A Writer's Notebook, Day Forty-Two
So, I got to exactly 499 words today, which I find humorously exact, as if some part of my mind were joking with me. I don't know that I think that is really the truth, it just feels like an intentional number, seeing as it is one number from the 500 word minimum. But I am not that harsh on myself, and I had not officially set a true minimum. As well, I want to note that, unlike yesterday, when I had a slight amount of hesitancy and erased to start again, I didn't restart the timer. This was not an intentional thing, just that I actually started writing pretty rapidly after and without much consideration. Indeed, I don't think I even remembered the timer until I was almost done. So, I am willing to say that I would likely have matched yesterday if I had started the timer again.
As well, I worked on the Bimble story. That is also moving along, and I feel still that I am over a bit of a hump. Of course, I know I have felt that way previously and have continued to find myself in that situation again, but it does not matter as long as I keep on to the end, really. I mean, I am not saying that I don't want to get it finished sooner, and I would be very pleased to wake up and feel the entirety of the story ready to just flow out, but that is merely a matter of preference, not the truly necessary. It is necessary that I remain dedicated to finishing the works that I start, or else I won't have anything to show for that work. It may be that a story will be junk, but I don't know that I am the judge to decide that. While I can feel pride in the work, I don't have the ability to determine what it will mean to a reader.
In essence, then, I can only judge my success at present by the practical and objective standards of doing the work and finishing it. I am doing the work, and I am not going to let myself slip on finishing it. That would, in some sense, as mentioned above, make all the effort I have put up so far into a true waste of energy. Not that I believe that I can't learn from writing that does not go anywhere, but that what I need to learn right now is about getting the work completed. Even if I don't find that what I have finished means much to anyone else, the act of completing it is a lesson that I need. As is the act of remaining dedicated to the work until I reach that point where I can say it is done.
As well, I spent a lot of time today considering how to approach getting my novel out into the world. I want to talk about my novel, but I am a bit cautious as it has some strange qualities to it. I've had very positive feedback from those who have read the book, but I also realize that an accurate description of it would be crazy. The book is told from the writer's perspective, and is about the writing of the book, but that is all meant as a foil for the reader as they are reading the book, and the central device is about convincing the reader that the reality the writer is describing in the book is true. That reality is about strange non-physical dream beings who seem to be able to force him to create the book they want, a book that might well be a mode for infecting the reader. That's a fairly basic explanation, and it may actually be the best I have managed so far, but I also know that it is unlikely to be persuasive to an agent.
As a result, I am doing actually thinking about whether the book would work in a different format. The idea, for example, of converting it into a podcast and serializing it has been in my head of late. The style that the book is written in is one that would work for that, as it is a very conversational tone, and it is directed at the reader for the most part. Of course, I don't know that this is the best idea, really, and I would like to see it as a published book, but I know that it becoming a book is not an impossibility. Besides, it is a Douglas Adams trajectory, and that can't be entirely bad...
Thinking right now, though, about it, I am also wondering about creating something new in that format. One idea that is tickling me right now is actually to make a sort of narrative podcast that is kind of a sequel to the book about the character attempting to sell the book, or something along those lines, making the book itself the central mystery. It would be the most important thing, but also the missing piece. I don't know if that is a great idea, really, and I'm not so sure of how to do it yet, but I think it has potential. I'll know when the idea becomes clearer, if that happens at all.
I sort of like the idea of going meta to the book, which is already a meta work on it's most superficial level. But, that may just be a bit too much of my own taste, and I don't know that it would work for anybody but me. At the same time, though, that form of self-indulgence can lead to incredibly unique works that hit the right zeitgeist, so who knows...
Anyhow, on top of all this, I want to just note that the past two days have been really stressful on other levels. I've had some major turmoil to deal with at home, and then today some new issues arose that I'll have to deal with in the morning. I am not stating this to complain, but instead to take and recognize that I still did all of my work without allowing the stress to become any sort of an excuse. I'm really quite happy about that, as I do see it as a real sign that I am making this a truly permanent and fixed habit. My daily writing routine is an important aspect of my day to day life, now, and just that means a lot to a some time slacker such as myself.
As well, I worked on the Bimble story. That is also moving along, and I feel still that I am over a bit of a hump. Of course, I know I have felt that way previously and have continued to find myself in that situation again, but it does not matter as long as I keep on to the end, really. I mean, I am not saying that I don't want to get it finished sooner, and I would be very pleased to wake up and feel the entirety of the story ready to just flow out, but that is merely a matter of preference, not the truly necessary. It is necessary that I remain dedicated to finishing the works that I start, or else I won't have anything to show for that work. It may be that a story will be junk, but I don't know that I am the judge to decide that. While I can feel pride in the work, I don't have the ability to determine what it will mean to a reader.
In essence, then, I can only judge my success at present by the practical and objective standards of doing the work and finishing it. I am doing the work, and I am not going to let myself slip on finishing it. That would, in some sense, as mentioned above, make all the effort I have put up so far into a true waste of energy. Not that I believe that I can't learn from writing that does not go anywhere, but that what I need to learn right now is about getting the work completed. Even if I don't find that what I have finished means much to anyone else, the act of completing it is a lesson that I need. As is the act of remaining dedicated to the work until I reach that point where I can say it is done.
As well, I spent a lot of time today considering how to approach getting my novel out into the world. I want to talk about my novel, but I am a bit cautious as it has some strange qualities to it. I've had very positive feedback from those who have read the book, but I also realize that an accurate description of it would be crazy. The book is told from the writer's perspective, and is about the writing of the book, but that is all meant as a foil for the reader as they are reading the book, and the central device is about convincing the reader that the reality the writer is describing in the book is true. That reality is about strange non-physical dream beings who seem to be able to force him to create the book they want, a book that might well be a mode for infecting the reader. That's a fairly basic explanation, and it may actually be the best I have managed so far, but I also know that it is unlikely to be persuasive to an agent.
As a result, I am doing actually thinking about whether the book would work in a different format. The idea, for example, of converting it into a podcast and serializing it has been in my head of late. The style that the book is written in is one that would work for that, as it is a very conversational tone, and it is directed at the reader for the most part. Of course, I don't know that this is the best idea, really, and I would like to see it as a published book, but I know that it becoming a book is not an impossibility. Besides, it is a Douglas Adams trajectory, and that can't be entirely bad...
Thinking right now, though, about it, I am also wondering about creating something new in that format. One idea that is tickling me right now is actually to make a sort of narrative podcast that is kind of a sequel to the book about the character attempting to sell the book, or something along those lines, making the book itself the central mystery. It would be the most important thing, but also the missing piece. I don't know if that is a great idea, really, and I'm not so sure of how to do it yet, but I think it has potential. I'll know when the idea becomes clearer, if that happens at all.
I sort of like the idea of going meta to the book, which is already a meta work on it's most superficial level. But, that may just be a bit too much of my own taste, and I don't know that it would work for anybody but me. At the same time, though, that form of self-indulgence can lead to incredibly unique works that hit the right zeitgeist, so who knows...
Anyhow, on top of all this, I want to just note that the past two days have been really stressful on other levels. I've had some major turmoil to deal with at home, and then today some new issues arose that I'll have to deal with in the morning. I am not stating this to complain, but instead to take and recognize that I still did all of my work without allowing the stress to become any sort of an excuse. I'm really quite happy about that, as I do see it as a real sign that I am making this a truly permanent and fixed habit. My daily writing routine is an important aspect of my day to day life, now, and just that means a lot to a some time slacker such as myself.
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