Patrick, The Space Lord

The Unpublished Ego

2008-02-22T02:29:41Z

It happens.

We think we're better than we are. We know the average book advance. We know it takes a lot of writing before you're good.

But it creeps up on you.

You're different. You're golden. You know everything. You've done your research. You've got a great idea. You've studied openings, plot, character - every piece of craft. Your first book is different. Because you're different.

It can even paralyze you. Keeping you from writing.

You drift off into the daydream of attending conferences as that suave, sophisticated, damn-sexy speaker that everyone keeps pawing over. You're the star. People recognize you on airplanes and in airports. You imagine being slightly embarrased by it. You see people reading your book. Then you imagine being overwhelmed by it. Then you imagine feeling justified by it. You imagine slighting someone who once slighted you. You showed them! You're different.

Then you remember you have to finish the damn book before all this can happen.

I mentioned in the last post that I'm writing a crappy first novel. It has to be crappy. By definition, it should be crappy. Why am I so bothered when it IS crappy?

Hey! Here I am.

2008-02-21T03:43:12Z

So, I'm going to try to be over here more often. I'll just bring my blog over here with me, too. --

Latest post --

Steph asked a very important question in the comments of another thread.

“How’s the proposal coming?”

This is a legitimate question that I want everyone to ask whenever they want. :)

This year is the year I finish a novel. I could use the encouragement. I have a plethora of people willing to read and give feedback as well as a teammate, partner in crime, who has also commited to finishing a crappy first novel* this year. We seem to have had similar starts and stops and challenges(career/family and such) in getting the first few crappy novels done and as a result have committed to sending each other 10 pages of crappy first draft each week. (I know this seems to go against my desire to do it right the first time and never edit.)

We’re in the middle of week 3, so 30 pages are due this Friday.

I’d say it is going well.

*We’re hoping they’re good, but truly, until they’re done, it’s best to just think of them that way and keep plodding along.

Friends

2007-07-19T03:34:24Z

BTW-

I'm just getting around to creating an account over here. If I've friended (what a weird freakin' verb) you, I probably know you because of Dean.

There seems to be a weird thing about SF writers being on LJ and Romance/YA authors using Blogger.

So, Hi FRIEND! :)

-Patrick M.

Hello

2007-07-19T02:24:40Z

Just bounce over to

http://www.PatIsCool.org