In today’s Journal
* Quote of the Day
* A Lot Slower Yesterday
* In a continuation of my MOM
* The Numbers
Quote of the Day
“Being a writer does not make you an editor. And being an editor definitely does not make you a writer.” me
A Lot Slower Yesterday
Well, my progress on my recast novel was a lot slower day yesterday. I ran into the part of Book 4 that I kept, the thread that had nothing to do with the death that caused me to recast the novel.
A cautionary note: If I had it to do over (and if I ever decide to do something like this again) I would just delete everything after Chapter 2 and recast the whole thing. But at this late stage, I won’t. I’ve already spent 16 days on this novel, the original version of which took only 11 to write. Ridiculous.
As it is, for the rest of this novel I’ll be writing scenes and chapters that lead to or hook into the existing ones. Still, those should be all new scenes from this point forward so it should go fairly quickly.
Yesterday I did a lot of cycling and more deletions. So a lot of conscious-mind crap. It was not a good day — it was a day of almost arduous work instead of creative fun — and I ended with fewer than 1700 new words on the day.
I figure I’m probably 10,000 words or thereabouts from being finished. Then I can get back to Book 5. I’m looking forward to that. And I’m not sure, but with Book 6 I might skip ahead a generation or so.
And now that I’ve complained and groaned and moaned about all that lost time and slipping, tractionless wheels, this morning I was reminded once again to count my blessings.
In a continuation of my MOM (Moaning Over Misery) in yesterday’s Journal, compare my whining above about losing a whole day with another writer who says, almost joyfully, “By the time most of us hit ‘The End’, we’ve been staring at the manuscript on a computer screen for months.”
If you’re determined to suck every single ounce of joy out of the storytelling process, wallow in unreasoning fear, and be absolutely certain your manuscript reads exactly like all the other manuscripts in the slush pile, see the last item in “Of Interest” below.
It links to an excellent outline (forgive me the pun) of a critical voice mindset and explains perfectly why so many so-called “professional” fiction writers think of writing as drudgery. This is what happens when a writer believes her words are golden and her story is ‘important.’
Talk with you again soon.
Of Interest
See “Where Is My Office?” at https://www.thepassivevoice.com/where-is-my-office/. See PG’s take. I am pleased and feel fortunate that I can still “go to work” in the Hovel, a room of my own that’s far enough from my house.
See “What Writers and Editors Do” at https://www.thepassivevoice.com/what-writers-and-editors-do/. I believe the author of the OP missed the point of the question (from the writer) “Who are you?” I believe the writer could more effectively framed the question as “Are you me?”
See “Sale Ends Thursday at 5PM” at https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/sale-ends-thursday-at-5pm/.
See “Playing Tricks With Editing” (by Terry Odell) at https://killzoneblog.com/2021/01/playing-tricks-with-editing.html. Being a writer does not make you an editor. And being an editor definitely does not make you a writer.
The Numbers
The Journal…………………………………… 580 words
Recasting of The Journey Home: Part 4
Words brought fwd (before the death)………… 24256
Day 1…… 1735 words. Total words to date…… 25991
Day 2…… 3282 words. Total words to date…… 29273
Day 3…… 4916 words. Total words to date…… 34189
Day 4…… 4687 words. Total words to date…… 38876
Day 5…… 1698 words. Total words to date…… 40574
Writing of The Journey Home: Part 5 (novel)
Day 1…… 4179 words. Total words to date…… 4179
Day 2…… 4825 words. Total words to date…… 9004
Day 3…… 2746 words. Total words to date…… 11750
Day 4…… 4032 words. Total words to date…… 15782
Day 5…… 2873 words. Total words to date…… 18655
Total fiction words for January……… 16318
Total fiction words for the year………… 16318
Total nonfiction words for December… 4450
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 4450
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 20768
Calendar Year 2021 Novels to Date…………………… X
Calendar Year 2021 Novellas to Date……………… X
Calendar Year 2021 Short Stories to Date… X
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………………………………… 54
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)………………………………… 8
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)………………… 214
Short story collections……………………………………………… 31