About this time I've realized I can write the required daily minimum (1677 words) without a lot of problems. According to my calculations, I'm still in the first third of the book, which means if I keep things up like this, it will end up at 120,000 words. Yikes. Then again, I have Bob the Editor leaning over my shoulder screaming "cut that sentence, that paragraph is crap, you call yourself a novelist? Drivelist, that's what I call you..." About then is where I clamp my headphones on, pull up iTunes, and drown out his sorry ass.
If I put together all the posts I make on blogs and boards during the week, and all the email round robin arguments... ahem, discussions I get into, I should be able to write 3500 words a day. But that writing is different, its interactive, there are people outside myself giving me nudges and hints and directions to take the conversation. I'm free to be a smartass (imagine that) or wax philosophical. (Pontification was a required course in grad school.)
In the story, I'm forced to focus, to concentrate on the scene I assigned myself in the outline. And you know what? It's not so bad. I'm learning to be a lot more disciplined. I'm learning that I can write on a topic/scene and get something useful out of it, even if the scene will likely be cut later on. I'm thinking more about conflicts, and how to punch up a scene. What information needs to be in there and what can be sprinkled on like parmesan on pasta.
Soon I will be in uncharted territory, though. I've been trying to imagine the next day's scene when I go to bed at night, to walk through it and ponder the implications of telling it one way or another. Up until this point, I was sure of the groundwork I'd laid out. Now new possibilities are opening up, and I am sorely tempted to play with them, or at least toss a bone in their direction. Since my POV's are set, playing with newer ideas would mean some manipulation of the characters. With Bob cupping his hands to his mouth and yelling "Stay the Course" it's really hard to concentrate. My characters are arrogant, stubborn, deceitful, timid, brash and innocent. I want arrogance taken down a peg (Thanks, Carla), stubbornness to bend, deceitfulness to get her comeuppance, and the rest to step outside of their comfort zones... I say what the hell. If I have to grow, then so do they.
4 comments:
I think I should insert my Bob - Bobbus? Bobius? - in the battle in the Teutoburg Forest and have the Germans cut his ugly little head off. :)
Unfortunately, Bobs (Bob-i?) are teflon coated. Cut the head of one off and two more take his place. Of course, we could try the "As you know, Bob," ploy, but I think he's on to it.
I could have my Byzantines give him sternly disapproving looks?
Teflon-coated, hydra-headed, all-round indestructible.... Why not try sternly disapproving looks? You never know :-)
With a few industrial strength sighs thrown in for dramatic purposes?
:)
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