Friday, August 20, 2010

Rules.

I’m not really a rules person. I’m a bookish knitting hippie who likes to hang out in yoga pants all day, listening to Franz Ferdinand while reading Zelda Fitzgerald. I have a need to be surrounded by a computer, cell phone and book all at once, while wearing a “Save the Earth!” t-shirt. I de-stress by checking my email, or writing, or watching Gilmore Girls. I dream of living in a teenytiny apartment in New York, writing at three in the morning, waiting for my takeaway sesame chicken and lo mein to arrive. I would rather stay up really late and sleep in, rather than get up early, at the same time I love the energy early in the morning. It’s sunrises and coffee, and the fog/smog (I live in what is considered a rainforest- it’s actually fog here) is slowly disappearing from where it settled the night before. If I didn’t enjoy that thing we call sleep so much, I would live my life without it. I would run my life by freedom in my very basic security.

But, as much as I’m pained to say this, I think this might be a time for rules. I’ve been blogging when I could/thought of it for quite awhile now. I enjoy it immensely- I would have quit long ago if I didn’t like it. But with the school season steadily approaching, (SENIOR FREAKING YEAR) I need some structure. Again, in pain writing all of this. I have decided to post on Mondays and the occasional Friday. There is a certain degree of guilt involved in NOT posting- I like so many things that it’s difficult to just focus on one sometimes. If I’m in a position to write a blog post, and don’t already have something lined up, I’ll write something, and who knows- post it in the moment. That is my rule. Definitely post on Mondays, maybe on Fridays, and occasionally days in between.

Of course there’s much greater motivation behind this new policy, other than just school and life, and all that jazz. It’s something I never talk about on this blog- ever. Writing. If everything goes according to plan, I’ll have three novels (“draft” is a dirty word) written (I don’t care how bad they are. They count.) by December 1st. I’m only 17. My goal right now is to finish Alaska Junction by November 1st, which currently gives me a little less than three months to write 55,000 more words than I have now. If I can write at least 734 words a day, I’ll have a 60,000 word novel by then. Wooohoo! The reason for the schedule both writing-wise and posting wise, is that I want to jump out of this amateur zone. I want to live this. I want to write, and this is how I will do so. Or, at least try to do so. :)

5 comments:

  1. Dude, I think it's awesome that you're setting rules (Ahem, making a structure. Sounds better than rules.) and that you're so driven at such a (relatively) young age. You can TOTALLY do 734 words a day. Maybe Fridays can be your "update the masses with how your draft is going" days. Blogging is such good accountability for self-imposed deadlines! It's helpful (read: you feel guilty unless you follow through) to know people care, and are watching, when you set goals for yourself. :)

    Anyway! Best of luck with your new structure, your novel, and your senior year! So great. I look forward to reading about your inevitable progress.

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  2. Ooooh I love Gilmore girls! And good luck your goal (I recommend disconnecting from the net while writing, stops impromptu surfing)

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  3. Sounds great to me! Good luck with your writing!

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  4. Absolutely awesome, Molly! That goal is amazing-it will be so worth less posts for more novels. Btw, I love your new template and subtitle.

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  5. I am very impressed at a high school senior having two novels written and a third on the way! I have one and it's ready to market. I keep procrastinating on this part. How could you not be a professional writer? Of course you will be published. It's just a matter of time. I like the name of your blog. I am a coffee lover, too.

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