Skip to main content

Writing life...

So, it's about eight days into NaNoWriMo and I have been pretty committed to it.

I have stopped going back to sleep after waking up early in the morning, and started writing instead. I don't know if what I am writing is any good and sometimes that little editor in my head is in my ear whispering sometimes shouting that what i am writing is pure garbage.  But, I tell it i will edit after I am done and to leave me alone.

I have stopped making excuses not to write. I tell myself that even ten minutes is something. So now, I write during my lunch hour, there is a park I drive to sometimes. I eat my lunch and then type as much as I can in the time that I have.  I even went to Starbucks after work on Friday last week, and this tuesday, in the hour between work and bible study. (Can I just tell you that it feels like there is a  Starbucks on every corner out here?)

I don't know why I put off all those things that make me me. I love praying, and at one point, I thought I was called to be an intercessor. I love writing, in fact, my tag in college was the one who writes to survive, but I have allowed the cares of my life to choke my loves to death, leaving me restless, discontent and out of sorts.

The amazing thing is, the minute I take a step towards writing or God, I always feel a shift, without fail. I no longer feel out of sorts, depressed, down and out, resentful or hopeless. I even felt motivated enough to start exercising again. Walking, not jogging yet because my knee likes to complain when I overwork it, but I am moving at last.

I think what helped my momentum was writing in Starbucks. Unlike the library where I always end up grabbing a book and just reading other people's words instead of writing my own or my house where I look at the chaos that surrounds me and start cleaning, I actually get work done there.

I even went to a write in on Sunday. Mad late, and super anxious (my sister and mom had to hold my hand over the phone to help me walk in there, can you imagine? I didn't realize I was that socially anxious. Hmm.) Anyway, I went in there. I saw people who i suspected were writing in writers but I didn't have the guts yet to go up and say hi. Maybe next time.

But yeah, cafe writing can be costly (wonder if i can write it off, hmmm) so I became obsessed with finding a teapot. I don't know why I need to have tea but that's what my artist demanded, and by golly, I plan to satisfy her so she can write and make me happy. I came upon this one at World Market for a mere 4.99$. It was green but the price was right.

Home Cafe. 


Whatever it takes. Funny thing is, in about 8 days, I have written more words for this novel than I have written in the past 8 months. Whatever it takes! This book shall be finished this month, God willing!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

And the photos!

 My crazy looking art project. Retry! The curtains. Ignore the unevenness. I have a problem with straight lines. Before After. Need more stuffing! Problem Child! Don't know why the wood wouldn't fit. Will have to try again.  So going over my bed. So excited about it! No clue where to put this. Too small for over the tv.

Ojo Monday

As I opened  blogger to write a post, the song ojo Monday jumped to my head. I mourned my unbacked up and crashed ibook immediately. I have so much music that I've lost. I haven't heard that song since 200something. I didn't even remember who did it which is a damn shame cos am a Fela stan. Anyway, rushed to Youtube to find it. They didn't have it, but there is a band called Ogun Afrobeat that did a pretty decent cover considering they don't even speak the language. Turned out it's called by its English name: Monday morning in Lagos: Anyway, all that to say it's Ojo Wednesday and I hope I survive. I worked out yesterday with my trainer. My arms are looking nice per him and me. Am still a bit weak though as in, I don't have much stamina for certain exercises. Anyway, time is already fast spent. I have to go for my jog and yet again I didn't edit my playlist. Why do i procrastinate so! PS. Turns out that I do have that song, must have bac...

Writing Life

Last time I discussed my writing, I was moaning about how overwhelmed I felt about editing. Well, this past week I stopped whining and consulted my expert researcher Ms/Mr Google - s/he is an hermaphrodite- and discovered a nifty book called Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King. This book is so on fire that it impacted my writing before I even received it. How do I mean? Well, I read an excerpt of the first chapter online and realized what was wrong with my own first chapter right away. In a word -well several words- I was explaining too much and not letting the characters live. I was giving all kinds of background and history and what not. A whole lot of info that had me saying in my nephew's voice: "who cares?" I guess the avid reader in me knew the problem all along, but the writer in me resisted deleting a single word. I mean those words were agonized over and carefully chosen by committee. I was loathe to let even one of them go. But I ...