Mama Jude's Pep Talk

Zelenka · Nov 10, 2011

I'm almost tempted to reconsider the English-teaching jobs over here, purely so I can send a few Czechs out into the world using 'twatwaffle' on a daily basis.

I don't know if he's jealous, maybe. I think he's just like a little kid these days. Don't talk about that, look at me, talk about meeee! That kind of thing.

Anyway, the twatwaffle thing must have inspired me. That's two short stories in less than 24 hours. From someone who doesn't do short stories. They're probably rubbish but I'm allowing myself a little warm glow of satisfaction.

speirbhean · Nov 10, 2011

I have to say my immediate response on reading your post was, omg, dagger shortlist? Wow! That's real!! I'm not worthy!! And then hearing he has a rejected ms... Well there ya go. Kick something minor, and ignore.

Amarie · Nov 10, 2011

Can I join in? I'm new to this thread, but I wanted to say to Zelenka that I know how you feel. It took me about 12 years on and off to get published, and most people I knew thought I was being delusional. Sometimes delusions are the only things that keep you going until reality happens.

mccardey · Nov 12, 2011

Amarie said:
Can I join in? I'm new to this thread, but I wanted to say to Zelenka that I know how you feel. It took me about 12 years on and off to get published, and most people I knew thought I was being delusional. Sometimes delusions are the only things that keep you going until reality happens.

You can join in - but you have to use the word "twatwaffle". We need to get it out there...

I'm going to take a break from New Book this week. I feel like I'm losing momentum or something, and I suspect it's just that week after week of plottery feels sort of unrewarding. I'm still a fan of Outlining First (though this is my third book, and the first time I've tried it) but the downside of it is this: If you work as a pantser, every day feels like progress - even if you do have to lose a big chunk of it in next day's edits. But if you're outlining (or if I'm outlining) every day feels a little bit like "OMG! When can I start writing?"

Anyway - I'm going to take this week to move away from it, maybe ramp up on reading and scribbling character notes and stuff.

See if my mood improves, or if I just sink into further twatwafflage.

PS: Big welcome to the thread, Amarie!! And hugs, Zelenka - what a TW!

heyjude · Nov 13, 2011

Amarie said:
Can I join in? I'm new to this thread, but I wanted to say to Zelenka that I know how you feel. It took me about 12 years on and off to get published, and most people I knew thought I was being delusional. Sometimes delusions are the only things that keep you going until reality happens.

to the thread!

Amarie · Nov 13, 2011

mccardey said:
You can join in - but you have to use the word "twatwaffle". We need to get it out there...

I'm going to take a break from New Book this week. I feel like I'm losing momentum or something, and I suspect it's just that week after week of plottery feels sort of unrewarding. I'm still a fan of Outlining First (though this is my third book, and the first time I've tried it) but the downside of it is this: If you work as a pantser, every day feels like progress - even if you do have to lose a big chunk of it in next day's edits. But if you're outlining (or if I'm outlining) every day feels a little bit like "OMG! When can I start writing?"

Anyway - I'm going to take this week to move away from it, maybe ramp up on reading and scribbling character notes and stuff.

See if my mood improves, or if I just sink into further twatwafflage.

PS: Big welcome to the thread, Amarie!! And hugs, Zelenka - what a TW!

Okay, here's a sentence- "When Agatha Christie's husband left her for another woman, the twatwaffle was lucky Ms. Agatha didn't come up with the perfect plot to do away with him."

And to outlining-I am terrible at it, because I can only seem to be able to think up ideas once I'm writing. It makes for lots of backtracking to change things to fit.

tarak · Nov 14, 2011

We should start a new thread - the sentence of the day using the word "twatwaffle."

Namatu · Nov 16, 2011

tarak said:
We should start a new thread - the sentence of the day using the word "twatwaffle."

Yes!

HistorySleuth · Nov 16, 2011

A STUDY IN TWATWAFFLE COMEBACKS

Twatwaffle: Well if you had any talent, you wouldn't have been trying to write a good book now for fifteen years.

Zelenka: Well, if you were a better writer than me I would have been reading your books instead for the last fifteen years. But oh, that's right, you're not published are you?

****
Twatwaffle:: maybe you had a bit of ability but not enough, so its always going to be 'close but no cigar'.

Zelenka: **Lights cigar and blows smoke in his face ** At least they open my packages and read them. Speaking of packages, can I have your unopened MS? **blows more smoke in Twatwaffle's face** I'm entering the Debut Dagger again. You know the one I was short listed on that you're not good enough to enter? I need some scrap paper.

***

Twatwaffle: shouldn't you quit?'

Zelenka: Talking to you? Yes, yes I should.

heyjude · Nov 17, 2011

Very nice, History.

GailD · Nov 17, 2011

HistorySleuth, I love it!

kaitie · Nov 17, 2011

I love you guys.

HistorySleuth · Nov 17, 2011

heyjude · Nov 18, 2011

Oh, you guys. I love this post on How To Fail On Purpose. I think it totally relates to writing. Read the whole thing, but here's two snippets:

(Duarte) doesn’t just give her team permission to fail. She gives them the order to. When they work on a project for a client, they create a number of presentations that are right in line with the creative brief. They brilliantly and beautifully answer every need of the client. And then, they create a presentation that the client would never go for. They purposely and deliberately break all the rules. They throw out the brief and try something the client would want to leg sweep if it they encountered it in a dark alley.

Not because they’ve been given permission to fail, but because they’ve been tasked with failing. It wasn’t just a soft invitation. It was a direct order. But something surprising happened when they approached projects that way.

Clients started loving the concept that broke all the rules. They started embracing the “failure” concepts. Which turned out not to be failures at all.

And does this one sound like anyone you know?

We put tremendous pressure on ourselves to “get it right” when we actually work on our dreams.

Zelenka · Nov 18, 2011

That actually sounds like a fun challenge - I might write a head-hopping, info dumping, confusing, silly book... oh wait, it's called my WIP...

But seriously, it might be fun to do a short maybe that just throws out all the usual 'rules'.

MercyMe · Nov 18, 2011

heyjude said:
Oh, you guys. I love this post on How To Fail On Purpose. I think it totally relates to writing. Read the whole thing, but here's two snippets:

And does this one sound like anyone you know?

It's for posts like this that you are the genius that you are and the mama of all judes.

I've had a similar epiphany this month. I decided to write crap. Strive to fail. Screw up! I've never written so many words in my life in 2 weeks as I have as soon as I stopped trying. It's done good things for my confidence.

I read the earlier posts about Twatwaffle Relative and aside from his bitter bullshite, he did strike a nerve. I mean, I've been at it for 15 years, I have discipline, talent, passion...and yet I can't crack open to where I want to be. It's exhausting and discouraging. So Twatwaffle's remarks made me think--should I be doing something else? I gave it a lot of thought and it comes down to this--after 15 years I'm good at what I do. I've mastered the technical aspects, etc. I have the ideas. It'd be crazy to chuck away all that knowledge and skill when one day, one of my stories will hit.

What separates you from Twatwaffle is he gave up after one rejection and you won't. That's why you'll be a success.

HistorySleuth · Nov 19, 2011

Good points Mercy!

heyjude · Nov 20, 2011

MercyMe said:
I've had a similar epiphany this month. I decided to write crap. Strive to fail. Screw up! I've never written so many words in my life in 2 weeks as I have as soon as I stopped trying. It's done good things for my confidence.

Go you!

heyjude · Mar 7, 2012

I love this post, and I love the video.

"It's normal to take a while."

sheadakota · Mar 7, 2012

I feel much better now after reading this thread

Zelenka · Mar 7, 2012

I was really really stuck on my MS the last few days, to the point of wanting to give up, but I believe in the idea so much I didn't actually really want to give up, if that makes sense. So I used the hourglass technique - remember when Windows was doing something in the background and it'd put up a little hourglass cursor? I read this somewhere - basically you tell your subconscious you want some problem sorted out, then leave it to trundle away in the background and do something else in the meantime.

So I told it I wanted the book sorted out, the problems I'm having, and went off to do some Czech vocabulary instead. And last night I had like a kind of half dream and figured out what I needed to add to the MS! So it does seem to work, whether because it's just relaxing your mind a bit or something, I dunno.

But then I also had an hour long phonecall from the school in Canada about the TV / film writing course and it was really positive - he said my passion for writing was 'beaming out of me', heh. Said I wasn't the sort of student they need to weed out, because I'm just there thinking 'oh yeah, writing sounds easy and cool', and that pretty much if I want to, I can start next year on the course. As I was telling him though how determined I am to actually focus on writing, to make it a career and do whatever it takes to get good, I was thinking 'I really should listen to myself', lol!

Namatu · Mar 7, 2012

That's awesome, Zelenka!

heyjude · Mar 8, 2012

sheadakota said:
I feel much better now after reading this thread

Zelenka said:
I was really really stuck on my MS the last few days, to the point of wanting to give up, but I believe in the idea so much I didn't actually really want to give up, if that makes sense. So I used the hourglass technique - remember when Windows was doing something in the background and it'd put up a little hourglass cursor? I read this somewhere - basically you tell your subconscious you want some problem sorted out, then leave it to trundle away in the background and do something else in the meantime.

So I told it I wanted the book sorted out, the problems I'm having, and went off to do some Czech vocabulary instead. And last night I had like a kind of half dream and figured out what I needed to add to the MS! So it does seem to work, whether because it's just relaxing your mind a bit or something, I dunno.

But then I also had an hour long phonecall from the school in Canada about the TV / film writing course and it was really positive - he said my passion for writing was 'beaming out of me', heh. Said I wasn't the sort of student they need to weed out, because I'm just there thinking 'oh yeah, writing sounds easy and cool', and that pretty much if I want to, I can start next year on the course. As I was telling him though how determined I am to actually focus on writing, to make it a career and do whatever it takes to get good, I was thinking 'I really should listen to myself', lol!

That's wonderful!

kaitie · Mar 10, 2012

Thanks for the awesome link.

kaitie · Apr 10, 2012

Hey guys. Not really sure I need a pep talk, per se, but a hug would be nice.

Anyway got a new update on subs and while we haven't heard back from a couple of people, it's pretty much at the end of the line. The part that's simultaneously kinda cool and sucky? They like the book, but it's being rejected on marketing. Not really a whole lot I can do to fix that.

Anyway I figured awhile back that this book was basically dead in the water, but it still hurts to hear. Especially when pretty much everyone is saying that the book itself is great. I mean, we're always told that all you have to do is write a great book. I did that. But it still isn't good enough.

*Goes off to mope*

Mama Jude's Pep Talk

Going home!

wishing I was reading

carpe libri

Making my own sunshine

carpe libri

for certain qualities of "sane"

Lost in mental space.

Researching History's Mysteries

Making my own sunshine

Still chasing plot bunnies.

With great power comes

Researching History's Mysteries

Making my own sunshine

Going home!

Researching History's Mysteries

Making my own sunshine

Making my own sunshine

part of the human equation

Going home!

Lost in mental space.

Making my own sunshine

With great power comes

With great power comes