I don’t think he knows about fourth breakfasts, Pippin…

[erastes]

- - - - -

Lili certainly seems recovered – although from now on she’s going to get smaller meals more often. This approach seems to be working, as she’s not been sick for a few days. She eats, goes and digests and then asks for more. Of course the boys don’t get this at ALL and they want feeding at the same time, but that’s not going to happen! I’m also feeding her Whiskas Supermeat rather than pouches and chunks, as it’s a smoother paste and probably easier to digest than processed shaped chunks. She’s having her fourth breakfast right now. Nom nom. She’s obviously part Hobbit.Anyway, thank you for bearing with me, and your messages of support, hopefully it’s all up from here.

Finally got around to watch Disney’s Tarzan which I found absolutely charming. I think it won me over by Minnie Driver’s performance which is really amazing. However – having read (and will be reviewing shortly) Jungle Heat by Bonnie Dee which is an ape man story – I wonder HOW Tarzan managed to be clean shaven. Bonnie Dee’s Tarzan was at least correct in that respect. Yes yes I know, so much else to yell “anachronism!!” about, but that really was a bit glaring. That and the loin cloth. I blame Johnny Weismuller. Now I’ll have to watch Greystoke again and see if he was beardless and loinclothed. *checks* yes. He’s modest and beardless. Oh well. I’ll have to wait until they film Jungle heat then.

Writing going well; I think I know what I’m doing, and I think that perhaps I need to write the ending pretty soon – I’ve never got so far into a book without having written the end, and I think I need that focus, that “winner’s tape in sight” to keep me grounded and convince me that I CAN DO THIS. It’s 38,000 words so far, which is around half way—I think, so that’s something, and I think I’m over the hump, too. What about you? Do you get “Humps” in your book? That stage where you think every word you write is walking cow stomach? (pedestrian tripe, in other words?) do tell.

Comments

[wikdsushi.livejournal.com]

Yay, glad Lili's doing so much better! =) Mmm, fourth breakfast. I'm jealous.

I get walking cow stomachs in every book I write. It's gotten so common that I worry when I don't have any. Then, the last one I wrote (fan novel, next one will be original), I barely had a walking stomach, and it was the strongest, tightest novel I've written to day. Now I just need to convert it to original, because I think it'll totally work. Yay for extreme AU!

Every time I get to a dragging point, though, I just write whatever happens next. It always gets me through.

[aishabintjamil.livejournal.com]

Glad Lili is doing better. :-)

I'm so with you on the hump thing. I've got a novel that I haven't been able to work up the ambition to touch in 3 months. It's hovering at 165K (yes, it does need trimming - this is total first draft spew at the moment), and I know I've only got about 3 chapters to finish. It's the climax (plot, not literal), with an ambush and a firefight and magic under desperate circumstances, and I know what needs to happen, and I just can't seem to motivate myself to write those last couple of chapters.

[markprobst.livejournal.com]

Re: Tarzan. It must be genetic, like Native Americans, he has no body or facial hair! What I loved about Disney's Tarzan was they really did pay homage to the early Tarzan films giving it historical flavor. That's one Disney animated movie that has pretty much gone into hiding. I don't think it was very popular, which is too bad because it is loads better than some of the other stuff Disney has done since.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I don't know why it's taken me a decade or more to see it! it was hugely enjoyable!

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear that Lili's doing better :) As for the hump, yes, I've got it with UtH again. I know myself well enough now to know that I always get one when the end comes in sight. It's as though some part of me doesn't want to finish the thing and is sabotaging me by making me want to do anything else instead. That's why most of my first drafts have very rushed endings, because I know if I don't rush it I may not do it at all.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

heh - yes, I have endingitis too, it's usually because I've written the ending itself and i need to join the dots and if i know exactly what's going to happen - which i should at that point - then I find it boring to actually put onto paper.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

"Ah, we're at THAT stage of the book, are we?"
/Neil Gaiman's agent

Everyone hits the hump. Everyone is convinced their writing sucks, even when a dozen people--strangers even--are going "Awesome, where can I get this?"

You just keep writing. Promise yourself five words each time you open the file. Because, baby, if you don't have 5 words, you don't have a whole novel. But 5 words. That gets you there litle by little.

[kcwarwick.livejournal.com]

I have to know the ending before I can write more than a couple of chapters. Ideally, I like to know the last sentence! I'm glad the cat is looking better - these animals...