Well, the first draft of my first novel is done.
I finished it on New Year's Eve.
It's not very good, but it is done.
I have a lot to learn about writing and about English grammer - a point made painfully clear by the spell check and grammer check features on my computer.
I feel good, accomplished.
But mostly I feel introduced to the playing field.
I definitly would like to write about serious and Earth shaking things, but when I write, I tend to write about very common and predictable situations.
The gap between what I imagine and what I produce is still pretty wide, but I do now feel as if I can trace the outline of the struggle.
My goal would be to find a away to make the awkward sentence stuctures I can't seem to avoid work within the rules of grammer and to get deeper.
For now, I've got sex and robot dreams.
A start of somekind.
On Word!
Word count: 50,033
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Robot Dreams & Gay Sex
... a working title for my work in progress?
So, I am still struggling to reach the 50,000 word first draft goal.
I did not write a novel in a month, but if I can say I wrote a novel at all I will be satisfied, at least with the effort.
The outcome of this experiment is another story all together.
In a way I can't wait to show it to someone (I have already read a couple of passages to my super supportive boyfriend) but I'm also going to be a little embarrassed because this is by no means a deep or meaningful story.
So far it is a bit confusion and a lot indulgent.
It's still fun to do it and outcome be damned something is turning in me as a result of this staggered effort.
Something I hope to keep turning.
Writing is hard, but its really fun, too.
Its like having a really long one-sided conversation where no one interrupts you.
At least until you share it someone else.
I am happy to say that I am mostly done!
I am already curious about how the third draft will turn out.
It probably won't be seen by the eyes of other's until then.
On-word...
Current Word Count: 35001
So, I am still struggling to reach the 50,000 word first draft goal.
I did not write a novel in a month, but if I can say I wrote a novel at all I will be satisfied, at least with the effort.
The outcome of this experiment is another story all together.
In a way I can't wait to show it to someone (I have already read a couple of passages to my super supportive boyfriend) but I'm also going to be a little embarrassed because this is by no means a deep or meaningful story.
So far it is a bit confusion and a lot indulgent.
It's still fun to do it and outcome be damned something is turning in me as a result of this staggered effort.
Something I hope to keep turning.
Writing is hard, but its really fun, too.
Its like having a really long one-sided conversation where no one interrupts you.
At least until you share it someone else.
I am happy to say that I am mostly done!
I am already curious about how the third draft will turn out.
It probably won't be seen by the eyes of other's until then.
On-word...
Current Word Count: 35001
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Michael and Me
This morning I went to get a little take away breakfast at cafe a few blocks away from my apartment.
A large plasma screen TV in the corner was showing Michael Jackson's funeral which was being broadcast live on CNN.
As I waited for my egg white breakfast burrito I watched reporters spouting out facts about Michael's life and career as they waited for the ceremony to begin inside the Staples center (where 20,000 mourners had gathered).
A choir, floating on robes of deep blue, entered the stage underneath a beautiful LED replica of a large stained glass window and sang a gospel song as the shiny silver coffin dripping with deep red roses was slowly wheeled to a spot lighted section in front of and below the performance platforms.
I found myself swept up in the not so new ritual of a celebrity funeral.
The loss was palpable throughout the reverend's speech and even though I have never been a Michael fanatic I have always admired his talent and the impact he had on American culture, particularly the African-American presence in this country and then the world. And I did spend hours in front of the mirrored wall in the front hall of my parents home trying to teach myself the moon walk after seeing it performed live for the first time on the Grammy's. And I suspect that when my older sister, Dianne, introduced me to Off The Wall she unwittingly began my love of dance music.
I am also, through this funeral, experiencing a connection to funerals I have attended in my life, including my sister Dianne's over ten years ago.
Through all the pomp and production runs the undeniable reality of death.
The walk back from the cafe felt a more real than the walk there had felt.
I am at the last official day of this novel writing project and I am terribly behind.
I worked all day yesterday to catch up and my plan was to continue working all day today to complete the first draft.
It turns out June 2009 was not the best month for me in which to complete a novel.
Is there a best month? For me? Probably not. Or, not yet.
Today I will write, but my hopes of reaching the goal are muted by many thoughts and memories and the funeral I am watching on television.
Current word count: 28371
A large plasma screen TV in the corner was showing Michael Jackson's funeral which was being broadcast live on CNN.
As I waited for my egg white breakfast burrito I watched reporters spouting out facts about Michael's life and career as they waited for the ceremony to begin inside the Staples center (where 20,000 mourners had gathered).
A choir, floating on robes of deep blue, entered the stage underneath a beautiful LED replica of a large stained glass window and sang a gospel song as the shiny silver coffin dripping with deep red roses was slowly wheeled to a spot lighted section in front of and below the performance platforms.
I found myself swept up in the not so new ritual of a celebrity funeral.
The loss was palpable throughout the reverend's speech and even though I have never been a Michael fanatic I have always admired his talent and the impact he had on American culture, particularly the African-American presence in this country and then the world. And I did spend hours in front of the mirrored wall in the front hall of my parents home trying to teach myself the moon walk after seeing it performed live for the first time on the Grammy's. And I suspect that when my older sister, Dianne, introduced me to Off The Wall she unwittingly began my love of dance music.
I am also, through this funeral, experiencing a connection to funerals I have attended in my life, including my sister Dianne's over ten years ago.
Through all the pomp and production runs the undeniable reality of death.
The walk back from the cafe felt a more real than the walk there had felt.
I am at the last official day of this novel writing project and I am terribly behind.
I worked all day yesterday to catch up and my plan was to continue working all day today to complete the first draft.
It turns out June 2009 was not the best month for me in which to complete a novel.
Is there a best month? For me? Probably not. Or, not yet.
Today I will write, but my hopes of reaching the goal are muted by many thoughts and memories and the funeral I am watching on television.
Current word count: 28371
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Powering Through...
... is what I keep putting off and what I must now do in order to reach the 50,000 word goal by midnight next Tuesday afternoon, July 7, 2009.
One thing I have discovered so far is that my talents for distraction far exceed my talents for composition and that there is always something to do.
In the future when I am bored I will simply give myself some unachievable, yet emotionally compelling goal and watch as all the chores and delights and mid-day TV shows reveal themselves like rows of jelly beans in a candy store.
I am also a kind of a mess as a writer.
I don't yet have a style or a real presence of mind when it comes to plot.
And I'm often too wordy when describing things that neither propel the plot nor deepen character.
Maybe I should go into advertising.
Anyhoosal, To The Keyboard Distracted Man!
One thing I have discovered so far is that my talents for distraction far exceed my talents for composition and that there is always something to do.
In the future when I am bored I will simply give myself some unachievable, yet emotionally compelling goal and watch as all the chores and delights and mid-day TV shows reveal themselves like rows of jelly beans in a candy store.
I am also a kind of a mess as a writer.
I don't yet have a style or a real presence of mind when it comes to plot.
And I'm often too wordy when describing things that neither propel the plot nor deepen character.
Maybe I should go into advertising.
Anyhoosal, To The Keyboard Distracted Man!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
The Soldiers of Chaos
Um.. whoa, so the last two weeks have been some of the busiest of the summer,but not due to my writing schedule.
Frown.
Sigh.
Feelings of guilt, shame and incompetence boil to the surface as I struggle to keep in mind that this IS a struggle; that I'm doing something I don't normally try to do; that I'm staring down more than one personal demon in this process of writing a novel in one month.
Work.
Pride.
Unexpected guests.
Dishes.
Cooking.
TV.
Facebook.
Distraction.
A broken computer.
Boyfriend needs.
Worry over the future.
Worry over the present.
Worry.
The soldiers of chaos are hard at work on me during this time.
But, on I will go.
I have until July 7th.
I will work diligently to meet my goal by that time.
I have noticed that the words per day increase to some degree when I write about sex. Perhaps I am a pornographer, though I hardly pay attention to such things. I do believe that sex and the feelings that surround it can tell a reader a great deal about a character or a situation. And I am hardly the first writer to broach the subject. Nothing so far is gratuitous and nothing will be, but much to my mother's dismay, my story will contain evidence of a familiarity with natural urges. At this point, whatever it takes to get the goal, right?
Soldiering on.
Current Word Count: 10776
Frown.
Sigh.
Feelings of guilt, shame and incompetence boil to the surface as I struggle to keep in mind that this IS a struggle; that I'm doing something I don't normally try to do; that I'm staring down more than one personal demon in this process of writing a novel in one month.
Work.
Pride.
Unexpected guests.
Dishes.
Cooking.
TV.
Facebook.
Distraction.
A broken computer.
Boyfriend needs.
Worry over the future.
Worry over the present.
Worry.
The soldiers of chaos are hard at work on me during this time.
But, on I will go.
I have until July 7th.
I will work diligently to meet my goal by that time.
I have noticed that the words per day increase to some degree when I write about sex. Perhaps I am a pornographer, though I hardly pay attention to such things. I do believe that sex and the feelings that surround it can tell a reader a great deal about a character or a situation. And I am hardly the first writer to broach the subject. Nothing so far is gratuitous and nothing will be, but much to my mother's dismay, my story will contain evidence of a familiarity with natural urges. At this point, whatever it takes to get the goal, right?
Soldiering on.
Current Word Count: 10776
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Deep breath
Well as of late I have been going through a little downishness, working it out though. Unfortunatly it has hendered me from writing the way I want to the way I should. But I realize these moments are needed for clarity to arrive. I feel like I am on the other side of this now, so time to motor through. I have much more to do before its all over. So wish me well I need it
Word Count: 15678
Word Count: 15678
Sunday, June 14, 2009
The Rain
When it rains it pours...... we the rain anyway. I found myself with too much info floating around in my head and have only just poured it on the keys of my computer. I have thicken my plot in a way I did not expect, and yet I have found a perspective I and excited to play with. Feeling emotionally drained, I will forge ahead.
Word Count: 7457
Word Count: 7457
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Tentative Little Dances
I am one of the scary points for me.
So far in my story I feel I have two really big scenes, both of which are just conversations, but still vital scenes for the story... whatever that ends up being.
I'm right at the beginning of the first big scene and as I write I find myself
skirting around and stalling and hesitating and adding lots of little details to avoid diving into the meat of the thing... the meat being something I have not quite decided on yet. When I'm unsure, but unblocked I have a good time following the characters around, discovering what they discover as I write. But at this point its important that I add some structure or oomph to the goings on and I'm terrified. Okay, maybe terrified is too big a word, but I'm nervous and I know I must keep writing, but I'm not sure how to handle an "important" moment in the story.
Boo hoo. My biggest fears are the million cliche pits I've set up for myself to fall into and worse that I have nothing, not even a cliche to make the story more compelling.
Current Word Count: 5469
So far in my story I feel I have two really big scenes, both of which are just conversations, but still vital scenes for the story... whatever that ends up being.
I'm right at the beginning of the first big scene and as I write I find myself
skirting around and stalling and hesitating and adding lots of little details to avoid diving into the meat of the thing... the meat being something I have not quite decided on yet. When I'm unsure, but unblocked I have a good time following the characters around, discovering what they discover as I write. But at this point its important that I add some structure or oomph to the goings on and I'm terrified. Okay, maybe terrified is too big a word, but I'm nervous and I know I must keep writing, but I'm not sure how to handle an "important" moment in the story.
Boo hoo. My biggest fears are the million cliche pits I've set up for myself to fall into and worse that I have nothing, not even a cliche to make the story more compelling.
Current Word Count: 5469
Friday, June 12, 2009
Fits & Starts
There are times during this writing process that the words flow and before I know it I have several paragraphs and whole new scene in front of me on the screen of my laptop. Then there are times when I stare blanking for long periods at the last line I've just written and am at a loss for how to continue. I start, stop, erase, get up for some water, think about going for a hike, worry about money, wonder what's on The View today, type a sentence I hate then go do the dishes or start a load of laundry.
I have not yet identified the rhythm of my writing ebb and flow, but by the time this novel has been written I will have a very good idea.
Because the commitment is 50,000 word in 30 days, I think it will be necessary to extend the deadline to include all 30 days instead of cutting it to 24 days and trying to get it done by June 30th. I am waiting until Sunday evening and would like to check in with my writing competitor sis before making it official, but 3333 words a day for six day in a row seem out of my grasp at this point.
For now the story continues...
Current word count: 4238
I have not yet identified the rhythm of my writing ebb and flow, but by the time this novel has been written I will have a very good idea.
Because the commitment is 50,000 word in 30 days, I think it will be necessary to extend the deadline to include all 30 days instead of cutting it to 24 days and trying to get it done by June 30th. I am waiting until Sunday evening and would like to check in with my writing competitor sis before making it official, but 3333 words a day for six day in a row seem out of my grasp at this point.
For now the story continues...
Current word count: 4238
Thursday, June 11, 2009
On the Third Day
Well... my word count is not what I would like it to be, but for the first time I feel as if I am onto something with the story. What that "something" is remains to be seen, but I can see a bit further down the street that I could on days one and two.
I used one of the inspirations that come with the novel writing kit to justify a sort of goofy, somewhat implausible event in the story. Ha! Take that skeptical brain of mine!
Just to make me feel that, even though I am 7097 words behind scheduled at the moment, I am moving forward I will post a brief excerpt here.
I search the room and see several beautiful flower arrangements at the booth tables. Platters of small cakes, sandwiches and fruit are lined up at the other end of the bar. Candles. An uneasy feeling starts in my shoulders and knees and works its way towards the center of me. I hear my name with a question mark behind it and freeze. The voice is familiar in that sinking feeling sort of way and I squint my eyes in its direction. A body is moving toward me from one of the booths.
Current word count: 2902
I used one of the inspirations that come with the novel writing kit to justify a sort of goofy, somewhat implausible event in the story. Ha! Take that skeptical brain of mine!
Just to make me feel that, even though I am 7097 words behind scheduled at the moment, I am moving forward I will post a brief excerpt here.
I search the room and see several beautiful flower arrangements at the booth tables. Platters of small cakes, sandwiches and fruit are lined up at the other end of the bar. Candles. An uneasy feeling starts in my shoulders and knees and works its way towards the center of me. I hear my name with a question mark behind it and freeze. The voice is familiar in that sinking feeling sort of way and I squint my eyes in its direction. A body is moving toward me from one of the booths.
Current word count: 2902
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