Friday, February 17, 2012

The Great Word Vom

You know when you read all those posts by wonderful writers saying how they get so involved in their writing, they forget to eat? Or that the afternoon flashed by before they knew it?

That will never be me. I will never get so involved in writing I forget to eat. In fact, sometimes I get up from my laptop to eat even when I'm not hungry . . . just to get away from writing. I clock-watch and word count obsessively, and chances are as soon as I've hit my 3,000 words for the day, I'm away from that computer faster than I pop the cork from my wine.

It's not that I don't enjoy writing novels -- I do. I love shaping characters, plot-lines, and seeing the finished product. But dare I admit that writing the first draft is a bit of a slog? For me, I have to get it all out before I can dive in, kind of like a daily word vomit (sorry!). And once my stomach is empty, I'm hardly going to sit around in the mess of my own making. I exit the scene of the crime.

What about you? Do you word vom, too? Or are you one of the lucky few who can get lost in writing -- or anything else, for that matter?

Have a great vomit free weekend, everyone!

PS - My next novel, Construct A Couple, is now on Goodreads. Yay!
PPS - I'm doing so much word vomming this week, I'm having a few wrist issues, so forgive me if I don't get around to as many blogs as usual. 

62 comments:

  1. I have never forgotten to eat!
    The first draft is the most difficult because I'm struggling to get it all down on paper. Once it's down I can relax and edit.

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  2. I've never forgotten to eat. When the tummy speaks, the brain goes on auto pilot to the fridge or the pantry.
    I agree with Alex, first drafts are hard. You just want to get it out of your head as quickly as possible.

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  3. I don't forget to eat - I wish I could;-)
    Hope your wrists recover quickly.

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  4. I don't not eat but I have been known to sit at the computer to the exclusion of all else around me. Sometimes in excess of 10 hours. But those days are few and far between and only when I'm really on a roll.

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  5. I guess I'm both. I've had times when I was so engrossed in a scene that hours went by and I forgot lots of things, not just eating. lol

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  6. Okay, I'm one who gets lost in the writing and completely forgets about food and eating for hours on end that just disappear into my story. I guess for me, writing would be a great diet-plan :)

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  7. I love the draft stage. I go nuts. Lots of coffee and lots of wine. I feel like a mad scientist with new toys to play with.

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  8. I must admit to getting lost in the writing. But forgetting to eat?? Ahem. Never. In fact, probably the opposite.

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  9. I am like you. I love writing, but that first draft makes me nuts and trust me, I will never, ever forget to eat. LOL

    Congrats on the new release. May you have huge successes with it. :)

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  10. I've done that before now, been so involved in my writing that I've gone way past lunchtime. I always realise eventually though, and it never happened before beer o'clock on a Friday night. Priorities I suppose.... :o)

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  11. How do you churn out so many books??????????????????????????????????????????????? I'm in total awe!

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  12. I can write until I'm mentally exhausted, so I have to get up and take breaks.

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  13. Ahhh I'm almost ashamed to admit that I AM one of Those Authors. I've lost track of the number of times I've been deep in a chapter (or three) and have completely forgotten to eat all day!

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  14. I do forget to eat and lose track of time. Sometimes I'll stay up until 3 am writing as a result! I can sleep in until 10 so it's not as crazy as it sounds.

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  15. I agree the first draft is so hard. I absolutely love the few times I do get lost in the story and time flies by unnoticed. But the other 99% of the time is just like yours - clock watching and word counting.

    Take care of your wrists, and happy weekend!

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  16. I don't word vomit, but i've also never forgotten to eat, etc. I mean, once i forgot to shower and eat breakfast, but that was due to being so busy with my dayjob, not with writing. And that was a weird occurence for me and quite shocking when i checked the time and realized i hadn't showered yet

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  17. Love your facebook page pic - just seen it as I scrolled down to the comment bit here! Yay!

    Vom?!?! Vom??! I'm a LADY! I do not vom!

    LOL! Take care
    x

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  18. Absolutely Talli, I eat toasted muffins with cream cheese [light]and jam [low sugar]'cos they are ready in 30 seconds then go back to the laptop. My daughter came in at 6.00pm one day to find me in my pjs at the keyboard and announced. 'Well there's a woman who hasn't got off her arse for twelve hours' She was right too-I simply didn't notice the time passing

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  19. That's one of the reasons why I get so intimidated about writing. It's like great writers live in "that" world.

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  20. I don't necessarily forget to eat, but I will forget to drink my coffee so when I reach for it again it's already ice cold. :(

    But I never forget food. Actually, I "stock up" on the good stuff when I know I have a full day ahead for writing (like this upcoming weekend, YAY!).

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  21. Most days I'm forced to quit writing due to time constraints, HOWEVER, I will also never be a writer who stops eating. I love food way too much. :)

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  22. hi miss talli! yikes! forget to eat??? never!!! mostly i eat right when im writing and mostly its peanutbutter cups. ha ha. i hope you have a fun and happy weekend.
    ...hugs from lenny

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  23. Ha, I never forget to eat. And though I like the first draft stage, it's a lot of work getting those words down on paper. I hope your wrists feel better soon!

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  24. Oh yeah! It really depends on the day for me. Some days I can barely sit still to write, and others, I just want to keep going. I'll try not to vomit. :)

    Have a great weekend and congrats on the new book!

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  25. Yes, I'm about to start the first draft vom - like pulling teeth. Bum glue will be applied!

    And no I'll never forget to eat either!

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  26. First draft I disappear, mesmerized in a new world of characters. Second draft drags and I mean drags. By the third go around I'm literally scolding my own characters.

    I will forever be in love with the first draft process. (Hugs)Indigo

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  27. I've done both. There are times I get lost and time passes faster than I think and I come back to life and my kids are screaming because I forgot to feed them. But mostly I'm a clock watcher.

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  28. I'm with you. Except for the fact that I don't write 3000 words a day. That blows my mind! But yes. If I write one sentence, I'm like, "Yes! I get a twix!"

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  29. I'm more like you. I tend to get up from the computer just to stretch and force myself to refresh my own POV. I feel like I get tunnel vision if I write for long stretches of time without a break.

    And naturally, I get me a bite too! :)

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  30. Forget to eat, um - no, never lol. My stomach needs it's nutrients and nothing will stop it getting them hehe.

    Though I suppose a word target of 200 a day isn't really going to stop me getting fed!

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  31. I need to drink more water when I write, but I never forget to eat! However I have learned to hold off eating and take breaks with food as a reward (God, I sound like a dog) so that I can concentrate of writing.

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  32. The idea of being so absorbed in writing that I forget to eat is completely foreign to me. Can't imagine it happening.

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  33. i don't forget to eat... but sometimes i feel rushed and want to get back to writing, or sometimes i take an hour lunch! sort of depends how much ive gotten written before i get hungry lol

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  34. I love having food while I "think" about writing. Then when I actually start to write, I do forget about eating.

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  35. Haha, it's funny because I am nearly almost always eating when I'm writing. But the main reason why I choose to eat when I write is because to me eating is like listening to music. For some odd reason, I get really "in the zone" and eating makes me even more focused on my writing. And then when I completely bury myself in what I am writing, I forget about the snacks I have all over my table and just keep on writing.

    ~TRA

    The Red Angel Blog

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  36. Fortunately, my kitchen is nearby for some frozen berrries to get up and stretch, and collect my thoughts. I've never word-counted, although I'm sure a few people wish I would! I let my heart and imagination guide me and whatever happens is fine with me. Enjoy the wine! :D)

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  37. No, I can't get that involved either! I don't enjoy the first draft nearly as much as the second, when I actually have an end.

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  38. When I'm writing the section I'd planned to write that day, I get lost in it. There could be a hurricane going on outside and I wouldn't know. Food? What food? How can you talk about food at a time like this?!!!

    But when I'm done writing I put away all my notes and go do something normal. Usually, I eat something. I need to do that because otherwise there's not a clear defined line between my writing life and my normal life. It keeps me sane to keep the two apart.

    Jai

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  39. I'm going to check out your new book. I have forgotten to eat a couple of times but it's usually when I'm writing a particually good scene. Other than that, writing usually makes me eat more.

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  40. That is totally me and I need to set better goals. I start to write and then something shiny passes by and I am over looking at that. :-) I am starting to drink tea obsessively because I think that is a good break to take when I am stuck. lol! Happy weekend!

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  41. Not so much forget to eat but I have lost count of the number of times I allow a hot drink to go stone cold - when it's right at my elbow! I also forget time is passing too!

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  42. I like how honest you are. You know writing is a discipline for me too, I get up at 5am and write before work, every day. It is usually hard work and I don't have enough to time to get lost in my writing. Oh and as for forgetting to eat? Purlease!

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  43. Oh lady, I do the exact same (how about that!!) If there's a muffin flirting with me, my writing might not be strong enough to keep us apart.
    But my writing and I have an open relationship, so...welcome muffin!

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  44. I don't think I will be able to write a novel, or for that matter anything more than a sheet of paper. So may be a blog post is the right length for me :-)

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  45. Ummm... yeah. No problems forgetting to eat over here! lol I tend to forget chores, though!
    Yay! I've added Construct a Couple to my Goodreads. Take care of that wrist! :)

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  46. I'm a mix of both I get absorbed and forget to eat or I'm constantly needing to refuel with the 3 C's: cakes, cookies and coffee. ;O)

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  47. If I'm deeply involved with my writing I can forget to eat, though looking at me you'd never guess it happens.

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  48. I always eat! And the most words I can manage in a day are around 3000 as well.

    Congratulations on the new novel!

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  49. I've never forgotten to eat while writing. Sometimes I'll write for longer than I intended, but I can't go for more than a couple hours without realizing what time it is.

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  50. LOL. Me forget to eat? No way! I usually have some kind of snack goodies sitting on my desk for when I want to keep writing. I usually eat my breakfast or lunch when I'm checking my emails, reading blog posts and the other social medias.

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  51. My tummy tells me though it may not be at a conventional meal time. for me vom is a word in another tongue meaning from in English.

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  52. I never, EVER forgot to eat. In fact, I get hungry every hour. Taking a break from writing is important! I've gotten lost in a chapter before, but when the stomach calls, you gotta answer!

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  53. Yay! Talli! Just checked out CONSTRUCT A COUPLE on Goodreads and added it to my to-read list! Story about Serenity sounds just awesome!

    Hope your wrist problem disappears fast.

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  54. My writing experience is a mix of both. Early in the draft, when I'm getting lots of ideas, I want to write right through eating, sleeping, working whatever. Of course the reality is I don't live in a bubble so I have to stop to do those things at the same time as the rest of the world.

    Later in the draft and through a lot of the edits I find the process painful and sometimes I feel like I'd rather be doing anything else.

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  55. Hope your wrist gets better, Talli! Your next novel Construct a Couple sounds wonderful!

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  56. Hah! I love the terminology. Without distractions, I get lost in my writing. With them, well... clean up in aisle five. *grins*

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  57. Hi, Talli,

    "Word vomit?" How descriptive....YUK!

    I have mixed times in my writing. Sometime I can't keep up with it the ideas are pouring in and it's hours before I take a break.

    Other times I write a paragraph and I check my emails or blog for five or so minutes. Another paragraph or even sentence and again... you get the picture.

    I hope you had a fantabulous weekend and Congrats on the new novel!

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  58. I can get lost in it but I can't say it really stops me eating, (unfortunately)

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  59. I can get lost in it but I can't say it really stops me eating, (unfortunately)

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  60. Much as I love writing when I'm doing a lot of it, I'll never forget to eat or drink wine.

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  61. I do tend to get lost in it, where I'll lose track of time as I go along.

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  62. Sort of. Mine's more like a *draft* vom - I love blurting a first draft out. Editing is hard...

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Coffee and wine for all!