(no subject)

[dotinthesky]

I've been swimming every day and I'm going to write a novel. Don't laugh, I'm serious. The last time I tried to write a novel (a year ago) I didn't have a story in mind, or characters. I had a collection of images for writing exercises - I closed my eyes and selected one of these images randomly. Then I glued that image (it was of a young man in his underwear, posing seductively on a bed, found in some gay magazine or other) onto a notebook and made a plan: I would write 8 pages everyday, regardless of how I felt, and it would be a story about that image.

It was a good exercise because I had to create something out of nowhere, out of no inspiration. The problem became apparent after I'd written over 100 pages: I didn't have a story. I'd resorted to setting character's homes on fire, plagiarizing my own past, and I clearly had no focus to the story. In the end, I ditched the whole project.

If you have been reading my journal then you know that I've recently thought of a story which could be turned into a horror movie script. After much deliberation, I've decided to try writting it as a novel (or even a novella). This time I have a story, a situation, and also characters I would like to explore and care about. I haven't been much on Livejournal this week because I've been researching, jotting down notes.

I have to partly thank Stephen King's memoir "On Writing", which I read over last weekend, for giving me a needed kick in the ass.

Comments

[i-am-scowling.livejournal.com]

kudos my hero :)

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

merci mon amour! Are you heading for Italy soon? Where will you be going there?

ciao bello!

[i-am-scowling.livejournal.com]

yes yes soon! i'll be in venice, rome, the vatican, and florence! you'll hear all about it soon!
(and also, upon arrival, since i'll be more up to date electronically w/ everyone, you'll hear how i really felt about philip k dick's book. btw, i'm reading Everything Is Illuminated by jonathan foer safron -- i dont have it with me, i hope thats how you spell his name-- it's his debut book and really imaginative, quirky, funny, heartbreaking and good :))

Re: ciao bello!

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I've seen that book around! I think it's his first book and he's only 25 or something (if I'm not mistaken.)

Have a lovely time.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I'm now preparing myself mentally to start it.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

will do!

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

DID YOU GET THAT JOB???

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

good luck with everything

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

No luck - but no hard search too... i've been procrastinating, as usual. But that's ok, I'm concentrating on my writing and swimming.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

we are spoiled rotten.

[cherrieheart.livejournal.com]

whenever other people are determined, it makes me determined as well. So, now I feel the need to set a project and follow through with it. i love reading horror stories...

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Swimming everyday has given me a lot of insight into my own "will", and my own limits. If I can wake up everyday at 6.45 and go to the pool, then I can also sit my ass down and write for an hour. In fact, I've already been doing that this week...

What kind of project would you like to start? I was thinking of writing this novel, but also doing other little projects - so it doesn't become this one neurosis!

[cherrieheart.livejournal.com]

well, more like art projects, I have tons of idea, I just don't use them. i'm super lame. I think too much and not enough accction.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

But why don't you do them? Is it because of lack of time, money, canvases?

[cherrieheart.livejournal.com]

ummm. it's lack of time, but i could make the time, i just always find other stuff to do. but i got a project grant, so now Im working on a series of manipulated photos (selfportraits) which will be printed huge. im starting on it today. right now...

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Excellent! I have many good friends who studied in Concordia's Visual Arts department. And I went to tons of shows there too. Do you like the program?

[cherrieheart.livejournal.com]

yes, i do like it...but i really lack motivation at times and questionw hat i'm doing here and why. as im sure as does everyone.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

This is what I realized about Concordia: you succeed and learn a lot if you make the effort. Nobody there will bring the knowledge to you (perhaps it's like that with all unis?) I know a lot of friends who had reservations about studying in Concordia, but I think many other friends did really well because they involved themselves and squeezed every last drop of knowledge and experience from the place.

[cherrieheart.livejournal.com]

yes, that's definitely true. I like it a lot, but there is a part of me that;s not sure if I should be here? Like I ahven't actually made an good art in a while. which is scary. It's taking me way too long to settle in, i think.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

How long is the Masters program there?

[shell-shock.livejournal.com]

don't forget to put on your headphones and crank up "eye of the tiger" by survivor. :)

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

that would spoil my story!

[shell-shock.livejournal.com]

:[

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I'm writing horror! Not a sequel to Rocky.

[malaniat.livejournal.com]

You'd better not have stolen my horror story idea --> a young man decides to become a swinger goes to a club turns out it's used by swingers over 60.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

No, mine's about a monster in Canada.

[naturalbornkaos.livejournal.com]

Best of luck with the idea. It sounded very neat. :) Drop me your email address - I want to send you something, writing-related, and I realised I don't actually have your email (doh).

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

cheers. done in a previous post.

:)