When writing a novel, that's pretty much entirely what life turns into: "House burned down. Car stolen. Cat exploded. Did 1500 easy words, so all in all it was a pretty good day."

- Neil Gaiman



( O_RLY? )

The best thing about writing fiction is that moment where the story catches fire and comes to life on the page, and suddenly it all makes sense and you know what it's about and why you're doing it and what these people are saying and doing, and you get to feel like both the creator and the audience. Everything is suddenly both obvious and surprising ("but of course that's why he was doing that, and that means that...") and it's magic and wonderful and strange.

You don't live there always when you write. Mostly it's a long hard walk. Sometimes it's a trudge through fog and you're scared you've lost your way and can't remember why you set out in the first place.

But sometimes you fly, and that pays for everything.

- Neil Gaiman



Was today a long hard walk, Nano Writer or was it ( a_day_for_flying? )

I ask myself, "What is the next sentence?" That's all I have to write, and it's good for me to remember it. And when I focus on that, my inner critic seems to drift away.

- Ed Gaffney



And your next ( sentence? )

Don't edit as you write. According to right brain/left brain students, your right brain allows you to dash off stuff uncritically. Let the right brain help you get a chapter or so written, then at a different time, let your left brain loose to edit.

- Cynthia Riggs



Stop! Take your finger off that ( backspace_key! )