She wants to give me moral support. I tell her I'm getting some questionable advice at my less-premium writer's group, but it's about an issue I don't really intend to fully address until I'm at the second-draft stage, anyway.

"Well, ask your good writer's group about it."

"It's okay. I'm not worried about it."

"You are too, or you wouldn't have brought it up. Go talk to your other group about it, and see if they think it's a problem. Maybe you should fix it now."

Posted by: Attila Girl at 10:55 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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I write another chapter or scene that charms the hell out of me, and I think, "I don't give a shit if no one else likes it. I'm keeping myself amused. It's good stuff."

Posted by: Attila Girl at 10:56 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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The instructor of my Thursday group had one of her semi-annual soirees yesterday, and I read something aloud that I hadn't edited as thoroughly as I might have.

So I felt and silly and oddly exposed; and it took me a while to get past that.

It shocks me when I get shy. Sometimes my moxie departs rather suddenly, and I'm left wondering whether my shy self is more authentic, or whether it's the extraverted version that's the "real me."

Posted by: Attila Girl at 03:36 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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. . . when members of my writing groups criticize my punctuation. One woman hates my semicolons, and another doesn't like my colons.

I believe they would like me to write simple, declarative sentences. Subject does verb with predicate. All rather short. And simple. Containing, perhaps, the occasional comma. And a sentence fragment for dramatic effect.

Look for me in South Florida. I'll be writing. Fishing. And hanging out in bars.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 04:02 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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. . . was a hybrid between Michael Connelly and Jane Austen, with a little Dorothy L. Sayers thrown in.

What I've produced is more like a "Scooby Do: Where Are You" script, crossed with Sleepless in Seattle.

Not the level I wanted, but who cares? All that matters is finishing.

I should make the time to wash the dishes. And blame my problems on other people. But first, maybe I'll have another nap.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 07:28 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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. . . and here I have 1000 words. Wowie-kazowie.

Of course, it's all dialogue, which means it goes on for pages and pages. And, naturally, I'm going to get busted in writer's group for writing too much dialogue.

Even after I add the action in around the spoken words, it'll still be "ring around the collar." I've tried soaking it out, and scrubbing it out.

Yet it's enough. Enough for today.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 08:16 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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If my protagonist, while driving a bit crazily—as is her wont—maneuvers around "a slowpoke Latino," is she a racist?

Please advise. Myself, I had trouble keeping a straight face when I was told that the phrase "sounds racist."

I wonder if it would be sexist to introduce a smart blonde female character.

One isn't supposed to notice anyone's physical characteristics, ya know!

Posted by: Attila Girl at 02:54 AM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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. . . to wade back into the crime novel. But I don't know whether it sucks tonight. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't.

Sometimes I write a chapter or scene that's so amazing, the universe nearly hums along to the breathlessly perfect melody of the prose. Then I read it aloud in one of my criticism groups. By then someone's gone into the Word file to add cliches, bad dialogue, and typographical errors.

So it all comes down to this question: Do I feel lucky?

Posted by: Attila Girl at 07:39 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 I know how you feel...Somebody always does the same with my witty comments! Good luck with your writing!

Posted by: Darrell at September 01, 2006 08:37 PM (+EHSL)

2 this sounds like what happened to me at rehearsal tonight. the pianist wasn't there and the cd player was giving the director fits. usually, i sight read pretty well. but tonight the notes coming out of the piano did NOT sound like what i was trying to play. it was weird.

Posted by: maggie katzen at September 01, 2006 11:57 PM (wIQcY)

3 Damn. Sounds like your novel is going to have thirty-eleven authors, all listed alphabetically I hope. Royalties paid the same way. Remember, a camel is a horse created by committee. Other than that, I have no opinion. Well, maybe one question: if your "group" is so into participating in the writing of your book, how many have actually been published? If none, consider the source of their commentary.

Posted by: clyde at September 02, 2006 04:53 AM (6m+7s)

4 Thanks for your kind words, but I'm a perfectionist, so writing a first draft is bound to be painful for me. And I did do something experimental this week, and was acutely aware that it wasn't completely successful. Or, like Edison figuring out the light bulb, I've "identified what doesn't work." Better way to look at it, I guess

Posted by: Attila Girl at September 02, 2006 06:25 AM (LEEsJ)

5 I sometimes cringe at phrases I've written but keep writing on so as not to get bogged down, I know what I meant and I can come back and tinker when it's time to re-write. I think the greatest danger to the novel we're all eager to read is the distraction perfectionism can create. I've recruited a couple of beta readers myself but I find I'm more productive the less I think in terms of what they'd like. Remember this is all rehearsal, opening night is when you put it in the box and send it off. Best of Luck!

Posted by: Colin MacDougall at September 02, 2006 09:05 AM (+z5C9)

6 Better than Edison, be like Michaelangelo. He carved the statue of David by cutting away anything that didn't look like him.

Posted by: clyde at September 03, 2006 04:29 AM (6m+7s)

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