Monday, May 05, 2008

Story Vows

Ten Promises I've Made to My WIP

1. I will be faithful to you. I'll ignore other, flashy story ideas who try to seduce me away from you. Once in a while I might spend a couple of hours with an old flame or someone else's new love, but don't be jealous -- I'll always come back to you.

2. I'll work hard to get you into shape. We'll start off at the best place and pace for you. I won't let you drag, bloat or sag around the middle. I won't pack your trunk with a lot of junk.

3. I will speak kindly of you to others. However much you deserve it, I will not refer to you as that bitch or a stupid-ass idea.

4. I will give you the best I've got, not whatever's left over after the rest of the world is through beating the hell out of me for the day.

5. I will not avoid you, even when I'm tired and you're being difficult. I will remember what a privilege it is to spend time with you.

6. I will never fake my way through a sex scene with you.

7. I won't turn you into a personal grindstone, or use you to hammer others with my political opinions, my faith or my creative agendas. I'll remember that you're supposed to be a gift, not a weapon.

8. I will not start up with you when I'm on the rebound solely so I can work out my frustrations over my last failed relationship.

9. Whatever anyone says about you, I will remember how much you mean to me, and how little I care what anyone else thinks of us.

10. When you're ready, I'll let you go. Somehow.

What are some of the promises you make to your WIP?

14 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:50 AM

    My promise to my WIP

    *G* Even when I think you're being a bitch, I won't say so. Sorry, it's the best I can offer. I'm not always very nice.

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  2. Number four is really, really hard.

    And very important.

    Thanks for the reminder.

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  3. I'll finish you. Somehow. Someday.

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  4. I'll give you anything you want if you'll work with me on this scene. (This is how the damndest things end up in the books, but it works.)

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  5. I swear I won't leave you when things get tough and I have a sweet new idea.

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  6. I promise not to force you into directions you don't want to go. I promise not to make your characters too stupid to live.

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  7. Ditto Mary Stella and #9.

    I will not be ashamed of whatever odd quirks or habits your characters might have.

    I will not listen to non-writers half-baked ideas about you or your characters progression.

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  8. Anonymous2:10 PM

    My promises are simple: I will finish you. I will fix you. I will send you out into the world the best I can make you.

    And this time, I think I just may follow through. (I TRY to promise all my WiP's that, and I'm lucky if I can make the first one.)

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  9. Anonymous2:19 PM

    Inspiring as usual, Sheila. Thanks a lot.

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  10. I won't force the sex, even though this is supposed to be EROTIC romance. Remember? EROTIC?? Could you try to be less with the angsty and a little more with the sexy, pretty please with mocha-flavored lube on top?

    ANYWAY. I won't force the sex. It'll come or it won't.

    *snerk*

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  11. -I will not whore you out to just whoever wants to buy...but if you should choose to get a job in a good location with good prospects, I might be willing to cook you dinner. And dessert.

    -If you promise not to abandon me at around the 2/3 mark, I promise to not cheat you out of a kick-ass surprise ending just because you're being difficult and obstinately refusing to follow my outline.


    See? I don't really promise my manuscript anything. I bargain with it. We evil people are like that. Mwahah.

    ...Then again, you're hella-published, and I'm hella-not. *snerk* Maybe I should start making my words some promises, eh?

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  12. #5 is the one I needed to read today.

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  13. Anonymous10:52 AM

    After reading your list I finished the shorty short story I've been working on. Oh and if you're wondering just what a shorty short story is (a short story with about 3500 words).

    I told it that if it cooperated I wouldn't take this hammer here and force it's square head through a round hole.

    Seemed to work, now off to correct spelling and grammar.

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