wherein Liz suffers from a lack of concentration

[edenfalling]

I poked at my original novel this morning, getting it ready for November when I continue it. (I know that's not really allowed in NaNoWriMo rules, but I figure the ultimate point is to make people write a lot, yes? And I don't care about 'winning,' and don't intend to submit anything for word-counting even if I do reach 50,000 words, so it's all good. Right? Right.)

Then my mom called this afternoon and we hashed out some plans for Thanksgiving. And then, just before she hung up, she told me she thinks I should go into writing YA fantasy novels. Which totally came out of nowhere and I was like, "Bwah?" because I am terrible at finishing original work of any significant length and have never consciously aimed my stories at particular age niches (except for the ones that are clearly Not For Kids). Then again, I think the only piece of my fiction that my mom has read is "Secrets," which I suppose could be considered YA. I've just never thought of it that way myself.

Right at the moment, I am not feeling any of my current fanfiction stories. I'm in more of a story planning mood than a story writing mood, and the bulk of my attention is already drifting to Talin, Ranna, and the mess that passes for their country. *sigh*

I think I'll use the rest of the weekend to lay groundwork for stories instead of actually writing them.

Comments

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

At least your parents know you write. Mine have no idea, and I'm very happy about it...because what I write would probably give them coronaries ;)

[edenfalling]

It would be pretty hard for my parents not to know that I write, because I've always written (or at least made up stories and worlds). Fanfiction, I'll grant you, was a bit of a surprise -- and it is beyond weird to have the "But shouldn't you work on your own ideas, and things you could actually get paid for?" discussion with your parents -- but they have always inquired now and then as to whether I've finished any stories lately.

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

Oh, I've been writing something or other since high school. I was newspaper editor, then eventually I got a journalism degree. Then I worked for an educational publisher, then a national construction trades magazine, then a statewide association (editing their monthly magazine) and finally, since 1991, as a civil servant involved in print and web publications. But creative writing I hadn't done since high school. My mother has always been pretty funny talking about "when you're a famous writer" (which makes me laugh out loud). Maya is very much a creative writer already. Earlier this year she was attempting to write a crossover of HP and The Magic Tree House. Unfortunately my computer crashed and we lost her files and she hasn't tried again. But she's written other things in longhand since then. I'm happy to encourage that.