Wednesday, November 23, 2011

37,931 words and my writing buddies


Right on the heels of telling you how hot I am, here's a photo that proves, not only otherwise, but also how little pride I actually have.

That is me deep in Nanowrimo mode, writing the Great Canadian Novel, or at least, MY Great Canadian Novel. Eight more days of writing ahead. 12,069 words. That's 1,509 words every day. Can I do it? How can I not do it after investing so much time and energy?

Am feeling confident right at this moment because I just had a good writing night. Last night, though, I was convinced I didn't have one more word in me. What I wrote was terrible. It wasn't going anywhere. It wasn't developing the plot. And it certainly wasn't well-written. Tonight I decided, to heck with it, and started writing the chapter again from scratch. This time I knew where it was headed; I had the right atmosphere and the words fairly spilled onto the page.

I asked Dave to take this picture, not to show you how chub-ugly my feet are, but to show you my undecadent writing space and my two furball writing buddies.

I've tried writing everywhere else around the house but I've done my best writing on the bed, scrunched into a back-busting ball. I goof around on my blog or facebook on the kitchen table but when I go into the bedroom and shut the door, I'm all business. Sometimes I even use ear plugs. I find it blocks everything out but the sound of my own brain thunk-thunking in overdrive.

The funny thing about this is my two cats, Dodge (the orange one) and Ben. Cats are creatures of habit and they have made a habit out of sitting at my feet while I've been NaNo-ing. As soon as the door closes they push it open and come walking in. They don't bug me. Much. Sometimes they rub their whiskers on my laptop or demand to be petted. For the most part, though, they just lie down like the slugs they are and fall asleep. Sometimes they even snore.

Is this how The Great Canadian Novels are written?

In a messy bedroom with snoring cats?

14 comments:

  1. I'm sure most novels are written in bed. Truman Capote said, "I am a completely horizontal author. I can't think unless I'm lying down, either in bed or stretched on a couch and with a cigarette and coffee handy." That sounds like the perfect writing routine to me! :-)

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  2. I had to laugh as I'm up at the beach sitting on my bed in much the same position tapping away on my netbook. The laptop is back in Brisbane. Taking a few days out to socialise with the girls. Not a lot of writing is taking place but I'm going to have to have one almighty surge sometime before the end of Nov. 'cause I refuse not to get 50,000 words done.

    Voted for your blog!

    Denise

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  3. Oh, Jane, a cigarette and a coffee.... a match made in heaven (and hell, unfortunately... I miss those days of heady nicotine days).

    Denise - You're on a beach? So jealous. There's still a bit of snow on the ground outside here and the winter is just getting started. Funny, eh, how our seasons are completely different and yet we're both sitting hunched over a computer! Have a swim for me, will ya?

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  4. Looks perfectly fine to me, especially the cat part. Cathy, did you know that laptops that can't breathe can start a fire? I didn't know until I heard about someone who set their carpet on fire. Since then, if I use the laptop other than on a hard surface I stick a cookie sheet under it. Apparently they have vents underneath for air. Keep writing girl, you're on the home stretch.

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  5. Hey Delores! Yes, that's true about PC laptops but Macs don't have vents on the bottom - (checking now to be sure). It heats up a wee bit after a couple of hours but I never leave it unattended. As soon as I'm done writing I plug it back in. The cookie sheet is a brilliant idea, though! And thanks for the encouragement!!!!!! I hope you're enjoying your mini-blogging break and getting lots of stuff done!

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  6. Your great Canadian novel will be written that way, that's all that matters to me (impatiently waiting my autographed copy). That has to be the coziest writing space ever - from the quilt to the cats. You look so happy (and I love what your hair is doing).

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  7. At least you are writing!!! (some of us, ahem, didn't even get out of the starting blocks!)
    If you've found your most effective 'space' then just keep on with it - not long to go now!

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  8. What makes a writer is not where [s]he writes, but that [s]he writes.

    I'm sure you threw in "when I go into the bedroom and shut the door, I'm all business" to titillate us, but following it immediately with "Sometimes I even use ear plugs" takes the edge off a bit.

    ;)

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  9. Oh my gosh...yes! This is exactly how novels are written. You goooo!

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  10. Great novels have been written in cheap motels and dank prisons. You've just got to have the time and grasp on your subject. So try to grasp that, and not a cat's behind.

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  11. Laurita - THANKS for the hair compliment! I just had it layered a bit and have discovered the joy messing it up as I'm blow drying. SAVES SO MUCH TIME plus I love the funky feathery look. Thanks so much for noticing (and this was taken at the end of a very long day, too.)

    Sue - some of us (ahem) need to get busy, woman! You are a FABULOUS writer.. Just get those fingers tapping!

    Tim - I didn't even notice the titillation! But that IS funny! "all business" heheheheh

    Deb - thanks for dropping by! Your blog is wonderful, by the way. Loved the interview with Cathrine Austen. She is really quite cool.

    And John - I'm grasping, baby, I'm grasping!

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  12. Uhmm...I was going to comment on the huge mirror behind the bed...but I won't...giggle.

    P.S. My captcha was micat. Rather fitting. :D

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  13. What a lovely warm space to write in - the cats definitely complete the cozy feel. Great quilt - did you make it? I made a wallhanging for my Dad that had similar motifs.

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