Comments on: Half a thought on new writing

By: Matt Hill

Matt Hill — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 23:43:08 +0000

–Joe

Naval-gazing gets me everywhere. I’ve battened down the hatches or something, and stuff’s coming out. So that’s something. But work and blog not included, I’ve not written for a year till now, so I kind of get where you’re coming from. If you can get hold of a book called The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury, there’s a story in there in which a spaceman goes mad on account of not believing anything he’s done is real. I’ll try and find the passage to append this post with.

Get cracking anyway. We should do some kind of rewards scheme.

10,000 words a month and you get a big party.

By: Joe Stein

Joe Stein — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:54:59 +0000

I haven’t written anything in 8 months. I kidded myself this was because I was waiting for the final editing on my last one which was supposed to come out November 2009 and then didn’t. (Sorry, familiar theme, eh?) Then I started wondering how the hell I ever managed to write the ones I did write!
In the end I agree with your Grandad, you just have to do it. Once something exists on paper, you’re a writer. You can edit it, change it, cross bits of it out and all the rest, but it exists.
If there’s nothing written down, then you’re a theorist. Right now, I could theorise for England…

By: Matt Hill

Matt Hill — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 15:49:46 +0000

–Sam

Thanks. It’s kind of relentlessly grim in my mind. Not flippant or anything. And yes, why didn’t I think that’s what he thought?

By: Matt Hill

Matt Hill — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 15:48:47 +0000

–DJ, yep, all gone. But for the best.

By: Sam

Sam — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 13:54:36 +0000

That man thought you were driving the lift.

Good luck with the story.

By: DJ Kirkby

DJ Kirkby — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 10:36:22 +0000

You DELETED something you wrote? Permanantly deleted it? You are a bad, bad boy! No writing is EVER to be deleted, it will always come in handy at some point. Now get that document open and start writing. *tut*

By: Jo Treggiari

Jo Treggiari — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:55:42 +0000

Incidentally, having given birth a couple of times (babies not books) I must also remind you that it will come when it damn well wants to come and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. Give yourself over to the pain.

By: Matt Hill

Matt Hill — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:41:03 +0000

Good time for a facepalm, then?

I once sat on a train opposite this very smartly dressed lady, telling her why Arriva Trains Wales was useless. She seemed far too interested — turned out she was their head of marketing.

Hope you kissed and made up before publication!

By: Chris Routledge

Chris Routledge — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:20:12 +0000

I once got a bit narky with an anonymous commenter on a newspaper blog and suggested he should break cover to make it fair. Turns out he was a pre-production reviewer of my book manuscript.

By: Matt Hill

Matt Hill — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:10:55 +0000

–Jo

You’re right on all counts, there. If there’s a thing I do more than anything else it’s over-think. But all this, really, has been an exercise in forcing myself on to it. Force doesn’t work, so I have to trick myself into thinking it’s fun, like the first time round.

Thanks for the kind input!