A couple days ago, a friend of mine implied that I “over-analyze” things. Can you believe that??? Well, if you know me at all, I’m sure you can! I DO tend to over-analyze.
I prefer the spin another friend put on it, though. The second friend and I were talking about Jane Hirshfield’s, After, which is a fabulous collection of poetry. During our Toastmasters meeting, she had read the poem that begins, “It was like this: you were happy, then you were sad, then happy again, then not.” This friend said, “I’ve gotten pretty introspective in my forties, trying to figure out what really matters and where certain things fit in my life.” Yeah…me, too! (And Hirschfield is good for people like us.) But I don’t think this is a product of being “in my forties.” I was like this long before I hit forty, and I will probably still be like this when I’m well beyond fifty.
Despite the long break I took from my writing, I DO know where writing fits in my life: front and center. And I’ve been wondering…do I over-analyze everything in my life because I do it in my writing or am I a writer because I’m so good at over-analyzing every minute little detail of everything (or “introspection” if you prefer, which I do)? See what I mean about how I over-analyze everything?
I am absolutely over-analyzing this revision of The Truth About Truman School. I’ve been working on this manuscript for two days now and I’ve only revised thirteen pages. Granted, I’ve had other things going on in my life these last two days, but not enough to justify getting through only thirteen pages. It’s not like I’m doing this blindly…I have a marked up manuscript from my editor, plus a general editorial letter. But because this is my last chance to revise this manuscript, I can’t help but over-analyze every little piece of it.
I need to set a goal. I will try to get to page 25 today…50 tomorrow…75 on Sunday…and 100 on Monday. The manuscript is 158 pages…and the end needs more attention than the rest of the manuscript, so I won’t set any goals for the last 50 pages yet. In fact, I don’t even have notes from my editor on the last 30 pages yet; she and I are going to talk sometime next week…and the idea is I’ll be mostly finished with the rest of the manuscript by then.
So…if I don’t meet these daily goals, I will post a VERY good reason why not here in my LJ.
Well, you have met your match in the OVER-ANALYZER category.
I have been so over-analyzing the beginning of my wip, that in the last two weeks, I’ve accomplished about four paragraphs.
How do you stop it? Because I’d really like to move forward with this. 🙂
Okay I just skipped down and read your goals. I will try this method. By tomorrow I will have 500 words. No matter how bad they are.
Being accountable
Okay…you and I will check in with each other TOMORROW. I need to be beyond page 25 before I go to bed tonight (and beyond 50 before I go to bed tomorrow) unless I have a really, really good excuse…and you need to have 500 words down tomorrow!
BTW, I’m assuming you really do play the banjo? My mandolin teacher also plays the banjo, so he’s shattered a lot of my stereotype about banjos (i.e. “you wouldn’t play classical music on a banjo” — my teacher plays a mean Bach on his banjo!)
Re: Being accountable
Okay, Dori. I will report to you tomorrow that I’ve got the first 500 words done, no matter how bad they sound. And you will get your 25 pages completed.
And no, I don’t play the banjo. I did play a few cords many, many years ago, and I’ve always loved the banjo, so I rented one for my son for a surprise Christmas present. But he wasn’t nearly as enthralled with it as I, and after a few lessons, the rented banjo just sat there collecting dust. When I was trying for a user name on LJ that hadn’t been taken, I typed in Banjopicker and what do you know?
So that’s how come I’m banjopicker. Although my MC in WIP is going to be a banjo prodigy. I’m excited about that! Okay back to the 500 words, no matter how bad they are (and believe me, they’re so, so bad).
x0x0x
mb
Re: Being accountable
So…how’d you do? Did you get 500 words? (whether they’re GOOD words or not doesn’t matter!)
I made it to page 31 yesterday…I want to make it to 50 today.
BTW, it’s not too late to learn the banjo! I’ve always loved the mandolin and am finally taking it up at age 42. It’s never too late!
Re: Being accountable
Did it! I worked on the opening today, and hit 1000 words. 500 for yesterday, 500 for today. 🙂
Tomorrow, another 500. And so forth . . .
Re: Being accountable
YAY!!!!!!!!