A Conversation: Coffee and Cigarettes

a reply to: Tiamat384

Thanks for your kind words. It is difficult to say exactly how far I am through the project. When I started back in late 2012, I thought I'd be done in 6 weeks or so. After discovering (numerous times) that I had basically no fiction-writing technique, which is integral to my original goal, I had to learn things on-the-fly.

In many instances, the original song didn't work out for the "scene" in the story it was intended for. I would estimate that for every song that has "made the cut", at least three did not. In the end, it works out to a lot of hours doing songwriting, which is ultimately good. But when I've become impatient to finish the project, the learning process often seems dreadfully slow.

a reply to: MiddleInitial
So a 25% pass rate. Well there isn't anything wrong with that. Simply means you want the project to turn out great! Ah yes I understand. I'm writing(or was as I don't know if I'll continue) a story in increments and although I love writing it and each piece takes a short time to write being very short I can not wait for it to be done so I can move on and share it with some people. I'm sure your project will turn out great. What do you plan on doing with the project and after it? Do you have any other plans?

a reply to: Tiamat384

I read your writing and I particularly liked the first one. You mentioned that they are song lyrics, but they work great as prose, too. I saw your comment at the bottom of one of the threads you linked, about feeling like nobody cares whether you write or not. I cringed when I read it, because I can relate to that thought too well. I don't know who I'm speaking with, so I hope this doesn't come off as condescending or trite, but if writing is that thing that nags at you to do, keep doing it, regardless of if you think anyone cares or not.

It's funny you ask what I plan to do when I'm finished recording. I worked under the assumption that I was going to try to build a career in music. (It seems that in America, if you are even slightly accomplished at something, then you must necessarily try to make money by it. Perhaps that's not true, but all the same it is a problem of mindset, for me at least.)

Well, after the trial-and-error of gigging, I slowly came to the realization that I don't really want a music career after all; I get anxious in groups of people, and I don't have the social aptitude or patience required to establish and maintain professional contacts, plus I take it pretty hard when I feel like my music has been rejected or ridiculed. The resulting depressions are not worth it to me: I didn't get into music so I could hate myself.

So my goal now is to finish it for the sake of finishing what I started, so I could be proud of my follow-through. I will probably release it to my family and friends, if only because I've been talking and talking about this project for years, and if I fail to deliver something, well...I wouldn't think warm, fuzzy thoughts over myself if that happened.

And on that note, I have a lyric that I wanted to give a quick spit shine tonight, so I should probably sign off and get to work before it gets too late. Thanks for the chat - I'll probably see you around the boards.

a reply to: MiddleInitial
Well. I imagined them in his(Tom Waits') voice so perhaps song lyrics isn't exactly correct. Oh yeah that. I didn't think at the time of writing that that anyone would see it. Well, it's like this. If you like something you try to get more people to notice it and on this site that is through flagging, but even saying they did like it, they didn't do so. Which is fine. And yeah because the comment was liked more so maybe the writing is crummy so not sure there is a point. Oh I'll keep writing. Perhaps I will take a break for some time, but ultimately I will, just might not share it here. Hell if I know. I'm exhuasted right now. After 3 AM.

Ah yes I understand that feeling. I had wanted to write a long story of 25 or 50 pages minimum(I forget which number I had thought of and that number would be doubled I believe if numbered as an actual book), but hadn't written it for quite some time. I should get back to that actually.

Yes the point of creating something is not to hate yourself, but to do what you love. So if you like making music continue to do so. No need to sell it or even share it so long as you like it and doing it.

Yes, I'll see you around.

I'm still at work, give an hour or 5 and I'll meet up for some nicotine and caffeine

a reply to: GreenGunther

I will be waiting!