Year's end

2009 is nearly done.

This year seemed to be harder than most to make progress on the writing front. I did complete a synopsis and reworked the first few chapters of the current WIP prior to Worldcon. The table/desk has been moved into the front room. Other than that ... not a lot has happened.

I try not to make resolutions - they are so much easier to break than keep - but I have plans for the new year. The first has to do with my writing space. So far, it has only been used for overtime office work. One large goal for January is to claim the space for writing. Another is to decide on a story idea for an open anthology.

Mostly, I want to get words out of my head and onto the screen/page.

Space - take 2

It is still in progress but here are a couple of pictures for K.

The bookshelf will have writing books as well as research items. The computer will be there, which should help it feel less empty.

Must find some inspirational items to help me along.

Space

I'm at the end of a long weekend and wondering where the time went. (I took Thursday and Friday off when I realized I needed a break before Christmas. I lost Thursday to illness and it feels like I'm still recovering.) I'd hoped to have my writing space set up by now.

Don't get me wrong. I've made some progress on it. The bookcases are dividing the front room. The table is mostly where I think it should be. (My design is a bit organic.) Tonight I brought the chair out from the back room.

Now, the goal for after work tomorrow is to find flat space for the large items that are currently on top of the table, clear everything off and set it up as a space for writing and creating. Wish me luck.

(Note to self: just because it's a flat surface, it doesn't mean you can use it to hold piles of stuff. I'm serious.)

Music

At some point in the last few years, the music I listen to while I write has changed.

When I wrote my first book, I couldn't listen to music with words. Characters found theme music in Babylon 5 soundtracks or classical music. Battle scenes were written to the soundtrack of Mel Gibson's Hamlet. For short stories, there was bagpipe music, Lord of the Rings soundtracks, Gregorian chants, etc.

I blame my iPod for making songs be the soundtrack of my current writing. When my work office is noisy (all too often) the iPod comes out and the volume goes up. I've learned my brain can work effectively while listening to songs. (Thankfully I remember where I am and don't sing along. Or dance. Okay, it's a good thing you usually can't see my feet while listening to Enter the Haggis or the Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack.)

One of the good things about listening with headphones is being able to really hear the lyrics. I've found a number of songs that speak to me and have helped me get through scenes. Some soundtracks are still in play - Lord of the Rings and The Tudors - but Leonard Cohen and Melissa Etheridge, among others, are lending their words and voices to this book. As long as the iPod battery doesn't die ...

Beginnings

I want every beginning to be perfect. The right greeting. The right words. The right scene.

One day I will learn it is nearly impossible to achieve that perfection.

I set up this blog weeks ago. A place to talk about writing - my process and progress. Faced with the blank page, I procrastinated writing this entry. I wanted to find the perfect words.

Repeat: One day I will learn it is nearly impossible to achieve that perfection.

I'm learning to allow (yes, allow) myself to bumble around and find the right place to begin. At least with the written word, I can edit and revise until the beginning is as perfect as it can be. Or I can just let it be. Call it an entry and release it to the world.