2K and the 10% Rule

Still on the subject of writing 2,000 fresh words a day – do or die.

The reality, of course, is that writing 2,000 words a day of fresh material is a very difficult task to do – if you think about it. Family situations arise, your girlfriend calls, your momma wants to tell you about the new gray-spotted owl she spotted while taking out spots on her laundry. All these things are important, even essential, to the living of a good life. If I were to think too hard on writing so much work I think I’d pop a blood vessel or two – and I knew a few who feel that I probably have.

So the trick is: don’t think about it. Do it.

Get that word processor fired up (think blank page), put your fingers to the keyboard and get typing. I usually start with: Now is the time for every good writer to get off his ass and write.

This usually doesn’t help much but it does get me 15 words closer to my goal. Then the second sentence should come: Why the F am I writing anything down when I don’t really care what I’m writing about? Because you’re writing something – anything at all – to get some work done.

What then begins to happen are all those thoughts regarding that house you saw with the window shade half opened or that guy who nearly cut off that pedestrian or the mother who kept slapping her child at the restaurant thoughts start creeping in. Those moments where you thought to yourself: I should write a story or journal entry or observation about those things, but never did.

And all of a sudden, those thoughts creep from the grey matter of your brain like the living dead, and they make themselves available for you to entertain – or at least take a pot-shot at. Or, if you’re lucky, begin writing that scene you had in your head time and time again. This happened to me a couple of days ago and I got rolling and produced 3K.

There are a number of Communication principles at work here (I’ll let Nostrabobus explain) but the thing I’d like to suggest here is that some of the early, crappy writing – getting it out of the way, is necessary for the sake of exploration.

It’s a lot like taking an essay exam. Unless you’re brilliant (I’m not) and can proceed without any preparation (I can’t) it is a wise strategy to take 10% of the time allotted for test and spend 8% planning with loose outlines and thematically key words to frame the essay. (the other 2% should be used to edit at the end of the time)

So the principle is simple:

1) Get the ball rolling – anyway you can.

2) Write what comes up mentally, naturally, or even take a few minutes to plan ahead.

3) Once you’ve found your focus (ie: write a scene) then move forward.

I can’t recall the reference, except that it was in an Idiot’s Guide or Xfor Dummies but the attribution/paraphrase is close: Roger Zelazney sez: If you want to write more work – type faster.

2K/Day

2,000
That’s the magic number. Writing two thousand words a day that are fresh, interesting and some what directed is not always easy to do. One of the guiding principles that was repeated over the last residency (not that this is the only time I’ve heard it) was the idea of write write write. You hear this mantra all the time at conferences and workshops every where. The added spice this time was this comment:
Poets who make $500 a year or less write when the inspiration strikes; poets who make over $500 a year write constantly find inspiration within the work.
I translated this to my own experience and recognized that I am now within striking distance of creating these goals. I’m not so blind to see that it’s about the money – if that is to come, it will come. As long as I can grow in craft and skill, I will keep at it. Writing 2K/Day is definitely one aspect of my skill set that I will cultivate towards my goal of publication.
The general consensus is that the 2K should be fresh work – not editing. One reason to write these blogs is to get (and keep) the writing ball rolling. By keeping my fingers moving and saying something ‘somewhat’ meaningful, even if it’s a journal about writing, I will be able to maintain a kind of warm up attitude going so that when it’s time to compose, I’ll be in that frame of mind.

Returning Home After NILA Residency and the Universal

Okay.

A little catching up. I’ve returned from Whidbey, Washington a richer man. I have sat at the feet of greatness and have been influenced by a number of my peers. This is exactly why I go to the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts (formerly WWW – Whidbey Writers’ Workshop) MFA program. Can one truly learn so much in so short a time? Yes – if one has prepared their life to do so. I can safely say that I have done so. This is no small boast, I know – but it is important to know where one stands in the universe.

Speaking of the Universal: The day after I arrived form a grueling trip down Interstate 5 the wife demands (okay, we’d planned it earlier, but I had expected to arrive on Wednesday or Thursday, not Friday) that we go to Universal Studios – a place I hadn’t visited in nearly 30 years. I won’t say too much about it, except that I enjoyed the visit and was pleased with their product. It was a fun combination of circus and theater.

What does this have to do with writing? Plenty. Paying attention to those that are close to one is essential to one’s personal integrity. Love and friends are important. If they’re not – that’s fine, but don’t go crying about how miserable your love life is.

The take away? Cultivate your garden and enjoy the fruits.

Post NILA Residency Recovery

I’m on the way home from the usual whirlwind ten day residency on Whidbey Island. More on what, exactly, a NILA Residency is, and more on what a Paradigm is. A scribe, of course, is one who writes. Being proficient at writing is my personal goal – not just in fiction (my personal Everest) but in all forms. So – Scribe, it is.
Welcome to my blog.
At the moment I’m at my daughter’s farm at Ft. Jones, California. I’m exhausted from the last three weeks and am en route to home. I’m wrought emotionally, physically, and mentally – 1,200 mile trips can be taxing at time. This is not a whining blog, but one where I will share what’s going on as I achieve my personal goal of writing proficiency and professional goal of publication (which I attempt to obtain within the next three years.
There will be a lot of catching up to do, so I’ll fix a time scale to work with that will both chronicle this journey of mine and project forward some of the goals I hope to obtain and am in the process of obtaining.