First Day of Holiday Writing.

So, for the past two months I've been telling myself that if I were writing full time I would get so much more done. I would have time to read, do my writing, exercise, update my blog, perhaps start one or two others, etc. But realistically I knew there was a good chance I would get even less done than I do now, because now I have to write in my spare time or else it won't get done. However, with a whole day ahead of me, what is one hour of TV, a bit of time surfing the net, going up the street to shop?

Therefore, I decided for the next week I would test out how I go writing full time. The aim is to get the full 10,000 words everyday, as well as updating my blog (and fixing up those weird formatting issues I had in earlier posts, sorry about those), do some exercise everyday, edit my first novel with the recommendations by the reviewer and prepare it to be sent out into the big bad world of publishers.

I took the weekend off entirely from writing, catching up with my mum on Saturday and my best friend on Sunday, as well as reading lots (getting all inspired by 'Unlimited Power' by Anthony Robbins, though his section on nutrition is atrocious! His argument that drinking water does not hydrate the body it just drowns it, instead what we need to do is eat food rich in water is a little difficult to handle. However, his exercises on mental imagery can be quite useful.) and getting some knitting done while listening to podcasts. Went to bed all ready to start today as the first in a week of focused writing. The plan was/is to test out different strategies and methods.

Woke up not quite so focused, but still got myself out of bed at the time I said I would (it was 8.30, but that is pretty good for me on a holiday). I followed some of Robbins' advice on nutrition just to see (he suggests eating nothing but fruit until midday... I made it an hour before making myself some raisin toast as well, but still, it was an attempt), and did my prayers with a bit of meditation chucked in there. I also tried some breathing exercises Robbins' suggested.

I then sat down to write, planning to do a four hour stint (with my usual break every hour). First hour got just under 2,000 words done, and felt like I had no flow. Then had my raisin toast. Second hour felt easier, but still just got under 2,000 words. Probably didn't need anything else to eat, but got some cheese on corn thins just in case. Third hour got cut in half when I realised I needed to go up to parents' because my dad and sister were arriving back from Sydney and we hadn't done father's day yet. So only did half an hour, and got 1,000 done. Then caught the train up to my parents, and had 45 mins when everyone was away from the house to sit down and do some more. Probably could have written on the train, but decided to knit myself into a meditative state. I also walked home from the station, which should have helped. I got around 1,400 words written before my brother came home and I gave up. Admittedly I did then watch two episodes of TV shows, which I could have spent writing instead, but one of the joys of going to my parents' is that I can catch up on some of the TV I miss by not watching any at my place.

I admit that there might have been another slight motivating factor in going up to my parents' place. My little sister and dad drove down my new car for me! My aunt has upgraded, and instead of trading her car in, she instead has donated it to the Poor Writers Foundation (all donations gratefully received!). It is a 2001 Holden Vectra, which has been kept in wonderful condition. It looks fantastic (drives slightly like an old lady, in that you press down the brake and it asks you 'did you say something, deary?') and it is mine, all mine!

Yes, I have had cars in the past: while living in Japan my brother and I had Gloria, who was amazing (he originally had a Skyline bought before I came over, but it died, like totally. So then we got Gloria). During one of my degrees I ended up with Bud, the Toyota Corolla who was older than I was. I eventually gave him to my sister in exchange for her bike because I was living in the inner suburbs... and they both cost about the same. And no, it wasn't even a particularly good bike. When I lived in the UK I had Sven, the Saab. He was very faithful and I loved him as he was the first car I picked and bought for myself. He also traveled all around England and Scotland with me. But for the past two years I've been carless, borrowing or stealing one off siblings or parents when in dire need, and just riding with shopping bags stuffing up my steering the rest of the time. (Riding a bike with full shopping bags off the handle bars is not as easy as it looks, let me tell you).

My new car is also going to let me go to romantic and inspirational spots within a few hours drive of Melbourne to help me in my writing this week. I will also need to go to the less inspiring VicRoads department to get the registration moved over into my name, and probably have to fork out for a roadworthy, new registration, and insurance. But still, can't complain when the car itself is free.

Possible names at the moment are Vikki, Valerie and Vlad (because it's a Vectra). I want it to be Vlad, but I don't know if I'm just trying to make it more masculine than it really is. Maybe I should just accept and embrace its femininity. Will it drive slower if I call it Vikki?

Now that I've written an ode to my new car, let me get back to talking about writing.

Based on today's efforts, the get straight up and start writing gets words on pages, but does not utilise flow very well. The flow sort of kicked in a bit in the second hour, but the first hour was pretty painful. Of course when there isn't a lot of choice, it is much better than nothing. And for anything less than a three hour writing session, doing much more prep would probably be a waste of time.

I'm also not really recommending eating just an apple to get you going in the morning. Mental effort appears to require a bit more input.

The other methods I want to try out:

1. Getting up super early (like around 5am) writing for a few hours, then sleeping in the afternoon, and writing again until late at night.  I used to do this sometimes with essays, because I found at 5 in the morning I had much less to distract me, and it was so early that my mind didn't register it as early, so I didn't feel all that tired, just in a weird focused state. Also, I love afternoon naps, much better than going to sleep at night.

2. Starting like I did today, but going to the gym first.

3. Try the full Flow Method again.

What I'm looking for:

- ease of writing: ability for mind to just fall into the state where you are no longer focused on forming words etc., but your fingers are just racing to keep up with the images that are playing out in your head.

- speed: I'm looking for over 2,000 words an hour.

At the moment speed is very important, because it's taking most of my spare time to meet my targets, so anything I can do to meet my targets faster would be great.

However, on the days that I have off, ease of writing is also a major blessing. Facing four to five hours of just sitting down and writing is much easier if the writing is coming naturally and you can fall into a meditative state.

That's all from me tonight. Will keep you updated with my test results.

Yours,

Buffy. 

Is Imitation the Greatest Form of Flattery for Writers?

Last night when I found I couldn't get to sleep, I pulled out a book I've been reading on and off for a few months now. It's 'Unlimited Power' by Anthony Robbins. Disclaimer here: Robbins has some good ideas and great exercises, but some of his science or logic is not so strong. However, I still recommend it if you feel you are in a rut. (Just to clarify: it's not about writing, it's about positive thinking for all things).

So last night I was reading his chapter 'Syntax for Success'. Let me briefly summarise his point so you know what I'm talking about. If you want to be successful don't invent the wheel again, watch the actions and methods of those who are successful. Like baking a cake, if you can get the recipe with ingredients, amounts, and the correct procedure, you too can make the world's best cake.

He states: 'The point here is for you to realize that even when you have little or no background information and even when circumstances seem impossible, if you have an excellent model of how to produce a result, you can discover specifically what the model does and duplicate it – and thus produce similar results in a much shorter period of time than you may be thought possible.' (p. 119). The example he was using referred to creating a training course in firearms for the army.

I began to wonder if it applies exactly the same to more creative pursuits.

There is a rage in books at the moment (well, starting a few decades ago) which argue that talent is overrated, that most of what we perceive as talent is actually the result of work and good coaching. I'll probably discuss this idea more later because I do find it fascinating and is part is one of the motivators behind my writing challenge: to test the argument that says anyone can become an expert at anything if they dedicate an hour a day for 10 years (I think that's the time frame suggested).

However, I do also agree with Stephen King when he says that there are bad writers and brilliant writers, and you can't move between these two. I think is is particularly obvious in writing, where there are a lot of prolific writers who never get much better and then there are a few brilliant writers who only ever wrote one book. Having said that, I am sure that I can turn myself from a competent writer into a good writer through more practice. But what type of practice?

As I'm sure all teachers have said for most of eternity: only perfect practice makes perfect. This, I think, is what Robbins is getting at. If you want to become better at something, you can't continue just doing what you have always done. You need to improve your practice methods. And for this he suggests modelling. But does that work in writing?

The ancient Greeks started teaching rhetoric through extensive modelling, playing with form and content. Students would take well known stories or speeches and have to keep the style of them the same but change the content, or keep the content but change the style. This was the basis of their studies and until they had mastered this, were not allowed to go on and try creating something original. (See Aristotle's Rhetoric, he goes into a lot of detail.)

The confusion is, as Dorothea points out, most people imitate the wrong aspects. She argue that 'the philosophies, the ideas, the dramatic notions of other writers of fiction should not be directly adopted...' (p.105) Any author that claims they are writing 'like so and so...' is generally falling into this trap. If I see one more awful romance that states they are writing in the style of Georgette Heyer, I might do physical damage. They do not mean they have her technical excellence in writing or historical knowledge, but they have copied her boy-meets-girl plot lines, and usually not very creatively at that.

According to Dorothea, what you should try to study is Technical Excellence. 'But technical excellences can be imitated, and with great advantage. When you have found a passage, long or short, which seems to you far better than anything of the sort you are yet able to do, sit down to learn from it.' (p.106). (Yes, I am personally directing that to anyone who thinks they write Georgette Heyer's better than Georgette Heyer.)

I believe the essential difference can be seen in Robbin's cake metaphor. If you follow all the ingredients and all the same steps, you get the same cake. In this case, you get a book that someone else has already written. So therefore many people take a famous book and try to keep all the same ingredients but change the sequence or amounts. What sort of cake would that make? The same basic flavour, but badly cooked. If people wanted that cake, they would just eat the one made by the expert. But writers who want to make quick money always try to make the same flavour cake as the best seller at the time. Bad writer, bad!

What the ancient Greeks and Dorothea Brande and doubtless others have realised is that in writing you want to learn the ordering and techniques of cooking, so then you can add in your own ingredients and make a completely different but excellent cake.

Therefore, the concept of becoming an expert at writing through practice must still require you to be able to invent your own ingredients, but study the techniques of others. However, there will be some who are just not able to do this part of invention and no amount of training will give it to them. So, I do not entirely agree that everyone who practices enough can become a good writer. However, if one has a little invention, then the technique of writing can be learned.

Therefore, am dedicating myself to trying to improve what I can. Now, I just have to work out ways to practice the technical elements of writers I like. I might read a bit more Aristotle and see what he suggests.

Summary of my weekend's writing:

Yesterday was a great day of writing, making just over 10,000 new words for only the second time (I think) since beginning. Today I got 4,000 done, but also managed to do all my washing, and hopefully cook enough food to get me through the week, so I count that as a win. I'm over halfway through my next book, and have been surprised a few times by twists and turns my characters have taken me on. Still can't see the end, but am learning not to let that worry me. 

I also got to read quite a bit of Connie Willis' Blackout, though I'm afraid of finishing it before I can get the next one as I've heard it is a cliff-hanger. The verdict is still out on cliff-hangers between books. I hate it enough at the season's end of TV shows, but I feel a book can have a lead into a sequel, but to make a reader wait at least a year for the next to come to get closure should come with a warning on the front. 

Sweet practice my little writers.

Buffy.