Jim Cooper's Blog: Moving Write Along - Posts Tagged "writing"

Sometimes I have difficulty keeping my ego in check. With one self-published novel to my credit, it's far too easy for me to get ultra-critical of other people's work (like I'm a literary genius!). It's also far too easy for me to get envious when I read a novel that is, IMHO, lacking in some of what I believe are basic writing requirements and yet comes from a respected publishing house. Requirements like three dimensional characters that don't act from plot convenience but from character traits.
Now I'm not totally naive - I know the publishing industry -like most entertainment factions - is all about being connected to the right people and has less to do with writing skills than it does commercial viability. It's like the Grammys -it's all about commercial success not musical achievement.
I also hope I never get shallow enough to object to anyone's success. The lesson here is that it's all about networking. To those who've broken into the publishing game - congrats. God bless you. Sure I'm envious - the trick is focusing on the actions I can take rather than trying to tear others down.
Personal responsibility - what a novel idea. It's supposed to be about the writing anyway... I need to go back and read Bird by Bird by Anne LaMott again...

starting a new book eh? A whole seven pages done. My, that road ahead seems to stretch a long way. How did I get to 300 pages on the last one? Can I really blather on to that degree again and produce something worthwhile as the result?
To paraphrase Ethel Merman, there's no doubts like writers doubts...
That sounds a bit self-agrandizing, like telling everyone i'm going to swim the english channel when i don't even have a passport.
Unlike the first one I have something specific I want to say with this one - having the patience to say it in a half-assed readable fashion would be nice, tho, wouldn't it?

There is something oddly entropic about little kids on the beach - and i'm unsure which disturbs me more, that I am witnessing the future leaders of the world get emotionally attached to sand crabs, the speed at which they move upon hearing bells from an ice cream truck, how their propensity to continually attempt to outscreech the ocean waves to get Mommy's Atavan-laden attention never waivers or that their parents firmly believe Godzilla lurks in the waves specifically to chomp on little Farquar, evidenced by the little tykes tightly shrink-wrapped in enough traffic-cone colored flotation devices to keep the Titanic and the Mary Deare afloat. (Even tho at low tide Godzilla would be visible from a great enough distance that there would be sufficient time to leave the beach, stop at Burger King for lunch and probably pay a call on the local high school bikini car wash (Dad's first step on the road to recovery of a week hanging with the Fam in the sand)). Nonetheless - it makes good story-fodder.