Saturday, May 26, 2007
first an update. my computer situation was worse than i thought. when my motherboard died, it took my main hard drive with it. i lost pretty much everything. so, i am still limping along on this old 98 laptop. all the keys dont work, like the apostrophe, the zero, the p button. ive chose to keep the p button as the one i have permanently copied, because i use it a lot, apparrently (look, there were two in that one!. oh, and i cant close out parenthese anymore. i was hoping to be back in business by now, but i am not. hopefully next week. i guess i cant do question marks either. crap. this is really a pain in the ass.
back to strength and planning.
if you havent noticed what i am trying to do yet, ill let you in. this little experiment has two goals. first, and foremost, it is to get back into the swing of writing regularly, without the need for constant pauses to collect my words. it needs to be quick and natural like it used to be. i needed the break from my own thoughts, and that period without internet was exactly that. but my writing did atrophy, but it is something that always comes back quickly.
the second and main goal is to find the strength to actually bring my book into the world. it wasnt what i started off looking for, but it became obvious as things progressed. i was looking for strength on a more conceptual level, but everything has pointed me squarely toward my book. the whole bit about fiction, the bits about the one idea, the bits about planning. they were broad ideas that came organically, but i realize what they mean, and the what the end result is working toward. it is time to stop dancing around it, and actually start moving ahead. i need a plan, a firm guideline that is going to start my book. i am thinking we will start with 6 months, and see where that will take me. the goal is to get through the first section, which is 12 chapters. i guessing it will turn into about 2OO pages in my word document.
here is what i need before i start. i need my computer up and running. this is more than just a keyboard thing, i need my music catalog back. i have a new hard drive and some new ram on the way, which should take care of the hardware issue. i also need an operating system, since my copy of ryans windows 2OOO has been freed from its years of forced bondage in my stack of system disks. ill also need to get office back, but that is easily downloadable once i have my os up and running. i can either borrow ryans again, or find someone at work to lend me a copy. hell, i bet my parents even have a copy of xp laying around. hopefully by next weekend, that part will be all squared away.
this gives me a week to get my little ducklings in a row. the first part of this planning is easy. i have all the numbers already, i just need to break it down. lets say i write 6 days a week, taking fridays off. that works out to about 25 days a month, but knowing myself i wont be completely productive each day. so between 2O and 25 days a month, to get to 2OO pages, i need around 1.5 pages every time i sit down and write. sounds ok so far. each week, ill have 4 week days and 2 weekend days to work, to produce around 9 pages. lets say 2 hours each weekday, and 4 hours each weekend day devoted to writing. this is time i have. i spend more time than that every day just sitting around doing nothing. just to make things easy, lets say i spend 15 hours a week to write 1O pages. 6 months is about 25 weeks, which works out to about 25O pages. this gives me room for error, room for editing, and room for expansion when things ultimately go better than i think.
so, we will use this as basis to start from. the logistics of the plan. i am intentionally trying to lowball how willing i will be to work. i am privately hoping i hit a groove, and end up writing more than i think i will, because i also know there will be a flipside, times where things just arent coming together, and there isnt much progress. which is why it is important to have the goals planned out, so on the whole i can keep things on track.
so, 2 hours, 1.5 pages a day. 15 hours, 1O pages a week. 6O hours, 4O pages a month.
a chapter down every two weeks is the goal.
in the meantime, i will stay working, and keep saving. ideally, i will come out of the next 6 months with around $5OOO in my bank account and 12 chapters of my book. my ultimate goal is to quit my job and write full time. i figure i will be able to devote at least 3 times as much time to writing if i dont have the stress of my job now. so, absolute best case scenario, i quit my job in 6 months, spend 6 months writing and come out of the next year pennyless with my book completed under my own power and financing. worst case scenario, i work at my job for 2 years and come out with substantial savings, and my book finished still under my own power and financing. this will give me significant bargaining power once i do try to find a publisher.
what scares me about finding a publisher is being cut out of the profits. i am afraid they are going to offer me a lump sum of say $2OOOO to write it, and then keep all the proceeds for themselves. that sounds fairly attractive, especially with this being my first book. the chances are slim that it is going to be a hit. but i plan on making a very very large sum of money out of these books. so if i can set a precident early of being in with a percentage from the very start, i think it is important to do so. because $2OOOO a book isnt nearly the money i am thinking of. if i can go to them with a manuscript and say i have this already. this isnt a speculative venture, this is already close to fully realized, i have the power to find someone else. hell, i have the power to publish it myself if it comes to that. i mean, i already know who my ideal publisher is. if this book turns into what i think it is going to, i know who i am going to try to go to. i am not sure how i am even going to get a meeting with them, but the manuscript should speak for itself. i welcome the idea of having an editor, but not someone trying to control my content, which is another reason i would like a chance to finish it all on my own, and put my vision down before i let anyone see it. i hope to make it very clear that i know what i want, and that i believe in what i am doing. i need them to be able to trust me to write my books how i see them, without guidance or outside stimulation.
anyways, i am floating a little too far into the future. it is important to keep this stuff in the back of my mind though, to keep the end game clear to me. what i need to focus on now is the next 6 months. they are the beginning i have been looking for. i have the logistics down, and i have a week to work out the logistics of the story. how to break it up into tasty writeable morsels so i can keep myself on track. i have this next week while i am waiting for my computer to get everything together, and focus on building my strength. i have the goal, i have the beginnings of my plan, i just need to complete it and then find the willpower to propel myself through. it is eminently feasible though. it isnt exactly rocket science. the way things are broken down here, there is nothing that really stretches my abilities, or pushes things too far. i mean, what is 2 hours. that is nothing for people like us. it provides an easily accomplishable goal for each day, then each week, then each month. it doesnt go too far into the future, and will end with a sizeable outcome. 2OO pages is no small feat, that is a nice piece of realestate to be working with.
back to strength and planning.
if you havent noticed what i am trying to do yet, ill let you in. this little experiment has two goals. first, and foremost, it is to get back into the swing of writing regularly, without the need for constant pauses to collect my words. it needs to be quick and natural like it used to be. i needed the break from my own thoughts, and that period without internet was exactly that. but my writing did atrophy, but it is something that always comes back quickly.
the second and main goal is to find the strength to actually bring my book into the world. it wasnt what i started off looking for, but it became obvious as things progressed. i was looking for strength on a more conceptual level, but everything has pointed me squarely toward my book. the whole bit about fiction, the bits about the one idea, the bits about planning. they were broad ideas that came organically, but i realize what they mean, and the what the end result is working toward. it is time to stop dancing around it, and actually start moving ahead. i need a plan, a firm guideline that is going to start my book. i am thinking we will start with 6 months, and see where that will take me. the goal is to get through the first section, which is 12 chapters. i guessing it will turn into about 2OO pages in my word document.
here is what i need before i start. i need my computer up and running. this is more than just a keyboard thing, i need my music catalog back. i have a new hard drive and some new ram on the way, which should take care of the hardware issue. i also need an operating system, since my copy of ryans windows 2OOO has been freed from its years of forced bondage in my stack of system disks. ill also need to get office back, but that is easily downloadable once i have my os up and running. i can either borrow ryans again, or find someone at work to lend me a copy. hell, i bet my parents even have a copy of xp laying around. hopefully by next weekend, that part will be all squared away.
this gives me a week to get my little ducklings in a row. the first part of this planning is easy. i have all the numbers already, i just need to break it down. lets say i write 6 days a week, taking fridays off. that works out to about 25 days a month, but knowing myself i wont be completely productive each day. so between 2O and 25 days a month, to get to 2OO pages, i need around 1.5 pages every time i sit down and write. sounds ok so far. each week, ill have 4 week days and 2 weekend days to work, to produce around 9 pages. lets say 2 hours each weekday, and 4 hours each weekend day devoted to writing. this is time i have. i spend more time than that every day just sitting around doing nothing. just to make things easy, lets say i spend 15 hours a week to write 1O pages. 6 months is about 25 weeks, which works out to about 25O pages. this gives me room for error, room for editing, and room for expansion when things ultimately go better than i think.
so, we will use this as basis to start from. the logistics of the plan. i am intentionally trying to lowball how willing i will be to work. i am privately hoping i hit a groove, and end up writing more than i think i will, because i also know there will be a flipside, times where things just arent coming together, and there isnt much progress. which is why it is important to have the goals planned out, so on the whole i can keep things on track.
so, 2 hours, 1.5 pages a day. 15 hours, 1O pages a week. 6O hours, 4O pages a month.
a chapter down every two weeks is the goal.
in the meantime, i will stay working, and keep saving. ideally, i will come out of the next 6 months with around $5OOO in my bank account and 12 chapters of my book. my ultimate goal is to quit my job and write full time. i figure i will be able to devote at least 3 times as much time to writing if i dont have the stress of my job now. so, absolute best case scenario, i quit my job in 6 months, spend 6 months writing and come out of the next year pennyless with my book completed under my own power and financing. worst case scenario, i work at my job for 2 years and come out with substantial savings, and my book finished still under my own power and financing. this will give me significant bargaining power once i do try to find a publisher.
what scares me about finding a publisher is being cut out of the profits. i am afraid they are going to offer me a lump sum of say $2OOOO to write it, and then keep all the proceeds for themselves. that sounds fairly attractive, especially with this being my first book. the chances are slim that it is going to be a hit. but i plan on making a very very large sum of money out of these books. so if i can set a precident early of being in with a percentage from the very start, i think it is important to do so. because $2OOOO a book isnt nearly the money i am thinking of. if i can go to them with a manuscript and say i have this already. this isnt a speculative venture, this is already close to fully realized, i have the power to find someone else. hell, i have the power to publish it myself if it comes to that. i mean, i already know who my ideal publisher is. if this book turns into what i think it is going to, i know who i am going to try to go to. i am not sure how i am even going to get a meeting with them, but the manuscript should speak for itself. i welcome the idea of having an editor, but not someone trying to control my content, which is another reason i would like a chance to finish it all on my own, and put my vision down before i let anyone see it. i hope to make it very clear that i know what i want, and that i believe in what i am doing. i need them to be able to trust me to write my books how i see them, without guidance or outside stimulation.
anyways, i am floating a little too far into the future. it is important to keep this stuff in the back of my mind though, to keep the end game clear to me. what i need to focus on now is the next 6 months. they are the beginning i have been looking for. i have the logistics down, and i have a week to work out the logistics of the story. how to break it up into tasty writeable morsels so i can keep myself on track. i have this next week while i am waiting for my computer to get everything together, and focus on building my strength. i have the goal, i have the beginnings of my plan, i just need to complete it and then find the willpower to propel myself through. it is eminently feasible though. it isnt exactly rocket science. the way things are broken down here, there is nothing that really stretches my abilities, or pushes things too far. i mean, what is 2 hours. that is nothing for people like us. it provides an easily accomplishable goal for each day, then each week, then each month. it doesnt go too far into the future, and will end with a sizeable outcome. 2OO pages is no small feat, that is a nice piece of realestate to be working with.
