In the first 59 years of my life, I've co-authored 8 technical books, written and published dozens of articles, poems, and short stories. Edited more stuff than I care to think about (over 170 issues of our online weekly magazine since 2002). But I've never written the novels I always wanted to write.

So I've decided that June of this year, my 60th, I'm getting off the dime and doing the first draft of my first novel. Got a killer idea (take that any way you want), it's time to bring it to life with the help of Karen Wiesner's First Draft in 30 Days.

To bring this slightly back toward fountain pens, I'm writing the draft with my new DaniTrio Densho raw ebonite eyedropper pen. I really like that pen! It's made the first day's work (character sketches) almost effortless.

See you around the Fourth of July!

Good luck, Bill. You're treading a path along which I will one day walk, too.

Ray

Hope it goes well . . . maybe one day we'll get to read it!

yup... hope it goes well

Good luck. May the "ink" be with you!

Cool thing to do.... When you make it big... which I am sure you will, don't forget us FPNers....

I write a lot of workforce related journal articles, what technical area do you focus on.

You can do it! I'm hoping to do the same this summer.

Oh, good for you! I'm setting a three month goal for myself, starting in July. I shall ask you how it went.

Good luck!!

Good luck and all the inspiration you can handle,

Will follow in your wake very soon

Daniel

OK, confession time.

This has been a do-little week, and that 30-day target isn't any closer. (Note to self: it's very difficult to write your way out of depression, especially if you are spending your time being depressed and not writing. This is starting to sound like Yogi Berra.)

So today I decided it was time to get tough.

The initial character sketches referred to last week were a breeze because there was no substance to them. The characters were flat and paper-thin. Re-wrote one of the lead characters and got good starts (so far) on the spouse (who is not secondary in any way) and on the villain. I feel like I know the characters now, and they have suddenly acquired bodies and personalities, including inner conflicts and character flaws. I'm going to see if I can find photos of them over the next couple of days.

A total of two pages at this point, plus research, notes, and planning, and I'm not done for the day. It doesn't sound like much progress for two hours' work, but it's amazing how much better I feel now than I did this morning. Just breaking to take care of my mother, make dinner, walk the dog. Back to finish two more pages (see rule #1 below) after 9 pm tonight. I already know what will be on them, it's just a matter of writing them.

Part of getting tough is setting some goals and some rules.

1. Four pages a day, every day. When the four pages are done, I can spend as much time cleaning and rearranging my desk, dusting the computer monitor, etc. as I like.

2. Post hours worked and pages written on a daily basis on a chart pinned to the wall in front of my desk.

3. No broadcast television, no radio (no, not even NPR) unless the four pages are done AND someone else is in the room. (Basically, this means the television in the office stays off since nobody else is ever in there. That tv is the one with a built-in vcr, it is meant only for screening training tapes.)

So I will miss the 30 days by a week. You gotta start someplace.

P.S. The DaniTrio Densho raw ebonite pen is one of the best things I have ever done for my writing. Apart from sucking it up and deciding to impose those three rules on myself.

Oh, yes. It does. It really, really does.
I wish there were an applause smiley.

All the best,
Patti