9/16/04: Some progress

[davidlevine]

Word count: 94753 | Since last entry: 708 | This month: 3703

Yesterday we went to see local author Marc Acito, whom I met at a party last year, as he kicks off his book tour for his first novel, How I Paid for College. For which he got a six-figure advance, and another six-figure advance for the UK rights, and yet more money for the film rights. I told Kate "if I melt down into a small green puddle of jealousy in the middle of the reading, poke me." But it was very entertaining, and I learned a few things about how to do a good reading.

But tonight, despite looming feelings of "who am I kidding, nobody's going to want to read this, I should just go out in the back yard and eat worms" I sat down and began composing actual prose in Chapter H. Go me. So far it's pretty heavily laden with exposition, and exposition about sitting and thinking at that, and sitting and thinking about computer security at that. But it's 708 new words, by gum, and I can trim it back later.

At times like this I try to remind myself that I did win Writers of the Future and the James White Award, not to mention the Hugo and Campbell nominations as well as the Nebula near-miss. And agent Linn Prentis said nice things about the chapters and outline of this very novel, which she certainly didn't have to. (Did I mention in my Worldcon report that when I ran into her in the Green Room she seemed much more enthusiastic about it than her email had led me to believe she was? I wanted to try to get to the bottom of the discrepancy at the time, but I was late for a panel and I didn't see her again.)

Anyway. I know I can write, I know this is a good novel, I just have to grit my teeth and keep writing until I believe it or finish the damn thing, whichever comes first. Yargh.

In other news... we picked up the new car today. A silver 2005 Corolla with 47 miles on the odometer, remote keyless entry, CD changer, antilock brakes, and an instruction book full of novel ways to die. (Now with side-curtain airbags: four new explosive devices for your protection!) And that new-car smell. Mmm.

Comments

[deedop.livejournal.com]

speaking of puddles of jealousy...

So, okay, I just popped over to Amazon and read about this How I Paid For College book and of course my first reaction is "Well, crap all, I should just toss out my theater-related novel right now because someone else already wrote it."

Of course this happens every time I read about one of these "Funniest book ever! New Dave Barry! OH MY GOD BUY THIS BOOK SO YOU CAN PEE YOUR FREAKING PANTS" new books.

So, I'm sitting here with this unfinished rock and roll comedy and this unfinished theater comedy and I'm thinking, aw crap, it's all been done before...

And then I have to remind myself that this guy is building a market. Right? Right? I'd like to think so anyway. In my more optimistic moments at least.

Hmmm... Perhaps I should cheat and finish one of those damn books for NaNoWriMo.

Oh, and David. Grit your teeth and write. Your book's damn good. :-P

[davidlevine]

Is your "theater-related novel" a semiautobiographical coming-of-age story about a teenage boy on the "bi now, gay later" plan? If not, don't worry about How I Paid for College stealing your thunder. There are only so many things to write about, after all. It's a good thing Erich Maria Remarque didn't let that blockbuster hit War and Peace stop him from completing his "war-related novel" All Quiet on the Western Front.

And thanks for the encouragement. It's appreciated.