I'm Doing This Instead of Writing

[the_wanlorn]

I can tell that On Writing is going to be one of those book swhere I want to quote every singl eline because ~speaks~ to me. So I'll do it in parts.

"Gould said something else that was interesting on the day I turned in myfirst two pieces: write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open. Your stuff starts out being just for you, in other words, but then it goes out. Once you know what the story is and get it right.as right as you can, anyway.it belongs to anyone who wants to read it. Or criticize it."
-On Writing, by Stephen King, p. 47

"But none of them taught me the things I learned from Carrie White. The most important is that the writer’s original perception of a character or characters may be as erroneous as the reader’s. Running a close second was the realization that stopping a piece of work just because it’s hard, either emotionally or imaginatively, is a bad idea. Sometimes you have to go on when you don’t feel like it, and sometimes you’re doing good work when it feels like all you’re managing is to shovel shit from a sitting position."
-On Writing, by Stephen King, p. 69

"I know how he felt. It’s been almost twelve years since I took a drink, and I’m still struck by disbelief when I see someone in a restaurant with a half-.nished glass of wine near at hand. I want to get up, go over, and yell “Finish that! Why don’t you finish that?” into his or her face. I found the idea of social drinking ludicrous.if you didn’t want to get drunk, why not just have a Coke?"
-On Writing, by Stephen King, pp. 88-89

I'm not comfortable with how much that quote speaks to me. I don't like identifying with it at all which, I suppose, is an important thing for me to think about. So of course, I'm not going to. Instead, have one more:

"It starts with this: put your desk in the corner, and every time you sit down there to write, remind yourself why it isn’t in the middle of the room. Life isn’t a support-system for art. It’s the other way around."
-On Writing, by Stephen King, p. 94

A long, long time ago, I think when she was the age I am now, hearts_blood (I think) told me that she would write a first draft, and then throw it out and start all over again for the second draft.

I think I finally get that now. More at gadgetgirlatza, here.

Comments

[gaslightgallows]

Yep, that sounds about right! Although I've streamlined the process--now I write out an outline, then throw it out and go straight to the second draft.

Doing it as we speak, in fact! *\o/*