But sometimes... just sometimes... something unexpected makes it all worthwhile.My Tweeps (Tweeps = Tweeter Peeps (Peeps = My Peoples (Peoples = you know... people... a lot of 'em))) got a handful of tweets from me when I was on my latest trip in San Diego.
I shared a picture of the marina from my room... If you haven't been to San Diego, find an excuse. It's one of those places that gets a hold of you and does not let go.
The trip itself was good. Conferences, coffee, workshops, coffee, one-on-ones with experts, coffee, meet new people, coffee, strategy sessions, and... let's see... did I mention coffee?
From 7 AM until approximately 6:30 PM I was busy with this stuff. And typically, my brain is fried when I go to these things. So much information, limited capacity left in my brain, and that typically results in no more juice left to be creative.This time, it was a bit different.
Maybe it was the weather.
Maybe it was this statue that just spoke to me.
Maybe it was the coffee.
Or maybe it was the fact that I was still on a high from the James Scott Bell seminar that kickstarted the revisions of Rocky Peak.
Whatever it was, I had a phenomenal three nights of writing. From Sunday evening (when I arrived) to Wednesday afternoon (when I left), I had accomplished two things:
(1) I had added all the new scenes that I had identified ~ 12k words in 3 days
(2) I had completed the manuscript
And boy am I proud of how things have come together with this story. I am now doing a final read-through before I send off a copy to my mentor Michael Levin and my wife.
So I thought I'd share a couple of additional pictures. My "Hotel Room Office" and the elements that I use to get things done.
This is what's on my desk.
And when I look over my right shoulder, this is what I see.
It may be hard to figure out, but what I have on my window is a bunch of stickies.
Throughout the day, I jot down ideas.
It may be a new scene...
An inconsistency...
A good line...
A question...
or a reminder to further peel the onion layers of the plot challenges...
These are the things that bring everything together. The little accents that make the pieces flow with texture.
When I was revising, as I addressed a sticky, I would move it off of my "To Do Window" and set it aside in my "Done" pile. This is a very effective method that I've used for more than just writing. It comes from a project management methodology called SCRUM. Maybe I'll tell you guys about this rapid and agile process for getting things done in a future post.
Finally, Here's a blow up of my desk with some explanation
Research Material:
- My iPad with all the Evernote research in front of me.
- My Revision plan -- A few sheets that includes the plot summary
The Avatar:
- That's my now infamous Moleskin notebook and pen that are my avatar on Tweeter
Music:
- Self-explanatory. In this case, I was listening to Evanescence
The JSB Flashcards:
- Read my post on James Scott Bell's seminar and some of the amazing tools I learned to use
Scrivener in Action:
- Really? You need me to explain this?
Fight the good fight!
