Writing Blog Number 2

20241124 - NaNo-24

NaNoWriMo #24

Day 24

So, I spent this morning on my regular Sunday morning video call to the USA. This left me the afternoon to write. I went whole hog again, but didn’t quite crack the 4k mark. I think after yesterday, my brain was a bit mushy, to be honest. It was a biggun, yestadee!

So, what happened? Joanne meets her mum, Luke and she finally rub uglies, then mum dies… and she is found in the same state as her grandmother. But she was in hospital because she was having her regular cancer treatment, there was a problem, so she was being kept overnight… and that was when she died, so apart from being seated up, with a bruise by her mouth and her eyes open, her death was hardly unexpected.

I know just where this is going to go next, and so tomorrow I should be able to get through to the revelation of the entity… as well as putting some of her mother’s writings into her hands to (sort of) explain just what is going on. The meaning will be couched in gibberish, because I really don’t want to give too much away.

Now, yesterday I outlined how I write as a pantser. And I received this comment : “That’s wrong! You don’t edit as you go!”

First – f*ck off! How dare you tell me that the way I write is wrong! I am sharing this because some people are interested in my process, seeing something from a possibly different perspective. And it works for me. I have a few sales; so it definitely works. So, I say it again - f*ck off!

Second, there are no RULES for writing. There are things that are strongly advised. In my opinion these are threefold:
         1) read, and read a lot, and across all genres and styles of writing;
                    2) write, and write a lot; &
                              3) get your writing tools (spelling, grammar, punctuation) down as good as you are going to get.
That’s it. Nothing else matters to me . And I have had people here on WdC tell me that reading is useless, that you should only write if you’re going to sell it, and (lately) we don’t need to know the fundamentals because AI does it for us, and that’s what editors are for. Fine. Your call. But don’t expect me to take you seriously as a writer.

I take this further and say there is no such thing as a book everyone should read. No such thing; no such book. Read what you want, take what you want from each. And people who disagree are just being gatekeepers, inflicting their tastes and views on others. There are books I would recommend, but I know of no book that everyone should read. Not one.

Third, write your way! I am not telling anyone how to write. But there are people who have asked how I do it, and so I have decided to explain how I do it. For those who have been interested and have read it and looked at it, and maybe taken some inspiration from my process, thank you… but write your way. I cannot for the life of me understand the snowflake method of writing, it makes no sense to me, but some authors use it quite successfully. Great. You do you.

And I will do me.

Sorry. This makes me angry. I am rather pissed off.

Stop dictating and gate-keeping. We are writers and no two writers are the same (except if by deliberate pastiche choice). I was explaining myself. I was not telling you how to write.

Sorry again.

Words today – 3775
Total words– 131008