I’ve been writing for nearly forty years, and by my own standards, I’ve done okay even though my measure of success isn’t particularly admirable—if I can pay the bills, I’m chill.
Thanks for the reminder JB. As you know, I'm trying to finish off my first novel so I can shove it out into the world, and I need to remember I've got 'permission to fail', and stop obsessing over every last comma, dialogue tag and word choice and just get the damn thing done so I can move on to my next story. However, I still need to strap myself in and get through the current editing round so I'm happier with the product, so the 'golden hour' will hopefully help my push through it...
I'm working on a fanfic, which if it ever sees the light of day, will only be on AO3 for a very limited readership. Yet I'm still struggling witg giving myself permission ti fail, because I expect perfect sentences.
I've been putting it off for sometime, distracted by a myriad of thought streams and cheap-arse sentiments, but this piece got me over the line - I subscribed.
Like your good self, supporting the backbone has also changed my life for the better. Everything is better. And now you drop into my inbox (cue superhero sound effect) like some potty-mouthed personal trainer strengthening my 'inner' core. So I pay. Fair is fair.
It's been ten years since I finished my only attempt at writing a novel. It's still sitting somewhere in the depths of my computer. I think I can definitely say I've transitioned from procrastination to failure in the writing arena. That might be because the shit buckets have become full to spillway over the last years. The eyes now too readily join in the spillway act, too.
But life does chuck up some positives: an ex-student once tracked me down after over 30 years to tell me that following advice I'd given her has led to her having the most wonderful life!
Maybe I should have followed my own advice, but I might start with your words of wisdom, JB. Maybe after I finish the laughing at "the worst people in the world getting launched by a giant trebuchet into a shark tank full of hammerheads. Not even real hammerheads. Cartoon ones. So they can get chewed up and come back to do it all over again tomorrow." Gold! Thank you for that.
Love this JB. A psych once told me brains can be like mischievous puppies. Baby steps, small goals big praise and rewards are what it takes sometimes. It’s something I always come back to when I inevitably find myself in that dark mindset.
Back in the early 00’s I bought a copy of your How to be a Man as 13th birthday gift for a friend of mine’s son, and being who I am I read it first. His mother was an enlighten feminist who also read it and raved about how great it was the next time I saw her. I was studying at UQ at the time, so I raided the UQ book shop and cleaned out their remaining copies for my two boys and my other good friend’s son. I recently visited my eldest, now 36, and I saw he still has his copy on the shelf. When I mentioned it to him he told me it was the best gift he ever received.
The sentence "Then suddenly, unicorns start shitting rainbows all over the timeline, and the Orange Demon King stumbled into narcissistic mortification and ego dissolution." created such joy in my heart that I almost started "shutting rainbows" all over the timeline.
Always interesting - love your work - & I've also found myself in the grip of the Kamala & Tim joy - perhaps mostly from watching trumpty cracking up 🤣🤣🤣
I totally get it. I have been writing a script (well I say writing, but really just wondering how to get back to it) for about 6 months. It’s in reasonable shape, but various things just get in the way…my day job, some things I have to do to support family at the moment, and fit in some exercise. I even get to the point of turning on the computer, but the mental energy is just not there. I’ve been here before and got through it and finished books, but it is currently very frustrating!
I find myself wondering at times at the length of time I have been putting off some things. There are always reasons. Not going back to study even though I would love to and it would help the career no end is due to not having the money and possibly the employer saying no we cannot afford to support you. Not travelling is due to the mortgage and the need to keep piling folding stuff onto that ever burning bonfire or at least until I get the thing paid off.
Not doing some other things however has been partially due to fear of failure and winding up being called a looser in public. It seems that my memories of being the odd kid out at school and all the bullying and other shit that went with that do keep me from doing some of the things I want but at least I know how I came to be the odd one out.
We learn how to deal with it over time, after many skirmishes and occasional wars. But sometimes we don’t win every battle., and that’s alright.
Thanks for the reminder JB. As you know, I'm trying to finish off my first novel so I can shove it out into the world, and I need to remember I've got 'permission to fail', and stop obsessing over every last comma, dialogue tag and word choice and just get the damn thing done so I can move on to my next story. However, I still need to strap myself in and get through the current editing round so I'm happier with the product, so the 'golden hour' will hopefully help my push through it...
I have a whole process I can share if you need it, T.
I need it!
I'm working on a fanfic, which if it ever sees the light of day, will only be on AO3 for a very limited readership. Yet I'm still struggling witg giving myself permission ti fail, because I expect perfect sentences.
Get it written, then get it right.
Ooooh... yeah. Know what you mean. Been there, done tha... actually still there.
I've been putting it off for sometime, distracted by a myriad of thought streams and cheap-arse sentiments, but this piece got me over the line - I subscribed.
Like your good self, supporting the backbone has also changed my life for the better. Everything is better. And now you drop into my inbox (cue superhero sound effect) like some potty-mouthed personal trainer strengthening my 'inner' core. So I pay. Fair is fair.
Well done on many levels, not least your honesty.
"escaped the dark forest" and not in the exciting sci-fi sense that Liu Cixin wrote about.
It's been ten years since I finished my only attempt at writing a novel. It's still sitting somewhere in the depths of my computer. I think I can definitely say I've transitioned from procrastination to failure in the writing arena. That might be because the shit buckets have become full to spillway over the last years. The eyes now too readily join in the spillway act, too.
But life does chuck up some positives: an ex-student once tracked me down after over 30 years to tell me that following advice I'd given her has led to her having the most wonderful life!
Maybe I should have followed my own advice, but I might start with your words of wisdom, JB. Maybe after I finish the laughing at "the worst people in the world getting launched by a giant trebuchet into a shark tank full of hammerheads. Not even real hammerheads. Cartoon ones. So they can get chewed up and come back to do it all over again tomorrow." Gold! Thank you for that.
Pull it out and start editing it - you might be surprised at what you've got!
You finished it? That's not a failure, that's a big success even if not published.
Love this JB. A psych once told me brains can be like mischievous puppies. Baby steps, small goals big praise and rewards are what it takes sometimes. It’s something I always come back to when I inevitably find myself in that dark mindset.
Back in the early 00’s I bought a copy of your How to be a Man as 13th birthday gift for a friend of mine’s son, and being who I am I read it first. His mother was an enlighten feminist who also read it and raved about how great it was the next time I saw her. I was studying at UQ at the time, so I raided the UQ book shop and cleaned out their remaining copies for my two boys and my other good friend’s son. I recently visited my eldest, now 36, and I saw he still has his copy on the shelf. When I mentioned it to him he told me it was the best gift he ever received.
Dear Sir,
The sentence "Then suddenly, unicorns start shitting rainbows all over the timeline, and the Orange Demon King stumbled into narcissistic mortification and ego dissolution." created such joy in my heart that I almost started "shutting rainbows" all over the timeline.
Always interesting - love your work - & I've also found myself in the grip of the Kamala & Tim joy - perhaps mostly from watching trumpty cracking up 🤣🤣🤣
I totally get it. I have been writing a script (well I say writing, but really just wondering how to get back to it) for about 6 months. It’s in reasonable shape, but various things just get in the way…my day job, some things I have to do to support family at the moment, and fit in some exercise. I even get to the point of turning on the computer, but the mental energy is just not there. I’ve been here before and got through it and finished books, but it is currently very frustrating!
I find myself wondering at times at the length of time I have been putting off some things. There are always reasons. Not going back to study even though I would love to and it would help the career no end is due to not having the money and possibly the employer saying no we cannot afford to support you. Not travelling is due to the mortgage and the need to keep piling folding stuff onto that ever burning bonfire or at least until I get the thing paid off.
Not doing some other things however has been partially due to fear of failure and winding up being called a looser in public. It seems that my memories of being the odd kid out at school and all the bullying and other shit that went with that do keep me from doing some of the things I want but at least I know how I came to be the odd one out.