Sunday, January 24, 2010

Mood writing

I'm a mood writer. I knew it but it's really been brought home to me this week.

On Friday I spoke to a Staffing Officer about my position at my school because I still hadn't heard anything. Apparently I've just been transferred to the school I've spent the last three years at. I'm not holding my breath that that will stay that way because I don't have a timetable - no classes; nothing to do. I'll probably get transferred somewhere else in the next couple of weeks. One positive thing is that they confirmed that I've been place on a full-time load, up from the part-time I've been doing for the last four years. I'd requested the part-time position because I wanted time to study and it worked really well but I've wanted to return to full-time for 12 months now. At least that much has worked.

And what has this to do with mood writing? I've done more writing or working on writing this weekend since I've had that small thing settled, than I've done in the whole six weeks beforehand. If that isn't mood writing, I don't know what is. It annoys me that I let something like job security affect my writing. Writing is hugely important to me. I don't feel truly happy unless I'm writing and if something stops me writing my whole world collapses. Logically, it's silly. Emotionally, it's devastating.

This weekend I've been working on Warrior Pledge. What started as a sub-plot has become the main plot, the motivation for one main character. What was the main plot has become the motivation for one race and a twist and slightly humourous for another. I've added (or re-added) 12000 words in the edits and picked up little things that need tweeking to make it work better. I'm 110 pages in and it's a much stronger story - as well as being closer to my target word-length. I'm excited about it again. The ending doesn't feel so weak now so I'll probably actually write the last few chapters when I get back to that stage.

Apart from my shoulders and neck burning and seizing up because I've been at the computer all weekend, I feel great.

7 comments:

Jim Harris said...

I'm a mood writer too, but my mood muse to write fiction left me long ago. I keep daydreaming about the fiction I want to write, but I never sit down and write. I think I need to quit being a mood writer and start becoming a daily disciplined writer.

glediar said...

I think that's the only way to accomplish anything, Jim. I try that and manage it for a while but can't maintain it without definite deadlines. I've written/edited every day this week except for yesterday. Yesterday I let life get in the way again.

Jim Harris said...

That pesky thing called life.

I'm pretty good about writing for my blog. I put in lots of hours. We had a snow day last Friday, and I think I probably put in 15-20 hours of writing over this three day weekend. I wrote over 3,000 words I couldn't use though. I actually feel bad if I don't work at my blog.

I wish I had the same drive for writing fiction.

Jim Harris said...

Hey, I just caught an Australian TV show last night, MacLeod's Daughters. Is that one you watch? Is it supposed to be any good? I think Netflix said it had 7 seasons.

glediar said...

McLeods Daughters is supposed to be really good. I've never watched it though. I have a tendancy to get addicted to series shows and refuse to live my life around something like that. I don't watch TV much at all. I get too restless and always get annoyed when small logical things don't work. I'll sit for hours with a book though.

Jim Harris said...

I really enjoy television, but I'm starting to wonder why I don't watch less TV and read more. I think my main reason is I don't watch television until late at night when I'm too tired to do anything else, and if I tried to read then I'd only fall asleep.

glediar said...

Sleep isn't a bad thing, Jim. Especially late at night. And you'd probably get at least a few pages read and then have a fictional world of your imagining in your head while you dream. I can only think of one better way to fall asleep.