Writer's Life
Oct. 26th, 2007 11:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
talktoolooseI have been playing with thinking of myself as a writer lately. This is the kind of internal realignment I've done in the past when I've thought of myself as a musician and a comic book creator and probably some other artistic careers I've forgotten about.
Before India, I read an excellent book with a moronic title called How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead by Ariel Gore. Here is Jim Munroe's write up of it on his "no media kings" website. The book helped me both practically and philosophically and contributed to the formation this new identity I'm trying out.
A few times, I've said out loud, "What would it be like if I wrote fiction for the rest of my life and made that my life work?" Part of me doesn't believe that any such commitment is necessary and points out that I seem to change axes every few years. Another part says that I will only acheive truly high standards through that kind of dedication. A third part says, whatever man, can we go look at porn now and then take a nap?
Looking at the facts, I note that I have written 150,000 words of a novel in the last year and a half and that I'm prepping a follow-up. I have just finished an approximate planning document of all the upcoming chapters of Days of Becoming, I am finishing up an India travel journal and writing a new version of an Aesop fable.
I seem to like writing.
I have near-future fantasies of organizing readings with other authors and having books to sell at small-press fairs.
My far-future fantasies are as wild as ever but it's kind of important to focus on today's writing rather than on dreams that can intimidate me as easily as inspire me.
Before India, I read an excellent book with a moronic title called How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead by Ariel Gore. Here is Jim Munroe's write up of it on his "no media kings" website. The book helped me both practically and philosophically and contributed to the formation this new identity I'm trying out.
A few times, I've said out loud, "What would it be like if I wrote fiction for the rest of my life and made that my life work?" Part of me doesn't believe that any such commitment is necessary and points out that I seem to change axes every few years. Another part says that I will only acheive truly high standards through that kind of dedication. A third part says, whatever man, can we go look at porn now and then take a nap?
Looking at the facts, I note that I have written 150,000 words of a novel in the last year and a half and that I'm prepping a follow-up. I have just finished an approximate planning document of all the upcoming chapters of Days of Becoming, I am finishing up an India travel journal and writing a new version of an Aesop fable.
I seem to like writing.
I have near-future fantasies of organizing readings with other authors and having books to sell at small-press fairs.
My far-future fantasies are as wild as ever but it's kind of important to focus on today's writing rather than on dreams that can intimidate me as easily as inspire me.
