25 July 2014

Reasons I Shouldn't Write a New Book, Plus My 1000th Movie!

I could have split this into two posts, but I've got something else planned for Monday, so what the hell? So I've been thinking about this sequel thing all week and I realize there are plenty of reasons why I shouldn't start it right now. So here they are!

Reasons I Should Not Start Writing a New Book
  1. How about I finish the first book before roaming off into sequel land, huh?
  2. I really just don’t have the time or the patience to craft a brand new character and create an authentic voice for her.
  3. I also may be permanently stuck writing teenage boy voice. I can’t even write poetry anymore.
  4. My muse might actually kill me for this one. Seriously. I come up with a sequel to Jordan’s story and he is not in it at all. He might be mentioned, but probably not by name. So he’ll probably sneak into my brain just at the right moment and BOOM—I fall down a flight of stairs.
  5. Actually, homicide isn’t really his style. But he would probably find some way to completely sabotage my life.
  6. I’m not entirely sure I can create a character in her mid-thirties (at least not without a lot of time and thought—which is not going to happen any time soon). When I picture her, she feels younger than she actually is. I see her hanging out with her best friend and I realize, wait a second, that friend is most likely married with a couple kids.
  7. Don’t make me research stuff! I kinda see this character being a florist, which I’d have to research. And her mother has a stroke at some point during the book, which I’d also have to research. And SETTING. I’d have to figure out where these people came from—what town, what is it like, blah blah blah.
  8. My original intent was to only HINT at things that happened in the first book, but I think that will confuse anyone who hasn’t read it and frustrate anyone who has. So I’ll have to have some big confession scene where my MC’s brother admits that he committed statutory rape. And I can’t picture her reaction at this point—she was molested as a child so there’s gonna be some resentment.
  9. I'm wondering if writing a sequel will somehow take away the credibility of the first book. I feel as though it SHOULD stand on its own, but I'm also really attached to the characters so I don't think I could ever be done with them. 
  10. No, seriously. I need to finish the first book. 
And just because:

Reasons I Should Write It at Some Point
  1. I think it could be a really good story—a gripping family drama where old wounds are reopened and secrets are brought to light.
  2. I could actually write from a woman’s point of view for once.
  3. I get to keep it in the universe of my first book, which I absolutely love.
  4. A while ago, I created this fabulous character, Anthony, who I thought I’d never get to actually use, but he would definitely pop up in this book.
So basically, it’s not that I should NEVER write it—it’s that I shouldn’t write it NOW. I do kinda want to outline this one, though, so it may be something to do when I need a break from editing the first book. I could always brainstorm a title, too, since it took me over two years to come up with the first one…

And now for something completely different!

I like to make lists. To-do lists, lists of blog ideas, etc. But there’s one list that I’ve been working on for years, constantly adding to it and making sure that I haven’t forgotten things. And that list is my movie list. The list of every movie I’ve ever seen.

A few years ago (haha few she says…it was 8) I found myself in an interesting position. I had just graduated high school but had deferred my enrollment to college for a year (life issues) and was waiting to move out of my house to a different town, so I didn’t want to look for a job until we moved. Basically I had a lot of time on my hands. I did do a lot of writing, after my late night coffee drinking/yoga sessions (don’t ask), but I also spent a lot of time on the internet.

I don’t really remember how I got the idea to make the list. I found a website called Lists of Bests (it recently shut down…sad face), which had several different kinds of lists you could follow and check off—movies you’ve seen, books you’ve read, places you’ve gone. And you could make your own lists, too. For some reason, I started one. I added every movie I’d ever seen.

I know what you’re thinking. It’s gotta be impossible to remember every movie you’ve ever seen. Well, not exactly. But it does take a LOT of time, which I had. I spent hours and hours browsing DVD pages on Amazon until I reached the very end, making sure I added each one to my list. I looked at every genre, looked for all of the TV movies I thought I had seen, and eventually it was done. Every movie I’d ever seen, in alphabetical order. It was quite the accomplishment. Occasionally I would remember a certain movie that I’d forgotten, but over time that stopped, so I was fairly certain I’d gotten every one, except maybe ones I watched but was too young to remember. And when I saw a new movie, I would add it to the list, making sure it was always accurate.

Anyway, I’m rambling way too much. When I found out Lists of Bests was shutting down, I had to completely redo my list on iMDb. You can look at it here (go on, you know you want to!). Here’s my current dilemma. If you do look, you’ll notice that right now there are 999 titles on the list. That’s right—I’ve watched 999 movies. Which means my next one will be the 1000th. It seems like a significant event, really, so I don’t want to watch just any movie. I want it to be a good one.  I haven’t watched any new movies in a while because I just can’t decide!

I’m open to suggestions! What the hell kind of movie should you see for your 1000th? There aren’t any movies out in theaters I’d like to see right now, and I would prefer to not have to pay for one, although the on demand movies would probably only be about $6, so what the hell? I have Netflix and HBO as well, but I just can’t decide! What should it be? 

Anyone ever need to convince themselves NOT to write something? What should my 1000th movie be? How many movies do you think you’ve seen? 

10 comments:

  1. I was just writing a scene this week for Book #3 in my fantasy series. The first one, literally, just came out, and the second book is nowhere near finished, but you know, I had this scene in my head, and I didn't want to lose it. So I wrote it down. It'll soon join all the others

    What about watching an old classic movie? Something black & white, or silent even?

    I have no idea how many movies I've watched. Less than I used to, though.

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  2. Haha, your lists are great. I love lists!! And yes, you totally should write that book at some point, but I agree with your reasons for waiting :)

    Yikes, that's a lot of pressure for #1000!!! I'm with MJ - an old classic might fit just perfectly.

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  3. If you know it's going to be a great story then you should definitely write it, but you're right that now is probably not the best time. And don't be afraid of research. That's all part of writing an authentic story and what you learn can actually be very interesting. Or at least it usually is for me.

    I don't even know how many movies I've seen, so I don't think I can help you with that one. lol

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  4. I love brainstorming sequels, without actually writing them...it allows you to delve into the world more than ever, and can give you such a strong start if the perfect time to write it down comes!

    As for the movies, I have to agree with the others...a classic, for sure. One of those you know you should probably watch but haven't kind of movies. Make it memorable!

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  5. Everyone's idea of a classic sounds great. Maybe you could find one featuring someplace you've always wanted to visit, like Paris or London(or whatever floats your boat!). =)

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  6. first, i think your 1000th movie should be a classic that you havent seen - gone with the wind? young frankenstein? moby dick? love story? a barbara streisand classic - what's up doc? go bold and go old! ( ha haha)

    speaking of old - how do you jump from a teenage boy to a 30-something girl/woman? (and her friend could be married w/kids or divorced or not married yet - see that in movies all the time, what influence does she need from her friend? jealous of family? proof that she wants stability?) anyway, it sounds like an offshoot, so the next in a series, not necessarily a sequel. as long as they have a connection, you're good.

    and writing an outline for the next one, even doing some research, will probably spark more ideas and motivation to finish the first. new is exciting! live a little - like a vacation - then go back to work!

    ps - thanks for supporting my broken branch falls blog tour (sorry i was so wordy!)

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  7. didn't even notice - my friends up there recommended classics too - ha! we are wise and know of which we speak! =)

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  8. One argument for working on a sequel before publishing the first is staying true to your canon. Mine had sci-fi/paranormal stuff in it, and I was worried I'd get to writing the second book and have to tweak something in the first. I was right. In the end, I was glad I wrote the second book while I could still change the first one.

    1000 movies? Wow. Now that's a list!

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  9. I think you could write the first book in a way that it stands on its own even as the second one ties in with it. (I did! Wait, that wasn't on purpose though.)
    You need to watch something epic for number 1000! What haven't you seen?
    And it would SCARE you to know how many movies I've seen in just under five decades...

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  10. I think it's cool that book two is living in its beginning phases. As for the movie, I'm gonna go against popular vote, because I just saw "I Wish I Was Here." Yes it's brand new in theaters right now. I absolutely recommend this movie. In fact, if you go look on G+, I posted the trailer and told everyone this move is not to be missed. I enjoyed it that much. So there's my two cents. :)

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