Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Lies Writers Tell... To Other Writers (Part Three -- You're Too Close To Your Work) (an IWM post)

I hate housework. Who doesn't right? Okay, there are some people who really enjoy it. I'm not quite sure what's wrong with those people, but they exist. More than a few of them, even. And it's probably not so much that they enjoy the housework, but the desire to have everything completely neat and spotless overrides any displeasure they have in the work. I'm thinking Monk, here (I wonder if Tony Shalhoub is as good as Monk at cleaning?).

Of course, there are parts that I hate more than more other parts and, actually, some parts I don't mind so much. Cooking, for instance, is a part I don't mind so much and even enjoy it. Except for the parts filled with the negative reviews from my kids. I hate unloading the dishwasher, but I don't mind loading it. I don't mind doing the laundry, but I hate folding it. I don't make beds. Vacuuming is okay. But I hate, absolutely hate, cleaning bathrooms.

Maybe, I'm just too close to it? Actually, when cleaning the bathroom, I'd have to say that I am definitely too close to it.

So... the lie... And this one is a bit tricky, because it's a lie, but part of it's true. The lie goes like this:

* * *

Oh, yeah, I'm horrible, I know, but this is an Indie Writers Monthly post, so click the link and go find out what I'm talking about. Then, you know, you can come clean my house. You can start in the bathroom.

10 comments:

  1. I like a clean house. I just wish someone else would do it. I'm too busy writing. :P

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  2. Not a fan of cleaning the house either. I don't mind my bathroom, it's the bathroom that everyone else uses that's on my hate list.

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  3. You and I have almost identical cleaning ticks. We disagree a bit on the beta reader bit, though. I think readers can point out things that you weren't clear on (YOU have the whole story in your head... seems obvious to you...) or if you've crossed the suspension of disbelief limit, or it the action gets slow. And the BIGGEST--my readers see a 3rd or 4th draft and sometimes the editing means a character reaction that DID make sense no longer does--those can be really hard to spot yourself because it USED to be that way. LOTS of things they are VERY helpful for. But then I write pretty complicated stories.

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  4. Alex: Um...

    L.G.: Exactly.

    Jean: Yeah, I can understand that.

    Hart: Well, I'm not actually to the part that talks about beta readers for real, yet; that's next week. The biggest problem with beta readers is authors trying to use them as substitute editors. Again, that's for next time.

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  5. "I hate unloading the dishwasher, but I don't mind loading it. I don't mind doing the laundry, but I hate folding it. I don't make beds. Vacuuming is okay. But I hate, absolutely hate, cleaning bathrooms."

    ... OMGosh. And here I thought I was the only one who thought this way. :)

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  6. Gee thanks--I'm reminded of all the stuff I need to do this afternoon. The dishes are probably done--I don't mind putting them away because I have an efficient system that's fast. My underwear in the dryer is probably done now too--I'm not thrilled about folding and putting it in the drawer and my wife doesn't like to do it, but I'm just trying to take some workload off her.

    And then there's the bathroom and the kitchen counters. Don't like that job, but I guess I should do it.

    I guess I need to get off the computer for a while. Thanks, Andrew. Why'd you have to remind me?

    I'll go check the Indie post first.

    Lee
    Tossing It Out

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  7. David: Aren't you glad you found some company?

    Lee: Oh, well, you know, I like to be helpful and all of that.

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  8. Like with most jobs, there is good & bad. I love to write and hated revsion until I figured it out. I'm guessing here, but I think it's part of the process. :-)

    Anna from Shout with Emaginette

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  9. emaginette: Revision is part of -A- process; I'm not convinced it's part of -THE- process. :P

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