dotinthesky: (Default)
Dot in the Sky ([personal profile] dotinthesky) wrote2004-11-12 01:38 pm
Entry tags:

Still Titleless, Still Going

Just as my word count is growing...

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
16,320 / 50,000
(32.0%)


... so is the blood pool rising in my novel. I've reached that critical part of the story where character exposition, setting and plot have converged with my particular brand of "creepy crawly". Hmmm... Buh-rains!

It has made a whole difference starting the novel with an idea of the plot, with character sketches, with some fundamental decisions laid down. I can deviate and I can mess around, but I never get too far from the route that connects point A to point Z. I struggle, though, to get into the mood when it's night-time. I sit down around 9pm in the bedroom or the living room, turn on some instrumental music, and begin writting. I push the editor away and let everything pour out. I'm not worrying about perfecting sentences at this moment. The great thing about this system is that I've allowed myself to make strange connections, to change the names of things or places if I wish without having to run back to the start. Two days ago, it suddenly struck me why one of the characters had gone to Canada... so I had to kill off his father in London. Yesterday, there was blood dripping from the ceiling. I am never bored.

Elsewhere, my life is on pause. I go swimming on the weekends because I'm too lazy/tired to wake up at 6.30 am. I don't watch TV anymore unless there's a good documentary or C.S.I. Miami is on. I crave literature, short stories, but I only allow myself small doses during the week - everything can turn into a distraction, a way to avoid work.

As soon as the holiday season is here, I'm going to book myself some time to go shopping for a laptop. My novel is being written on a notepad with a black ballpoint pen. I'll need to type it out eventually and I can't depend on the local library... nor do I want to take over Kevin's computer. I might also have to get a membership at the British Library and spend many evenings reading through mythology texts.

[identity profile] androktone.livejournal.com 2004-11-12 02:43 pm (UTC)(link)
have you posted it up anywhere so we can read it?

[identity profile] commonpeople.livejournal.com 2004-11-12 02:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Not yet... another friend asked for an excerpt. Maybe I'll post something soon. :)

[identity profile] stupid-wanker06.livejournal.com 2004-11-12 03:48 pm (UTC)(link)
i would shoot myself if i had to type up that much stuff, you have my sympathies...

[identity profile] commonpeople.livejournal.com 2004-11-12 04:01 pm (UTC)(link)
I would shoot myself too if it was a painful process, or I hated what I was writing. It's tough, but fun.

[identity profile] jeffster.livejournal.com 2004-11-12 04:12 pm (UTC)(link)
sounds like it's all coming together...that's great!

can't wait to read that sucker

[identity profile] commonpeople.livejournal.com 2004-11-12 04:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Or you can wait for the movie! I'll make sure you sit beside Arnie at the premiere.

[identity profile] roguejournal.livejournal.com 2004-11-12 04:21 pm (UTC)(link)
i can“t wait to read it..............................

[identity profile] commonpeople.livejournal.com 2004-11-12 04:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Boa tarde Meire!

[identity profile] jellyfish93.livejournal.com 2004-11-13 02:10 am (UTC)(link)
hurrah! that's so exciting. i wish i had participated this year, but i'm so bogged down with schoolwork i figured i'd focus on short stories at least till winter break. not that i'm focusing on short stories either right now. basically what i'm saying is i suck.
how are you doing word counts if you're writing it out by hand??

[identity profile] commonpeople.livejournal.com 2004-11-13 02:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Well... you could always throw those short stories together and make a collection!

I counted two random pages and averaged the amount of words on them... which came to about 340. I'm actually thinking of typing out a page just to see if my idea of "word-count" is the same as Word's. Who knows, I might have written a lot more!

[identity profile] 4q.livejournal.com 2004-11-15 04:21 pm (UTC)(link)
I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait. I am beaming with pride.

actually my grandfather just wrote a book, and got it published. He will be doing a reading next monday. I am very excited

[identity profile] commonpeople.livejournal.com 2004-11-15 05:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Tell me about it!!! Can I buy it here? Or is it on Amazon?

[identity profile] 4q.livejournal.com 2004-11-15 05:24 pm (UTC)(link)
well it's basically an autobiography, and from what I have read (I know I am a bad granddaughter! I haven't even finished it) it's very good, and quite funny. It's all about his political career in Canada. I will see if I can get a link to it

[identity profile] commonpeople.livejournal.com 2004-11-15 05:39 pm (UTC)(link)
cool...

Nighty Night Michelle! Going home now. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

[identity profile] 4q.livejournal.com 2004-11-15 06:37 pm (UTC)(link)
aww.

I needed that today, right back on you

[identity profile] 4q.livejournal.com 2004-11-15 05:32 pm (UTC)(link)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/new-for-you/new-releases/-/books/1043846/1/ref%3Dpd%5Fhn%5Fnr%5Fb/103-6008750-9199837 there's the link so yes if that doesn't work it's on amazon

[identity profile] 4q.livejournal.com 2004-11-15 06:37 pm (UTC)(link)
awwww, I love you Ollie!! thank you so much!! :) That's so nice

[identity profile] commonpeople.livejournal.com 2004-11-16 11:22 am (UTC)(link)
I'm really curious to read it. I don't know much about the prairies so it will be a great history lesson for me.

[identity profile] 4q.livejournal.com 2004-11-16 02:37 pm (UTC)(link)
it was a very exciting political time :)

[identity profile] commonpeople.livejournal.com 2004-11-16 02:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Were you guys pillaging other provinces, invading America and planning to become the next world empire?

[identity profile] 4q.livejournal.com 2004-11-16 02:52 pm (UTC)(link)
ummmm...we might have been ;)

[identity profile] commonpeople.livejournal.com 2004-11-16 04:31 pm (UTC)(link)
I can't wait to read the book. I'm going to take the info to a book store and ask them to order it. I don't have a credit card yet to buy from the net.

[identity profile] 4q.livejournal.com 2004-11-16 04:33 pm (UTC)(link)
awww Ollie. <33333333333333333333333333

[identity profile] commonpeople.livejournal.com 2004-11-16 04:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Tell him I'll be writing him later to quiz him on the book. :P

[identity profile] 4q.livejournal.com 2004-11-16 04:49 pm (UTC)(link)
ha ha you do that! he would prolly love it!

[identity profile] commonpeople.livejournal.com 2004-11-16 05:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Will he freak out if he gets a letter from a reader in Britain?

[identity profile] 4q.livejournal.com 2004-11-16 05:03 pm (UTC)(link)
no way! He would love it. He's so awesome Ollie, if you ever come to winnipeg you will meet my whole family!

[identity profile] commonpeople.livejournal.com 2004-11-16 05:17 pm (UTC)(link)
I can imagine! You're going to spend half your time driving me around to meet the fam. :P