A Writer's Notebook, Day Seventy-One
Today was an extremely productive day: I broke 65,000 words tonight, and am at the cusp of the real action of the climax. I feel far more assured about the ending than I had even a few hours ago, when I gave my last update, though I still need to ascertain some of it. There has been a bit of clarification on certain points, which makes it easier for me to begin imagining how it will work out.
As mentioned, I need to balance two concepts with each other, and each one needs to fit with certain parameters. The overall ending will be unresolved, in some ways, and is going to need to be bittersweet as well. That has to develop out of these separate elements, and the individual pieces need to also be able to fit together in the right way.
This, in part, has to do with fracturing the narrative, in a way that will create two distinct views on events that then have to come back together into a single narrative again at the end, without resolving the fracture. It is a strange idea, but it makes complete sense within the story, and has been set up from the start, in terms of the structure (though I did not actual recognize this until I was nearing the book's end).
In short, I am recognizing that I have a very complicated bit of writing to wrangle my way through, but I can see a great deal of it, and really only have one central question in terms of what is going to happen, which has to do with the specifics of the plot at that point. I do have a deeper understanding of the lack of a resolution at the end, and even a sense of what will be after, but I need a sense of certain details that will be integral.
As well, I still need to work out the specifics of how it will actually happen. I have a sense of a few things that will need to occur, and I have actually realized that their are some elements in play that I had not considered yet, but which will be good at facilitating the climax. Some specifics will need to be addressed, but they should be fun and easy to write.
I find it amazing how much is clarified for me as I write on this blog. While I may not always unveil specifics, the thinking that occurs in order to express the process aspects that I attempt to focus on has often caused me to reconsider the ideas I am working on. Tonight, for instance, as I have been writing, I've had a number of ideas that came to mind, for example using a character who has been sidelined to catalyze the climax in a way that I think will be really in the spirit of the book. In some ways, side characters that I hadn't planned on are becoming quite interesting additions to the cast. I've mentioned one already who has become a central character, and another has also appeared near the end, who I think is still going to play a somewhat significant role.
I also have a much stronger sense, as a result of writing here, of the actual reason for the ending being fractured, or at least for the meaning of it. This isn't just a gimmick, but something specific to the story, that has a real reasoning within it, though it leaves an ambiguity that won't be resolved in the book. Indeed, the implication of my new understanding is something that really helps me to actually get a firmer grasp on the ideas in general.
It is nearly four already, and I should be getting to bed. I do feel quite good about the work accomplished today, and am, once more, enthused about the work tomorrow. I feel that quite close to cracking the whole of the book and getting it completed, and I am excited about the work that I am going to do tomorrow. I don't know if I will actually reach the conclusion, but it seems to be very close at this point. In any case, I hope to get back at it after I get a bit of sleep.
As mentioned, I need to balance two concepts with each other, and each one needs to fit with certain parameters. The overall ending will be unresolved, in some ways, and is going to need to be bittersweet as well. That has to develop out of these separate elements, and the individual pieces need to also be able to fit together in the right way.
This, in part, has to do with fracturing the narrative, in a way that will create two distinct views on events that then have to come back together into a single narrative again at the end, without resolving the fracture. It is a strange idea, but it makes complete sense within the story, and has been set up from the start, in terms of the structure (though I did not actual recognize this until I was nearing the book's end).
In short, I am recognizing that I have a very complicated bit of writing to wrangle my way through, but I can see a great deal of it, and really only have one central question in terms of what is going to happen, which has to do with the specifics of the plot at that point. I do have a deeper understanding of the lack of a resolution at the end, and even a sense of what will be after, but I need a sense of certain details that will be integral.
As well, I still need to work out the specifics of how it will actually happen. I have a sense of a few things that will need to occur, and I have actually realized that their are some elements in play that I had not considered yet, but which will be good at facilitating the climax. Some specifics will need to be addressed, but they should be fun and easy to write.
I find it amazing how much is clarified for me as I write on this blog. While I may not always unveil specifics, the thinking that occurs in order to express the process aspects that I attempt to focus on has often caused me to reconsider the ideas I am working on. Tonight, for instance, as I have been writing, I've had a number of ideas that came to mind, for example using a character who has been sidelined to catalyze the climax in a way that I think will be really in the spirit of the book. In some ways, side characters that I hadn't planned on are becoming quite interesting additions to the cast. I've mentioned one already who has become a central character, and another has also appeared near the end, who I think is still going to play a somewhat significant role.
I also have a much stronger sense, as a result of writing here, of the actual reason for the ending being fractured, or at least for the meaning of it. This isn't just a gimmick, but something specific to the story, that has a real reasoning within it, though it leaves an ambiguity that won't be resolved in the book. Indeed, the implication of my new understanding is something that really helps me to actually get a firmer grasp on the ideas in general.
It is nearly four already, and I should be getting to bed. I do feel quite good about the work accomplished today, and am, once more, enthused about the work tomorrow. I feel that quite close to cracking the whole of the book and getting it completed, and I am excited about the work that I am going to do tomorrow. I don't know if I will actually reach the conclusion, but it seems to be very close at this point. In any case, I hope to get back at it after I get a bit of sleep.
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