Got socked by my Inner Critic sooner than expected this time around. Using Write or Die is good in one way, in that it get lots of words down on the page.
The downside is that they are misspelled and generally poor quality. I'm fearing that they are pretty much worthless as is, and will require such incredibly substantial revision as to be a full re-write.
Which my Inner Critic immediately pounces on.
"Tony, why are you bothering to write such crap? This stuff is terrible! You shouldn't be doing NaNo. You should wait. Wait until you can set aside the time to do this properly. OK, your plot isn't as bad as I was trying to convince you of yesterday - I concede it has some merit.
So much merit, in fact, that it doesn't deserve the shameful, half-assed treatment you're giving it. This could be a great book! Don't waste it on NaNo! Stop writing, right now. I'm not saying don't do NaNo; I'm just saying, think up a throw-away plot that you won't mind wasting. This NaNo book won't be any good anyway, right? Why use up a good idea on it?
Just stop writing, OK? It's for the best. Do you really want this kind of thing on your resume when your NEXT book hits the bestsellers lists? Really, when you stop and think about it, the best thing you could do for your future career as a writer is to stop writing."
God, what an asshole that guy is.
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ReplyDeleteI keep my inner critic quiet with exercise. If the little bastard is exhausted, he's no problem. I'm taking mine for a walk around the park after lunch, hoping he will sleep quietly this afternoon.
ReplyDeletesorry for doubling up - first one had otot mnya tpyos,
Mine started jawing even before I had started to write. As I was laying on the floor with my back spasming it was telling me, "That I didn't have the time anyway, and if I couldn't even sit, what the hell made me think I could write?" And that, "Its crap anyway, all you have is a couple characters, a general idea, and no idea in hell how you're going to get them where you want them to be."
ReplyDelete"True," I replied later that night, "But I just wrote 2,573 words: bitch!"
Maybe we should get our inner demons together for drinks. Then you and I can slowly leave, and let them have each other to crticise.
Slay it, slay it, slay it. The fool thing will destroy you otherwise. And no matter what you do, never let it talk you into simplifying anything.
ReplyDeleteI've done my quota for the day otherwise I of course would not be commenting, ahem...
ReplyDeletetip #nanowrimo "inner critic"
tell them you are actually knitting, not typing, the needles are just very odd, and that there is a pattern, but it's a bit like scrumbling in crochet and should all come out in the wash
(also if you write crap with abandon, the inner critic is swamped and you will find true creative freedom)
It cost a fortune, but I sent IC on a cruise. Actually, IC's evil twin has been hanging out and telling me words are good for compost - which they are. Brain is sluggish... but hey, a word is a word is a word. Maybe there will be a hidden gem somewhere...
ReplyDeleteThanks, guys. I don't feel so bad now that I know my IC is part of a whole clan of the little bastards.
ReplyDeleteI felt a lot better after I said to him, "You know what? How about if you shut up for a while. I'm trying to get some work done here, and I can't do it with you yammering in my ear."