Thursday, February 9
Friends in same places
So I had lunch with my novelist pal Jared yesterday, and we were both moping and groaning about our lack of effort on our novels. Well, mostly he was moping and and groaning about it because he's noticed I'm moving forward, but I was certainly commisserating with him, because I know exactly what he was talking about.
It was just about a year ago that I read and edited his novel Wrath, and it was about 10 months ago that he and I met with agents and sat in on seminars at a writer's conference in Colorado Springs. He told me he still hasn't finished making some of the corrections and typos I caught when I proofed it for him. Still, at least he's further than I am, since he let me read his novel and give him an edit. I've still yet to return 'the favor' and let/make him read mine.
So, I told him how I set a goal of writing 20 hours a month through May, about 15 hours a monthy over the summer and then back up to 40 hours by next November. And I told him I clocked 24 hours in January, and I had 7 hours so far in February. So by the end of the conversation, he came around to deciding to set what sounds like an easy goal of 30 minutes a day, or about 3 hours a week, to work on his books. I'm going to hold him to it, primarily because it means I have to keep ahead of him.
I wonder if this is how them big city New York literary types do it.
It was just about a year ago that I read and edited his novel Wrath, and it was about 10 months ago that he and I met with agents and sat in on seminars at a writer's conference in Colorado Springs. He told me he still hasn't finished making some of the corrections and typos I caught when I proofed it for him. Still, at least he's further than I am, since he let me read his novel and give him an edit. I've still yet to return 'the favor' and let/make him read mine.
So, I told him how I set a goal of writing 20 hours a month through May, about 15 hours a monthy over the summer and then back up to 40 hours by next November. And I told him I clocked 24 hours in January, and I had 7 hours so far in February. So by the end of the conversation, he came around to deciding to set what sounds like an easy goal of 30 minutes a day, or about 3 hours a week, to work on his books. I'm going to hold him to it, primarily because it means I have to keep ahead of him.
I wonder if this is how them big city New York literary types do it.
