The Novel Diary: Week 52
Word count: 40,082.
Welcome to another Tuesday edition of my novel diary. Obviously I was watching the BCS National Championship Game last night and did not write a single word. Much has been the theme the last couple months, but no more.
One year ago tomorrow night I started my novel-writing push. After a year, where am I? Just over 40,000 words in and adrift. I have not written a single, novel-related word since August 30 or 31. (Fittingly, as I write this “state of my novel” I am listening to Governor Branstad’s State of the State address. Did he just propose something akin to syndicalism? ACT is no doubt salivating over his proposal to require all high school juniors to take a college entrance exam — all costs covered by the state.)
I am not completely directionless in the sense I have no clue where I am going, but I am off course regarding determination and effort. The transparency this diary provided to Quiet Man readers and its prospect of public humiliation has done nothing to motive me. Making the problem worse is the fact I am writing somewhat aimlessly without a guideline. I have characters, a setting, and a general idea of what I want to do, but need to make all three coalesce into a solid story. Building a brief but useful and informative outline will, I think, help me do that. That is my mission once I have finished the latest revision of “Paths.”
Like I said, this novel diary has not given me the motivation I thought it would. It is necessary? Should it continue? I need to think about that. Perhaps I need to repurpose it as a writing diary in general, but the fact is I need to get working regardless. I need to get writing.
Welcome to another Tuesday edition of my novel diary. Obviously I was watching the BCS National Championship Game last night and did not write a single word. Much has been the theme the last couple months, but no more.
One year ago tomorrow night I started my novel-writing push. After a year, where am I? Just over 40,000 words in and adrift. I have not written a single, novel-related word since August 30 or 31. (Fittingly, as I write this “state of my novel” I am listening to Governor Branstad’s State of the State address. Did he just propose something akin to syndicalism? ACT is no doubt salivating over his proposal to require all high school juniors to take a college entrance exam — all costs covered by the state.)
I am not completely directionless in the sense I have no clue where I am going, but I am off course regarding determination and effort. The transparency this diary provided to Quiet Man readers and its prospect of public humiliation has done nothing to motive me. Making the problem worse is the fact I am writing somewhat aimlessly without a guideline. I have characters, a setting, and a general idea of what I want to do, but need to make all three coalesce into a solid story. Building a brief but useful and informative outline will, I think, help me do that. That is my mission once I have finished the latest revision of “Paths.”
Like I said, this novel diary has not given me the motivation I thought it would. It is necessary? Should it continue? I need to think about that. Perhaps I need to repurpose it as a writing diary in general, but the fact is I need to get working regardless. I need to get writing.
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