200 Words a Day
Last night Gerri and I left the house as soon as she got home to attend a “meet the author” thing at Bound To Be Read, a bookstore in East Atlanta. The author was Michael Wiley and his first book, The Last Striptease, was nominated for a Shamus award. He gave a little workshop on on how he went about writing murder mysteries.
This got me thinking about my own writing. I’ve been fairly happy so far just writing my opinions and penning a few poems from time to time but like I think every one who tinkers with writing I’ve always fantasized about writing a book. The problem has always been one of time and inspiration. I’m either too busy to seriously get into a big writing project or I just don’t have an idea big enough to expand into a book.
That’s about to change.
Last night Mr. Wiley made a comment that really got me thinking. If one just commits to writing two hundred words a day, every day, at the end of the year one would have a manuscript. I think I can do that. I can at least do that to write a short story. If I can write a few short stories I think I can get into the frame of mind to write at least a novella.
The thing is, I don’t have to be published. This would be just for me. I’ll send the manuscript around to some people for feedback and if the feedback is good I can submit it. If it’s rejected I can publish it here…. or I can just start over on something else.
Two hundred words a day…. I can do that. I’m already over that with this piece.
About Larry D. Burton
I'm a 55 year old controls engineer who just likes tinkering with stuff.
Finished high school at a local institute of learning. Decided it wasn't a good time to be a healthy, physically fit 18 year old with no college experience. Entered college and started working toward a degree in animal husbandry.
1975-1976
Discoverd that I was not going to be a very good husband of animals so I left school to figure out what I might be good at. A local beverage company took pity on me and paid me to go from place to place making sure their on tap beverages were maintaining their high quality.
1976-1979
Got out of quality control and into vending. Learned about control systems and refrigeration also learned that vending machines are heavy and vending doesn't pay all that well.
In 1977 I found myself married
1979-1981
Dedicated myself to installing and maintaining commercial refrigeration equipment. Found myself on the roof of a local grocery store one night in the middle of an ice storm replacing a compressor and figured it was time to get back into school.
1981-1986
Got my but back into school at night and changed jobs to keep the mechanical and electrical systems of a local coporate hospital in working order. The job expanded to unstopping drains and burning lab samples and amputated body parts.
1986-now
Finished school and took on a job designing, installing and maintaining industrial control systems. Along the way I picked up a bunch of computer skills that became very useful connecting various industrial controllers to one another and moving the data into coporate databases. I now operate Dallas Bay Technologies, a one man shop specializing in technology solutions for industrial problems.
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Love it! You can do this without a doubt.
Yeah, like anything else, writing takes daily work. For those who accomplish anything. Years ago, a PBS miniseries on Anthony Trollope’s novel, The Palisers, gave a biographical tidbit along those lines. Trollope had a day job, government or something, and every day he got up an hour or two earlier than he needed for going to work, and wrote. He placed his pocket watch on his desk and wrote exactly one, or two, hours. Day after day. Year after year. I don’t remember how many books he wrote, but they were many.
Got published, too.
My wife gave me an idea to work with this morning.
After a days reflection I realized that I write a lot already, just not focused on a large writing project. I’m still sticking with the 200 words a day, I can do that in a short period of time, but I also need to take that into consideration when I’m setting priorities for my other writing.
This morning Gerri started telling me about a claim she is handling that involves some strange circumstances. I think she just gave me an idea for that book, or at least a short story.
Now off to write my 200 words.