Rolling the stone up again

In the book, "Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know About Writing"(Harcourt Brace: 1999), the author, Patricia T. O'Conner, writes about the Greek Sisyphus in mythology who was condemned to roll a stone uphill only to have it roll down again. O'Conner recommends that Sisyphus should be the patron saint of writers. I am not so sure I would like that since the name sounds too much like the venereal disease syphilis . (They are not from the same root word. The name "syphilis" was coined by the Italian physician and poet Girolamo Fracastoro in his epic noted poem, written in Latin, titled Syphilis sive morbus gallicus [Latin for "Syphilis or The French Disease"] in 1530.)

The reason that O'Conner wanted Sisyphus as the patron saint of writers was that most writers end up feeling that they are not going anywhere as Sisyphus felt rolling the damn rock up time and time again. Progress seldom announces itself. It comes in increments, according to the author, without fireworks and without any fanfare.

One time I was writing a book using realistic fantasy and it was one of the hardest thing I ever done. I had the elements of my story in place, but I had no idea how I was going to weave them together into a coherent story. I remember thinking if I could just come up with a story or plot line that would make sense of the whole thing I would buy a wreath and put it on the grave of the man who inspired the story in the first place. When I finally got it together, I forgot my promise and felt absolutely lost in the editing of it.

O'Conner has some signs that you can use so you won't feel that you are running in place and some signs to look for. She cautions not to expect to see them all. If you see one, it can help you keep you going. I have them on the wall behind my computer.

1. You met your quota.

Set a quota or a number of words or pages each time you write. I do a words count since I work on a computer. When the count grows, I know I have made progress. Sometimes, my goal is one sentence or even one word. It just depends. Don't set an unrealistic goal.

2. You've done your time.

I have a friend who is a writer and never uses a word count. She sets a time. When that time is up, she is up and ready to do something. She puts a check on her calendar page. She is done. She does it this way because she often can't get going on something. Inspiration is sometimes perspiration and she keeps her butt in her chair until the time is spent. She does not do anything else no matter what.

3. Your writing holds up.

If it still looks good to you the next day, it probably is. I also read it out loud. If it sounds pretty good, it is good. I catch so many mistakes that way.

4. You can't wait to get back to work.

Now you're getting somewhere. If you are dreading getting back to whatever you are working on it means to me I made a wrong turn somewhere and go back to where the writing felt good. Usually, I edit something further back and usually wipe out the stuff that felt bad.

5. You can't stop.

This does not happen every day, but oh when it happens. It is wonderful. I remember wanting to watch a particular program and did not watch it because I was having so much fun writing. I have a rule. Nothing comes before writing except family.

6. You're not afraid to show your writing.

If you have the confidence to ask for someone else's opinion you've made progress.

I don't have a criticism group right now. The last time I tried the group loved my work and never said a word in criticism. If I said anything back about their work, they reacted in anger. I thought all of them were published and discovered none of them were. It is best to find a group that is in the same level as you are and if you can't listen to yourself. Before I showed my work, I worked on it and read it out loud.

7. You can take criticism without collapsing.

Well, you asked for it, didn't you? Besides, if criticism helps you get your project back on track, that progress. I remember the first time someone criticized a story of mine. They said a swimmer I was describing sounded more like a boat than a woman. I looked at it and they were right. I was very young and never thought about that aspect of it. I sold that story later. I learned to look at elements of my story in a detached manner.

I also learned that sometimes what someone did not like is what I did like. Someone objected to something in a story that was to them very gross. I kept it in. I considered it the central part of the story.

As I said, I don't have a criticism group. What I found to be a good way to edit my story is to give it some time, and then return to it.