Julie & Julia - the Movie Version

I just watched the DVD Julie & Julia. It was okay. I had problems with the memoir, I had problems with the movie (though, as all of the reviews said, Meryl Streep did an excellent job).

One of my biggest problems with the movie, however, was the fact that Amy Adams, portraying Julie Powell, kept talking about how she "wants to be a writer." They kind of alluded to what I'm going to discuss in more detail in the movie, and I was going to let it slide, but...spoiler alert...at the end of the movie, they did one of those "words rolling across the screen like what we want you to read is uber-important but we're really just trying to wrap things up without another few days of filming" and in those words were contained "She is a writer."

Well, duh, she's a writer. Didn't she write every, or almost every, day for an entire year on that blog about cooking? Isn't that where her memoir came from, and this movie? (There were also annoying words to the effect that a movie had been made from her book. I guess it was supposed to be cute, but it actually just pissed me off.)

Basically, what I don't think the movie made clear is the difference between being a "writer" and being an "author."

A writer is someone who writes. Period. By virtue of having a blog in which I write occasionally, I am a writer (though not necessarily a very good one). All you have to do to be a writer is write. So if you want to be a writer, stop reading, focus on whatever it is you wish was already written, and make the past tense I just used a reality.

An author is someone who has written something that has been published. It is harder to be an author than it is to be a writer.

Anyone can write. Not everyone has the persistence and dedication to get published.

Some people write because they want a big book deal that's going to get them a lot of money. Julie Powell's memoir became a bestseller, and that's awesome. That doesn't happen with every book, though. It doesn't even happen to many books. The huge bestseller is a rarity, like being struck twice by lightning. Therefore, wanting to become famous and rich is not a reason to become a writer and strive to get published.

Yes, realistically, it's something most of us would enjoy, but it's not the reason to write.

In sum, while we would all like to receive positive feedback and feel like creative genius, the only reason to become a writer is because you enjoy creating and/or relating stories.

NaNo: The Final Count

A day late, but here it is...

At the end of NaNo, I had written 44,153 words.

Best NaNo yet, though I still didn't "win."

I might just sketch out where I was thinking of going, and set it away for awhile.

I have a new goal for December: losing some weight. I know this is usually a New Year's resolution, but for personal reasons, I find it imperative to do so now.

I will still be writing, but not nearly as much, particularly as I'm trying to catch up on my sleep and not get sick (everyone seems to be getting ill lately).

All of this, of course, is to provide an excuse for the fact that I probably won't be posting much for awhile.

Last Day of NaNo [Insert Scream Here]

Still horribly behind. I am currently at: 43,253 words.

I have to get ready for work soon, after which I will probably be too tired to type.

I worked hard, and will struggle to get the words count to 45,000, but cannot realistically expect anything above that.

I have written more this NaNo than any of the previous ones, and am currently resenting my "middle-of-the-month whiny bitch" session. I mean, who do I think I am - Bella Swan? (The real answer is no, by the way. I'm not quite that crazy. Yet. I also haven't met a vampire, let alone some weird, "vegetarian" family of good-looking creepiness.)

Okay, I'm off, to write! Running to meet my deadline, with pen in hand, and held out before me, like a rapier. En guarde!

Quick Update

NaNovel currently at 37,733 words.

Terribly behind, headache, must push forward.

Hoping I will not be called into work later.

Over the Half-Way Mark

I made it over the half-way mark on my NaNo novel today!

That's right - I have over 25,000 words (and only a few days to finish about 25,000 more, but trying to think positive).

To celebrate, I came up with the following idea: the Snippet of the Day.

On my NaNo page (username: shellyquade), I will be posting a snippet of my novel which has been written THAT DAY.

Obviously, this is a ploy to attempt to motivate myself to write more every day, so that I have more to choose from. But, if you're bored, or like my writing style on this blog, or bored, you're welcome to check it out.

(I will not be cross-posting snippets to this blog, because I'm paranoid, and don't like the idea of leaving a trail of rough first draft material unless it's a contest entry. Plus, I'm lazy.)

Another NaNo Update

I'm ridiculously behind. Like, about a week behind.

My boyfriend says he's proud of me anyway, because I've been working on the novel basically every day, though I definitely haven't been making much of a dent everyday. But that's what boyfriends are supposed to say if they don't want to sleep on the couch, so while it's sweet, I don't know that I give it much credence.

I just...I don't know how other people do it. I'm a slow writer. In general, if I write 500 words in a day, I think that's a pretty big accomplishment. To consecutively execute 1,667 words each day for 30 days...

Well, I'm still trying. But I'm also trying not to beat myself up for being an inferior writer who has set herself another goal she probably can't accomplish.

The Second Write-In

I have not been feeling particularly well, lately. I'm not very sick, but my lack of energy and drive is astounding.

At the second write-in today, I hit a wall. I felt incredibly tired, went home, took a nap, and got an okay word count today. Not stellar or anything, but...okay.

I will continue to try.

Yesterday's word count: Abysmal

Today's word count: 1,994