sometimes you just have to sit down and write even when you don't want to. I do find that having an outline often helps me when I'm feeling unmotivated. Even if I don't want to write, the outline gives me direction which removes some of the struggle. Even though it isn't always easy, I usually find once I get back into it, things seem to flow easier. And the more I get into a steady schedule the easier it gets.<br /><br />Congrats on finishing your first novel and I wish you luck as you continue to work on your second.<br /><br />Thanks for stopping by and commenting!Jamie Krakoverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16808802721340647047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3140580904828834702.post-56538106351607135292013-07-22T09:22:37.673-05:002013-07-22T09:22:37.673-05:00For me, one of the biggest problems is motivation/...For me, one of the biggest problems is motivation/inspiration. I've known for a long time that a writer can't rely solely on feeling inspired, but when that feeling is missing, it certainly makes the writing process more challenging. I wrote my first novel last summer, 100,000 words in six weeks, in a sustained burst of inspiration and passion, which totally surprised me. Currently I'm working on my 2nd novel, but it's been much slower going because my passion and inspiration have been more uneven and sporadic. I know sometimes you just have to sit down and write, regardless of how you feel, and that I can't expect every novel to be like the first in that way (in fact, perhaps never again), but it does make it more difficult. Besides that, I also relate to everything you said here, with regard to expanding and growing as a writer, self-doubt, etc. I think we all go through that, even the best writers, and it's healthy to do so. Thanks for posting.<br /><br />Steven auroraarray.blogspot.comStevenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09437726307688877781noreply@blogger.com