In October I rarely updated a page about my preparations for this
year's novel, "Serious Injury or Death" (you can see it here). Now that I've started writing the
book, this page will fail to document my progress on actually writing
it.
My intention is to write a book that will show that the world we live
in is our own making and reflects our experiences and perceptions. It's
the one we choose and represents our wants and prejudices.
Heady stuff, I know.
I expect to accomplish this by including a number of examples of
dangerous, unhealthy, and improper activities and showing how my main
character, Ben Kersey, learns about them and the affect they have on
his life. He has a number of bad habits, and the choices he has to make
are what the novel may very well end up being about. That, I think,
would make a more interesting read than a simple, unexamined listing of
activities.
My character has a goal which I consider it my duty to make difficult
to achieve. So, he'll not only be attempting to accomplish something
I intend to make tortuous, he'll be repeatedly
lambasted by all the things he's doing that are wrong. Ah, sweet
mystery of life.
Nov 1 (1705)
The writing got off to a quick start just after midnight. The
book, in contrast, gets off to a very slow start since I'm not at all
sure what's
supposed to happen. I've already begun ping-ponging between dialogue
and exposition hoping for something to happen, have fumbled introducing
the characters and plot points I'd hoped to introduce, and have already
ruined my expectations for glory. It took me no time at all to bog the
narrative by my needlessly feeling obligated to recount every step made
by all my characters. I would do well to learn the proper use of white
space.
Nov 2 (3367)
Still busy fiddling, or as we writers call it, laying pipe. Nothing
much has happened in the plot, but I'm telling the reader some things
about my main character, important things, too, like the fact that his
hair is prematurely gray and a long discourse about his job. I did
manage to hamfist in (is that a verb?) his goal, which I expect will
come in handy later when he strives to reach it.
Nov 3 (5205)
Just like last year, and against any plan you may think I have, I
wrote Chapter 1 in two days. Last year I did about a chapter every
other day, but I have no idea what significance that has. It just felt
right, somehow. Anyway, Chapter 2 was fun and easy to start, and I felt
comfortable writing it. I don't feel good about it from a story / plot
pespective (it feels like filler material), but maybe if I practice
this more natural voice and style the rest of the book will be better.
I'm reminding myself I have the rest of my life to fix this thing,
now I just need to get something on paper.
Nov 4 (6859)
A brutal day of writing. There are a couple problems I have with
writing something light or funny. One, I need to be in a jovial,
playful mood and I'm not. Two, forced lightness and comedy invariably
fails. My best writing is natural, reflective of my attitude, and today
I wasn't as happy as I need to be to write a happy book. Worse, I spent
half my writing time struggling to phrase things correctly, to
eliminate dry descriptions, and wasted an hour working on a single
paragraph. I knew what I wanted to say, but couldn't get it on the page
in the form I wanted. This is something I should worry about for the
re-write, but my ego demands I produce a work that first readers will
gush over.
Nov 5 (8395)
Nov 6 (10250)
Nov 8 (11195)
Nov 11 (12636)
It no longer matters...
Nov 12 (16117)
More words but still no story. These aren't the right characters.
Nov 13 (18000)
When I look at my word count and it's an even number, I consider that a sign.
Nov 14 (20072)
Actual progress to report. I may, tomorrow, update the "story," but today I did something unique in my personal NaNo history: I threw away some writing.
Since my old writing was doing so poorly and I'd just begun a chapter that represented a leap of about six months in the story, I threw out the beginning of chapter six, which I'd begun last night. The novel up to that point had been written in third person, but I'm now seeing what it's like to write in first. So far the writing is easier and, more importantly, it's got more of the flavor I was hoping for when I began. The first five chapters aren't funny in the least, but I felt more comfortable today so it may be closer to the voice I want.
No, the story isn't going anywhere (it's now Thanksgiving and Ben is bitching about -- and describing -- putting up the Christmas lights), but I think I may be able to put in enough words each day to complete the fifty thou.
Nov 16 (21971)
Nov 18 (22563)
Nov 19 (?????)
Nov 20 (28967)
Nov 21 (30481)
Nov 23 (33067)
Nov 26 (39460)
Nov 27 (41834)
Nov 28 (43755)
Today I deleted all traces of this piece of shit from everything except the laptop. If I lose it, "oh well." If I finish, I'll just delete it anyway. I have no intentions of visiting this thing ever again.
Nov 29 (46432)
Nov 30 (50226)
- Ben and Ella Kersey
- Kevin and Veronica Mims
- Kevin McQunaig
- Zachary Doss
- Wanda Pope
- Tonya "Wildberry" Hamlin
Twice in my life (so far)
I've been
friends with two Kevins at the same time. This magical coincidence can
only mean that my main character will, also, have two
friends named Kevin.
I should create web pages for all the characters. If not, you'll never
know about them.
(If you read this, you won't have to read the book! It's like
online
Cliff Notes®! )
11/01
Ben's watching TV when his wife, Ella, comes home and tells him his
hang-out, the Pinehill Bowling Alley, has closed for good. That means
they'll need somewhere else to hold the anniversary party for two of
their friends, Kevin and Veronica Mims. Ben checks with them, and his
other friend Kevin "Quintz" McQunaig, to see if the party can be at his
and Ella's home, and everyone comes over to talk about it.
Veronica says the bowling alley is being replaced by Nature's
Blessings, a large organic food chain and bitches about Purdy's, the
little local market that Ben and Ella like. She brings up the first of
Ben's dangerous habits, his refusal to check the internal temperature
of hamburgers when he barbecues.
11/02
Ben's friendship with Kevin Mims began at a hobby / stationery store
where they both got their first job. They've been friends ever since.
Ben now works at a dog track, and his job is coming up with the opening
odds for the dogs in the day's races. He wants to expand to do more
than one track or, best of all, do the same job in the "big leagues,"
for a horse track.
11/03
Ben wakes up early the morning of the anniversary party after having
gone in search of a new bar with the Kevins the night before and makes
a salad.
11/04
Ben and Kevin McQunaig build some tables for the party and a lean-to
for the kids. Ella sends them out for umbrellas and the preparation is
complete.
