I did it again. I finished my November epic in 18 days and posted it on the first day out (20th November). If you want to look or read, go HERE. It is a corrected draft, by the way, and I really did write it in 18 days. I know it's easy enough to bluff about that, but the whole idea of writing fast is what fascinates me, who is a chronic ditherer, never feeling that anything is good enough. My pile of unfinished chorus arrangements and unfinished paintings is evidence of that. I'm curing that symptom at least in painting, since I can delete what's there, hoping to paint something else instead. But that pile of hungry canvases is challenging me now!
I did finish two matching paintings last week because they were not for me. It was hard work and it took me longer than necessary because I also procrastinate and give myself time to think. In the end I don't seem to have a decent photo of those artworks (?). I'll add one later.
Back to writing. I'm getting the knack of writing fast. My only problem is that in the 8 books in the series I have worn out my characters - the ones I haven't killed off - and it's hight time I found a new cast, or bring one or two of them to life, which is an idea I haven't had until this moment of writing this post. I left one or two characters idle in previous 'epics', so I could dig them out, I suppose, though the reason for dropping them was probably irritation. Some characters don't do what you want them to and/or develop in a direction you cannot sustain.
I have no doubt that my situation affects other authors - even or especially the famous, much read, affluent, influential etc. You notice that sometimes when you read their series of books about the same main protagonists. At about the 8th in a series the characters start repeating themselves, i.e. their deeds are repeated, the plots thin out, and in one case currently extremely strong in the book market, you find new titles for the books and - maybe with a little editing - re-publish, I fell for that just once. The book seemed familiar, so I looked along my row of the whole series and there it was: the same wolf in different clothing. I have now stopped buying anything by that author. I've nothing against making money, but money-spinning through repeat publication of the same stuff without drawing attention to the fact seems more than a little deceitful.
You will have noticed that I do not name names. The internet is deceitful and I do not wish to be quoted or sued.
A different author is doing something quite similar to spin off more books. I downloaded her latest book and it was not only short on grammar, which apparently is part of her charm, but short on plot and long on clichés stemming largely from the clichés in previous books.
Conclusion: Like Pirandello, I'll have to find characters that are (still?) looking for an author! Read about it here: Reference. The play is considered to be one of the all-time greats in the genre, by the way.
I did finish two matching paintings last week because they were not for me. It was hard work and it took me longer than necessary because I also procrastinate and give myself time to think. In the end I don't seem to have a decent photo of those artworks (?). I'll add one later.
Back to writing. I'm getting the knack of writing fast. My only problem is that in the 8 books in the series I have worn out my characters - the ones I haven't killed off - and it's hight time I found a new cast, or bring one or two of them to life, which is an idea I haven't had until this moment of writing this post. I left one or two characters idle in previous 'epics', so I could dig them out, I suppose, though the reason for dropping them was probably irritation. Some characters don't do what you want them to and/or develop in a direction you cannot sustain.
I have no doubt that my situation affects other authors - even or especially the famous, much read, affluent, influential etc. You notice that sometimes when you read their series of books about the same main protagonists. At about the 8th in a series the characters start repeating themselves, i.e. their deeds are repeated, the plots thin out, and in one case currently extremely strong in the book market, you find new titles for the books and - maybe with a little editing - re-publish, I fell for that just once. The book seemed familiar, so I looked along my row of the whole series and there it was: the same wolf in different clothing. I have now stopped buying anything by that author. I've nothing against making money, but money-spinning through repeat publication of the same stuff without drawing attention to the fact seems more than a little deceitful.
You will have noticed that I do not name names. The internet is deceitful and I do not wish to be quoted or sued.
A different author is doing something quite similar to spin off more books. I downloaded her latest book and it was not only short on grammar, which apparently is part of her charm, but short on plot and long on clichés stemming largely from the clichés in previous books.
Conclusion: Like Pirandello, I'll have to find characters that are (still?) looking for an author! Read about it here: Reference. The play is considered to be one of the all-time greats in the genre, by the way.
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