Comments on: Question: What the @#$%! Am I Doing with My Life? http://denniscass.com/2009/02/05/question-what-the-am-i-doing-with-my-life/ Mon, 29 Aug 2011 22:07:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Sara Aase http://denniscass.com/2009/02/05/question-what-the-am-i-doing-with-my-life/#comment-335 Sat, 14 Feb 2009 17:30:45 +0000 http://denniscass.com/?p=592#comment-335 Seriously. I want my vampire puppet musical and I want it right now! I am so with you. It can be hard to resist the temptation to throw everything away and too easy to discount the value of what you’re already doing. I have some regrets in this area. Maybe the “ready” post can also touch on seeing what you have with fresh eyes, and leveraging it.

]]> By: bets http://denniscass.com/2009/02/05/question-what-the-am-i-doing-with-my-life/#comment-321 Sat, 07 Feb 2009 22:23:53 +0000 http://denniscass.com/?p=592#comment-321 I had this feeling when I finished my last book. I’ve been submitting for a few years, revised this one on request (still waiting on that agent to get right back to me 6 mos later) and when I sent it to her, even though I’ve sent it to other places, I just couldn’t face another book.

So I’ve written a bunch of short stories and sold a couple last fall. So now I’m taking steps, real steps, in my career without “breaking the creative bank” so to speak.

And a month ago I just got back into my novel. I needed the pause to regroup, I think, creatively, and business-wise, too.

I love the image of “coming down with an idea like someone gets a cold.” That’s frigging brilliant.

]]> By: denniscass http://denniscass.com/2009/02/05/question-what-the-am-i-doing-with-my-life/#comment-320 Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:06:35 +0000 http://denniscass.com/?p=592#comment-320 Two things:

Lee is extra-right about ideas past, present and future.

As for what “ready” means, I’ll write up a post about it soon. It’s a worthy topic.

]]> By: Lee http://denniscass.com/2009/02/05/question-what-the-am-i-doing-with-my-life/#comment-319 Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:40:48 +0000 http://denniscass.com/?p=592#comment-319 It sounds like part of your anxiety comes from believing that these big ideas of yours are all you’ll get, and you have to seize the opportunity, but if you’re creative enough to come up with these current brilliant ideas you are bound to come up with more down the line. Don’t think your current ideas any less valuable, but don’t be anxious that they’re the only ones life will ever provide for you. You’re an artist; you come down with brilliant, heartbreaking, hilarious ideas the way other people get colds.

]]> By: Kat http://denniscass.com/2009/02/05/question-what-the-am-i-doing-with-my-life/#comment-318 Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:55:48 +0000 http://denniscass.com/?p=592#comment-318 @Maggie true, but you can’t practise yourself to death either.

Lots of people have had successful writing careers and NEVER quit their day job. They didn’t even want to. They just chose to not make it a conflict.

I’ve been reading about professional writers’ workdays for decades now, and the two big things are to make it normal and make it a schedule, with quotas to keep you honest. Which, after all, is very similar to what people tell you about working out.

]]> By: Maggie Sandford http://denniscass.com/2009/02/05/question-what-the-am-i-doing-with-my-life/#comment-317 Fri, 06 Feb 2009 06:39:49 +0000 http://denniscass.com/?p=592#comment-317 (That is, if you’re working full-time.)

]]> By: Maggie Sandford http://denniscass.com/2009/02/05/question-what-the-am-i-doing-with-my-life/#comment-316 Fri, 06 Feb 2009 06:38:24 +0000 http://denniscass.com/?p=592#comment-316 Here’s the thing *I* can’t reconcile:

Nobody can argue writing writing writing practice makes perfect. So even if you eke out a piece that you’re proud of every now and again, how will you ever feel “ready” for anything? How do you work those muscles?

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