The Novel Diary: Week 11
Word counts: 8,191 (Chapter 2); 20,821 (total).
For the second Sunday in a row I did not write a single word in my novel. However, it was not because of laziness or writers’ block. It was because of Mervgotti.
As the only American twentysomething who does not own a computer, Mervgotti needs to do all Internet-related business on my computer. He came over last night at 7:30, and for the next two and a half hours — the time I would have been writing — we (I) uploaded his recent photos from Texas and Las Vegas to albums on his Facebook profile. We (I) also created another album strictly for Pabst-related photos, changed and cropped his profile picture, and searched for a chick he liked in high school. (I found her profile and he drooled and gushed over her pic.) We also joked about the discussion of a 10-year reunion on our high school class Facebook page. It was good fun — except for the fact the night was lost, novel-wise.
However, tonight I was back at the keyboard trying to be productive. And I ran headfirst into one of my typical writing dilemmas: how did I write myself into this hole and how do I write myself out of it?
The last section of Chapter 2 was meant to introduce my main character’s crew of friends and the strong brotherhood they feel. They grill out, watch the Cubs, and enjoy a little barley pop and ganja. It’s like old times — and banal as hell. Seriously, how can I make a night with the guys interesting and propulsive? The section has purpose, but it is not as engaging as I want it to be. Plus, my main character spent the whole first chapter getting sloshed at his family reunion, so how much inebriation is too much?
I am sure I’ll think of something, and rewriting will help (but that’s a year off), so I am plowing ahead and being banal as hell. My goal this week is to finish Chapter 2 on Thursday. Chapter 3 may start in earnest because I don’t deserve to take a break. Then again, what the hell am I going to write in Chapter 3?
For the second Sunday in a row I did not write a single word in my novel. However, it was not because of laziness or writers’ block. It was because of Mervgotti.
As the only American twentysomething who does not own a computer, Mervgotti needs to do all Internet-related business on my computer. He came over last night at 7:30, and for the next two and a half hours — the time I would have been writing — we (I) uploaded his recent photos from Texas and Las Vegas to albums on his Facebook profile. We (I) also created another album strictly for Pabst-related photos, changed and cropped his profile picture, and searched for a chick he liked in high school. (I found her profile and he drooled and gushed over her pic.) We also joked about the discussion of a 10-year reunion on our high school class Facebook page. It was good fun — except for the fact the night was lost, novel-wise.
However, tonight I was back at the keyboard trying to be productive. And I ran headfirst into one of my typical writing dilemmas: how did I write myself into this hole and how do I write myself out of it?
The last section of Chapter 2 was meant to introduce my main character’s crew of friends and the strong brotherhood they feel. They grill out, watch the Cubs, and enjoy a little barley pop and ganja. It’s like old times — and banal as hell. Seriously, how can I make a night with the guys interesting and propulsive? The section has purpose, but it is not as engaging as I want it to be. Plus, my main character spent the whole first chapter getting sloshed at his family reunion, so how much inebriation is too much?
I am sure I’ll think of something, and rewriting will help (but that’s a year off), so I am plowing ahead and being banal as hell. My goal this week is to finish Chapter 2 on Thursday. Chapter 3 may start in earnest because I don’t deserve to take a break. Then again, what the hell am I going to write in Chapter 3?
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