Day 13: July 14, 2013

What I realize is how much focus means to the creative process. Having 13 days of focus is definitely the missing ingredient for me. I am not one to squeeze in creative time between other responsibilities. What I need to address now is how to incorporate this into my real life.  I'm ready to put the finishing touches on the "novel" and start new work. I plan to try my hand at a personal essay, and draft some short story ideas that I need to scribble on the page. Tonight rather than post photos I offer this . . .

To everyone at Dorland, to my family, my friends, and my students.

THANK YOU!

 

Day 12: July 13, 2013

Now I know another reason why the Temecula Libray is so crowded. The quiet sitting area is like a furniture showroom filled with comfortable chairs, a huge work table, and good lighting. It was so peaceful that I was conscious of turning my pages for fear of disturbing someone. A few people in there had lap tops and ear phones, others silently read. As for me, I slowly read 50 pages and addressed pacing issues as well as typos, etc. My new blue pen scratched my notes and slashed some of my darlings. After a few hours I packed up, treated myself to sushi, and drove back to Dorland. Tonight I finished reading, scratching and slashing. Still not finished . . . Now I input the changes into the computer, read it again, and then put it to bed. Let's hope it's done!

Tried to capture the fog and hot air balloon rides very early this morning.

Early evening rocking (reading) chair and sky   . . .

 Sushi Saturday . . .

Day 11: July 12, 2013

4 nights and 3 more days. I will be burning the midnight oil (oh no not a cliche?). Well at the very least I'll be taking advantage of this time. Sunny & hot today, which helped me stay inside and work. Today I focused exclusively on Chapter Ten, which resulted in two more versions for the ending. I also read it OUTLOUD, even though I despise the sound of my voice. Tomorrow I plan to print out the entire manuscript again-now 136 pages, and as recommended by the experts, go to a different location than where you write and read it with blue pen in hand. I may go to the library, which has comfortable chairs. I'll strategically sit in the fiction section and visualize my novel on the shelf.

And speaking of books. Here are a few more titles that have inspired me this week . . .

Day 10: July 11, 2013

If you were waiting for me to hit the wall today was the day. One would think with today's cloudy, cool weather, and a surprise drizzle that this writer would find inspiration. Unfortunately, no. Who ever said endings were hard is correct. Now don't get me wrong, I have written the ending, but this is time for the REWRITE, right?  My dear friend, J.G., once said when we were discussing reading fiction that short stories pose questions and novels answer them. As a reader he preferred novels, and at that time I existed on a diet of stories. So now I'm challenged by his exact theory-writing the right answers to all the questions. For now I'm going to let the current draft sit overnight. Tomorrow I will tackle it again, again, and again . . .

And speaking of endings . . . The end of the day her on the mountain.

Day Nine: July 10, 2013

Overcast and cooler day up here on the mountain. Up very early and was greeted outside my window by a mother deer and her baby. Yes, reminded me of Bambi, but no I did not pet them.

Before sunrise . . .

So today I picked up where I left off. The "3 Rs." Rewriting, rearranging, re-vising. I examined Plot Point Two, which takes place at the end of Chapter Eight, but in order to do that I first had to comb through Chapters 6 and 7. Expansion, compression, and deletion. The "3 ions." Questions posed: How does PP II connect to the climax? How does it relate to the midpoint?  Upon examination indeed they do. More questions: How many scenes in PP II? Answer: 3. How many subplots end? Answer: 1.
 In addition, at the word choice level it's about ACTIVE verbs.  You don't want to read boring, passive sentences and neither do I. So there you have some of the ingredients that we use in the recipe to rewrite a novel. Trust me, there's plenty more . . .

And speaking of recipes, all this work makes me hungry. The most delicious, juicy, full breasted rotisserie chicken--buttery garlic flavor--the best in Temecula comes from none other than Walmart.
She will sustain me  for several days . . .

Day Eight: July 9, 2013

Revised, expanded, rearranged, and cut. That's what today was about. Math involved too: I can tell you there are 9 scenes in Chapter One, and 6 scenes in Chapter Two. I can also tell you that the first two pages contain 40 objects / concrete nouns (some repeated), and 12 body parts. What's missing are landmarks, which I may go back and add. The hard part is cutting. especially when you like what's on the page. But, alas, if it slows the narrative, and doesn't move the story along, thus not serving the piece, then goodbye. As of this minute I'm at the midpoint, Chapter Five. I will continue with the same strategy and see how it goes.

Early this evening when I peeled my tush out of the chair I snapped a few photos of the interior of the cottage. Pardon my housekeeping . . .

Day 7: July 8 2013

Day 7 = half way. Time is going way too fast. Just starting to get a rhythm and routine going. Finished reading the entire manuscript today. Did you know writers are architects too? I've now drawn the structure of this novel. With the help of Robert J. Ray's The Novelist Re-Writes the Novel I've plotted the 3-act structure, identified Plot Points I and II, the Midpoint, the Climax, and of course THE END. It may sound easy, but seriously it's not. Especially since this is the first time I've examined the draft as a unified narrative. This is arduous work. In addition, I've traced every object throughout the novel and noted recurrences. Why do this you ask? Because it lays the foundation for the REWRITE. Yes, I have a 133 page draft, but to rewrite is more than fixing grammar or changing a word here and there; it's "fixing the subplots," which involves several characters' core stories and how they collide with the protagonist and the plot. Now I have a blueprint, a complete arc from which to revise. So tomorrow the fun stuff begins . . . This may look like scribbles, but it's my map to the buried treasure.

So this evening I drove to the library. Temecula's library is the jewel in the crown among all the Inland Empire's libraries. It's open every night and I must say it's a good sign when you can't get a parking spot at the library.