Writing: The Life

1,472 words today. Just under the usual goal and I'm breaking early because I have to go get Liquid Plumber for the sink in the bathroom. I'm also going in to school early today to sub for a friend. So life calls, but the writing is in good shape. I didn't leave off in an obvious place for tomorrow's start, but I have a lot of balls in the air so I should be able to snatch one and start off running. (I hope.)

Saturday the biggest check of my Three Rivers deal came in the mail. It's the one I've been waiting for since July. In that time, I've gotten new credit cards, transferred debt, and now owe more than the big ole check can pay off. But that's due more to the fact that my wife's been unemployed than anything on my end of things. So we do what we can. The point here is that it came on a Saturday, it was already spent, and that day all it did here was rain. I mean a lot of rain--you don't even want to leave the house kind of rain--and I didn't feel like celebrating. This basically brings home a point that I think is really important: that with writing it has to be more (or at least as much) about the process as it is about the product or the rewards. When you get that reward, whether it be acceptance into a journal, that contract you've always wanted, your first book in stores, smelling the ink the first time your work is published, the NY Times Book Review, Bestseller status, whatever the reward is, chances are it's going to come at a time when you have other things on your mind. Rarely does something come in and sweep you up with such amazing greatness that you're blown off your feet and really, truly wowed. Sure, sometimes it's good to go out and celebrate with your loved ones and those make for great memories you can cherish, but the fact is the juice just isn't there enough when something goes right for that to be your whole driving force in this thing. This is what I mean to say: if you're not excited about getting to the typer (whatever you use) in the morning, or the night, or whenever you write, and there isn't some love and fun in that process of putting your thoughts down on the page or stringing the images in your mind together to make a story about characters doing what they need and want to do, then you're cooked. If you're in it for just the rewards, then you'll never get it done. I mean you have to love the process of writing, the time you spend at the job, if you're going to keep this up. That's of paramount importance in the whole shebang we call writing, son. Now I know for sure that this is what I want for my career and for that to be a reality it has to involve money--and in that sense the check coming this weekend means one whole hell of a lot (it's basically about the worth of two full term classes)--and that if this is my career path I want it to be a successful one: I want that fucking big ass TV and a BMW and shit and I want to sell books! And that all means money. But I know I'll never get there unless I can't just enjoy where I am today: the place where I'm broke again, have to crank out more chapters of Young Junius, and get to sit at my computer putting my thoughts down in writing as soon as I wake up in the morning. That's what I mean: that today's just the same as any other day in the big scheme: that I'm getting to do exactly what I want with my life, now for the first time it's starting to pay some of the bills, and I'm damn lucky for that. And I'm enjoying this. I mean to say that waking up and going to the typer and getting myself into the whole Young Junius world is something I'm excited about, something I really like doing. There are times when it doesn't quite flow, and times where I'm better off waiting, but the fact that I can sit here and even write out these thoughts about the whole process of writing and hope that maybe it'll be a decent essay some day, or that even a few of you Palms Website addicts (Soldiers) might read it, that makes me very happy. And feels like I'm also really getting something done. This is the good part, every day, and if you have to wait for the money to feel like it's worth it, my guess is you'll never even get there. As to whether the fact that you guys are listening to YJ and letting me know you dig it? Well... that part's a real reward that does help me and drive me right away. But that's not money, see?

Busted out some writing today. Less than 500 words, most-likely. But I sat at the desk and stared at the screen, read my stuff, and got to the piece that'll connect to the next piece. Stuff's coming and slowly. Usually with a project I can crank more regularly, but with this project being longer and having the podcast going on as I'm writing it, has been more fits and starts. It's going slower, but it's going. And I'm still in great shape as far as the podcast is concerned. Did I mention I won't have a show the week of Thanksgiving? Yep. Taking a break. And taking TWO WEEKS off for XMas and New Years. How about that!?!? Ahhh... feels good to just say it.

Up early and banged out 1,511 words today before 9:30. (Though the time change might've helped that a little.)

Joelle's got a job interview later and I have to drive her to the BART, so I'll probably just head toward work from there, stop at the gym to get in a little run.

Go Election day!! Go VOTE!!!

Damn, can you tell I had coffee this morning? Zing!

Makes me damn happy to see you guys burning up the forums like you are. Please keep rocking it.

Also working on: applying for a few creative writing jobs for next year and writing up my Stanford class week-by-week plan which is due in about a week and a half. Yeh yeah!! Getting a stack of papers today from my Chabot class, which'll suck up some time...

 

Just over 400+ words today. Short writing but I'm in there, ass in chair.

Three mice this morning. I had to buy a trap and since I got up I've dumped two and caught a third in the trap. This is our first problem with mice in this apartment. Now I have to dump the third and set the trap again. Fucking doing this gives me the ankle-creeps. Makes my feet itch!

On the upside, I printed out a bunch of pages of the latest chapters and I need to go read them back somewhere this afternoon to get a keyed-in sense of what's going down. Got some serious threads on the table.

I should also mention that yesterday I took a lot of time to check news about the historic election and listened to a ton of NPR. Fucking glad Obama won. I really am. Change. Change is good. Have I mentioned I hate W.? Jeezez, the man is an idiot. Preemptive war? WMD's? Alcoholic cocaine addict? Don't get me started. Punk ass chimp. 'nuff said.

Editing day. Reading day.

Also got a whole stack of papers in from a class. Need to hit those this weekend. :-(