Anyone else out there experiencing plot fatigue?
My outline for Novel in A Day is five pages. Started in a blaze of glory two days ago, it's rounding out nicely, I'm trying to outline everything in digestible chunks so I can keep the word goals clear and focused - It's not only my goal to write 50,000 words in a day, but to finish a rough draft of the entire story in a day, so I can't get bogged down in any one part.
Now, I have to create an outline for the behemoth 100K word thing I want to write for the rest of the month. Anytime I think about putting that together, I feel TIRED. It's so big (and I wanted it to be big), but I feel like I'm looking at a broken porcelain bowl on the hard kitchen floor - there are a million pieces to put together and I'm not sure I have the skill.
Plus, it's so...Literary Fiction. No big screaming "PLOT" to speak of. The Big Novel looks like a Toyota Celica, next to the Ferrari that is my smaller, almost-mainstream plot.
Haven't done the first character sketch. It all feels so out of control.
Plus, there's a ton of crap to do for work, and I still have make and send the CDs for the NaNo CD exchange, and clean my house, and buy my chair and get a timer and figure out how to sync my dana and my laptop...
My mind is being pulled in ten directions.
Which means I should probably stop blogging and go DO SOMETHING.
jules
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
And There You Have It.
Um, the outline for my Novel in a Day is done.
Essentially.
Yesterday I sat in Barnes & Noble, and hashed it out from beginning to end, roughly. I'm actually excited about pulling this off.
Plot/theme-wise I'm traipsing very close to one of my favorite books with this one. But, it's okay. If it comes off the way I want, it will be a little more on the Literary Fiction side and less on the Mainstream Fiction side. It is pretty mainstream, though. Almost Fantasy. Which is really really different for me (what am I saying!? I am not a writer!)
My original novel is jealous about how much energy the new project has around it, about how contained and specific (and, let's face it, how "mainstream) it is.
Hm.
Speaking of mainstream:
I bought Joni Mitchell's new album from a Starbucks.
And PJ Harvey's new album from Barnes & Noble.
Something feels wrong about this, although the prices were fairly reasonable (for albums from my favorite writers). I just happened to be standing in line, so maybe you could call them impulse purchases, but I would get them anyway, at some point. Better to pay $15 at B&N than $20 at Virgin.
It's 7:00am. I'm going to make this a Power Friday. There's a ton of things I'd like to get done today, before meeting up with a friend I haven't seen in years for drinks tonight. The sun is coming up and Baldi is on the radio. I'm feeling good, rested.
julx
Essentially.
Yesterday I sat in Barnes & Noble, and hashed it out from beginning to end, roughly. I'm actually excited about pulling this off.
Plot/theme-wise I'm traipsing very close to one of my favorite books with this one. But, it's okay. If it comes off the way I want, it will be a little more on the Literary Fiction side and less on the Mainstream Fiction side. It is pretty mainstream, though. Almost Fantasy. Which is really really different for me (what am I saying!? I am not a writer!)
My original novel is jealous about how much energy the new project has around it, about how contained and specific (and, let's face it, how "mainstream) it is.
Hm.
Speaking of mainstream:
I bought Joni Mitchell's new album from a Starbucks.
And PJ Harvey's new album from Barnes & Noble.
Something feels wrong about this, although the prices were fairly reasonable (for albums from my favorite writers). I just happened to be standing in line, so maybe you could call them impulse purchases, but I would get them anyway, at some point. Better to pay $15 at B&N than $20 at Virgin.
It's 7:00am. I'm going to make this a Power Friday. There's a ton of things I'd like to get done today, before meeting up with a friend I haven't seen in years for drinks tonight. The sun is coming up and Baldi is on the radio. I'm feeling good, rested.
julx
Thursday, October 18, 2007
The Madness is Taking Over, Folks!
NaNo is exciting me more and more by the day.
I have latched on to a project that is going to make you think me mad.
NaNoWriDay.
National Novel Writing *Day*.
Fifty thousand words, twenty four hours. November 1. Midnight.
I was going to do something completely spontaneous, but I've got charcters and a plot already.
And then, once that's out of the way, I'll...write a novel.
Hee hee.
jx
I have latched on to a project that is going to make you think me mad.
NaNoWriDay.
National Novel Writing *Day*.
Fifty thousand words, twenty four hours. November 1. Midnight.
I was going to do something completely spontaneous, but I've got charcters and a plot already.
And then, once that's out of the way, I'll...write a novel.
Hee hee.
jx
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
A Mini Report Card.
Well, I didn't 100% succeed and being Ms. Love and Light last weekend.
I did go be a backup singer in front of a bunch of Floridians. It was an interesting experience, I got a mysterious headache for some of it.
I don't like airports. I'm not all that comfortable flying, but I really, really don't like airports. I don't like the fact you have to take off all your clothes and then instantly put them back on again (a reason why I hate trying on stuff in stores). It was, however, good to leave New York after the coldest day this season. I was walking around Friday in gloves and a jacket, shivering.
Work is utterly unsatisfying today. I have to come up with my yearly goals, a process which I think is a total joke. I met and exceeded my goals last year, it did not reflect itself in my raise, and I resent being put back into that process.
Ack...I'm complaining again.
Well, I'll tell you something good....my producer submitted final mixes to me last week. My goal for this week is to try out my running order, get a feel for the album proper.
There's one song still being worked on by a friend of mine. We're nearly done with that one too, though.
Things are looking up, boys and girls.
I'm working on my novel plot, wondering if I'm doing too much plotting. Or taking it into places that are too predictable. I joined a group in the forums called "The 3+ Novels and Other Insane Goals club," and thought, if I reach 100K on my first novel, I would start another 50K project that I wouldn't plan at all. The idea of working without an outline or plot scares the crap out of me.
Which is exactly the reason I'd like to try it. Hm.
Anyhow, back to work.
jules
I did go be a backup singer in front of a bunch of Floridians. It was an interesting experience, I got a mysterious headache for some of it.
I don't like airports. I'm not all that comfortable flying, but I really, really don't like airports. I don't like the fact you have to take off all your clothes and then instantly put them back on again (a reason why I hate trying on stuff in stores). It was, however, good to leave New York after the coldest day this season. I was walking around Friday in gloves and a jacket, shivering.
Work is utterly unsatisfying today. I have to come up with my yearly goals, a process which I think is a total joke. I met and exceeded my goals last year, it did not reflect itself in my raise, and I resent being put back into that process.
Ack...I'm complaining again.
Well, I'll tell you something good....my producer submitted final mixes to me last week. My goal for this week is to try out my running order, get a feel for the album proper.
There's one song still being worked on by a friend of mine. We're nearly done with that one too, though.
Things are looking up, boys and girls.
I'm working on my novel plot, wondering if I'm doing too much plotting. Or taking it into places that are too predictable. I joined a group in the forums called "The 3+ Novels and Other Insane Goals club," and thought, if I reach 100K on my first novel, I would start another 50K project that I wouldn't plan at all. The idea of working without an outline or plot scares the crap out of me.
Which is exactly the reason I'd like to try it. Hm.
Anyhow, back to work.
jules
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
An Experiment.
I have decided that I must stop being depressed.
I am boring myself. Everytime I got to touch the keys and talk about how I'm feeling, everytime anyone asks me how I am, I am depressed. Boring, boring.
So.
I'm not at work again until Monday morning. From now until then I will:
Relish every activity I perform
Listen to my finished album tracks, and love them
Dive into daily exercise, and love it
Enjoy getting on a plane and singing in Florida
Enjoy spending time on stage and with the band
Have a lovely Sunday afternoon off
Write songs and love each and every word
Do new blog entries for MySpace and my main web page
Plot my novel for NaNo, which will be wonderful
Send my sister her birthday package
Email O, C, and L something elegantly written and heartfelt
From now until Monday, one of my (many) middle names will be 'Love'.
Love, love, love.
Love,
jules
I am boring myself. Everytime I got to touch the keys and talk about how I'm feeling, everytime anyone asks me how I am, I am depressed. Boring, boring.
So.
I'm not at work again until Monday morning. From now until then I will:
Relish every activity I perform
Listen to my finished album tracks, and love them
Dive into daily exercise, and love it
Enjoy getting on a plane and singing in Florida
Enjoy spending time on stage and with the band
Have a lovely Sunday afternoon off
Write songs and love each and every word
Do new blog entries for MySpace and my main web page
Plot my novel for NaNo, which will be wonderful
Send my sister her birthday package
Email O, C, and L something elegantly written and heartfelt
From now until Monday, one of my (many) middle names will be 'Love'.
Love, love, love.
Love,
jules
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Not So Bad.
Today was not-so-bad.
Had enough work today to keep me busy. The general angstiness was minimized. Got some good emails, spent some time answering them.
I have to be at work on Wednesday, which makes me slightly resentful (I'm usually not at work on Wednesdays), but I'll live. I'll be loving life on Sunday when I'm sitting around in the sunshine instead of slaving away at work. Yay.
Last night I pulled out "Plot" in the Writer's Digest Fiction Writing series. There's some good info here. I keep coming up with dribs and drabs of plot that I'm tacking on to this NovelMonster I'm creating. Can I really write 100,000 words and have them all point toward the same organizing idea? Will it be any good?
The NaNo board is still not functioning properly, which is a major drag. The camaraderie is two-thirds the fun, and I'm missing it, blathering out my plans and listening to other people's.
Still haven't listening to my album mixes. But I'll do that tonight and tomorrow.
There are friends to meet! Must get the social calendar squared away for this week and next. I'm going to Florida to sing backing vocals on Saturday.
I've hit the moment where I realize that I have 10 things to do, and only 10 minutes left in my shift. And each sentence that I'm typing bears little or no relation to the previous one.
Gotta dash! But I'll be back soon.
jules
Had enough work today to keep me busy. The general angstiness was minimized. Got some good emails, spent some time answering them.
I have to be at work on Wednesday, which makes me slightly resentful (I'm usually not at work on Wednesdays), but I'll live. I'll be loving life on Sunday when I'm sitting around in the sunshine instead of slaving away at work. Yay.
Last night I pulled out "Plot" in the Writer's Digest Fiction Writing series. There's some good info here. I keep coming up with dribs and drabs of plot that I'm tacking on to this NovelMonster I'm creating. Can I really write 100,000 words and have them all point toward the same organizing idea? Will it be any good?
The NaNo board is still not functioning properly, which is a major drag. The camaraderie is two-thirds the fun, and I'm missing it, blathering out my plans and listening to other people's.
Still haven't listening to my album mixes. But I'll do that tonight and tomorrow.
There are friends to meet! Must get the social calendar squared away for this week and next. I'm going to Florida to sing backing vocals on Saturday.
I've hit the moment where I realize that I have 10 things to do, and only 10 minutes left in my shift. And each sentence that I'm typing bears little or no relation to the previous one.
Gotta dash! But I'll be back soon.
jules
Monday, October 08, 2007
Crazy.
I am sitting here at work, trying not to go insane.
For the past few months I have been a camera lens, struggling in and out of focus every minute. I like to think that I'm moving daily toward the life I want, but I also know that I am lazier than I should be.
How do you reconcile that?
Dunno.
I'm just walking around the office, trying to cajole the most busy people into pointless conversations. Sometimes it works, and I succeed in wasting time.
NaNoWriMo isn't loaning me a Neo this year, so I had to take matters into my own hands and try to get one from somewhere else. Seconds ago, I won a Dana on ebay, and I plan on juicing it up. Just how?, maybe you're asking yourself? Heh, heh. Details to come. But I will say, it involves fire engine red. Rrrooowwwwrrrr.
I am poking at the novel plot.
It's still not a plot, as such, just a loose list of characters that I plan on throwing into a soup. I'm not sure if it's going to fly, though. Namely, because you usually need a plot to get a novel off the ground.
So the question of the moment is: How do you take someone potentially reprehensible and make them sympathetic, or even, hilarous?
It's been done before, authors with more skill than myself. The example that calls to me most at the moment is A Confederacy of Dunces, the funniest book I have ever read. Just brilliant. Both Martin Amis and David Foster Wallace have managed to pull off humorous, intelligent ensemble pieces that were Lit Fic-cy, so there isn't a ton of action happening every minute. How do they do that?
I am reading greedily, but not for pleasure. Last night I had to slow myself down...after finishing The Autobiography of Red I tried to move straight on to Nabokov's Despair without a breath. I had to stop, dizzy, like I'd just been running down a hill too fast after eating too much. I feel like I'm cramming for exams, needing to take in as much good writing as possible before November 1st. My fingers itch to write right now, just to get back into the habit of slinging words together again, but I don't want to take a chance on writing something that might end up a part of the novel.
Because that's cheating.
Exams, indeed.
And why do I start every sentence with 'I'? That's not good form at all.
jules
For the past few months I have been a camera lens, struggling in and out of focus every minute. I like to think that I'm moving daily toward the life I want, but I also know that I am lazier than I should be.
How do you reconcile that?
Dunno.
I'm just walking around the office, trying to cajole the most busy people into pointless conversations. Sometimes it works, and I succeed in wasting time.
NaNoWriMo isn't loaning me a Neo this year, so I had to take matters into my own hands and try to get one from somewhere else. Seconds ago, I won a Dana on ebay, and I plan on juicing it up. Just how?, maybe you're asking yourself? Heh, heh. Details to come. But I will say, it involves fire engine red. Rrrooowwwwrrrr.
I am poking at the novel plot.
It's still not a plot, as such, just a loose list of characters that I plan on throwing into a soup. I'm not sure if it's going to fly, though. Namely, because you usually need a plot to get a novel off the ground.
So the question of the moment is: How do you take someone potentially reprehensible and make them sympathetic, or even, hilarous?
It's been done before, authors with more skill than myself. The example that calls to me most at the moment is A Confederacy of Dunces, the funniest book I have ever read. Just brilliant. Both Martin Amis and David Foster Wallace have managed to pull off humorous, intelligent ensemble pieces that were Lit Fic-cy, so there isn't a ton of action happening every minute. How do they do that?
I am reading greedily, but not for pleasure. Last night I had to slow myself down...after finishing The Autobiography of Red I tried to move straight on to Nabokov's Despair without a breath. I had to stop, dizzy, like I'd just been running down a hill too fast after eating too much. I feel like I'm cramming for exams, needing to take in as much good writing as possible before November 1st. My fingers itch to write right now, just to get back into the habit of slinging words together again, but I don't want to take a chance on writing something that might end up a part of the novel.
Because that's cheating.
Exams, indeed.
And why do I start every sentence with 'I'? That's not good form at all.
jules
Thursday, October 04, 2007
The Difference A Day Makes.
Okay.
I think I'm hatching a plot. Yee!
Well, it's not really a plot as such, yet. What I have are a bunch of characters that I can throw into apparently interesting situations that are loosely related to one another. I've been reading a lot of ensemble pieces that are slightly surreal, post-modern, I think they're called. Martin Amis, David Foster Wallace - they do that kind of thing, and I dig it.
The situations are pretty bleak. Hope I can inject enough humor/absurdity to balance the dreariness. Hm.
Today I walked to the library. I walked for half an hour to the main library, paid the enormous fine I accumulated a year ago, and checked out three books which may or may not be on my list (White Noise, The Autobiography of Red, and Nabokov's Despair). That list needs some serious updating, I'll take care of that tomorrow.
And then I went to the gym and power walked for an hour. My legs are *jumpy*, but it's good.
I got a brand new notebook for my novel notes. Got some bad news today - I can't borrow a Neo (NaNo doesn't lend to the same people two years in a row). Which means I'll have to buy one. There's no way in hell I'll get the kind of word count I need without having a word processing implement with me all the time. But then, the question arises - should I get a Neo, or should I get one of the fancy portaPCs from ebay????
Decisions, decisions.
I'm happy about these character seedlings. This could be good.
jules
I think I'm hatching a plot. Yee!
Well, it's not really a plot as such, yet. What I have are a bunch of characters that I can throw into apparently interesting situations that are loosely related to one another. I've been reading a lot of ensemble pieces that are slightly surreal, post-modern, I think they're called. Martin Amis, David Foster Wallace - they do that kind of thing, and I dig it.
The situations are pretty bleak. Hope I can inject enough humor/absurdity to balance the dreariness. Hm.
Today I walked to the library. I walked for half an hour to the main library, paid the enormous fine I accumulated a year ago, and checked out three books which may or may not be on my list (White Noise, The Autobiography of Red, and Nabokov's Despair). That list needs some serious updating, I'll take care of that tomorrow.
And then I went to the gym and power walked for an hour. My legs are *jumpy*, but it's good.
I got a brand new notebook for my novel notes. Got some bad news today - I can't borrow a Neo (NaNo doesn't lend to the same people two years in a row). Which means I'll have to buy one. There's no way in hell I'll get the kind of word count I need without having a word processing implement with me all the time. But then, the question arises - should I get a Neo, or should I get one of the fancy portaPCs from ebay????
Decisions, decisions.
I'm happy about these character seedlings. This could be good.
jules
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Turning On The Heat.
Alright, I'm getting myself back in the habit of blogging daily.
So, now that I know what to expect for NaNo, I have been thinking of ways to turn the heat up and make it extra challenging. For starters, I think I should *double* the word count goal. And then make every Thursday in November a 10K day. That should keep the fire under my ass.
Once I figure out what I'm writing about.
Ack.
This lack-of-plot thing is starting to worry me. It's how I know I'm not a writer at heart, I have no good ideas.
I have a bunch of mixes in hand from my producer. I'm afraid to listen to them, for a few reasons. Tomorrow I'll get a nice glass of wine, turn the lights down low, and listen.
I finished Lolita today. It took me a long, long time to get past the ick factor and get into this book, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Man, Nabokov gets my vote, for turning this vile man into such a sympathetic character. By the end, my heart was breaking for him.
Nabokov - now *there's* a guy who never lacked for literary ideas.
Off to listen
for the plot whisperers,
jules
So, now that I know what to expect for NaNo, I have been thinking of ways to turn the heat up and make it extra challenging. For starters, I think I should *double* the word count goal. And then make every Thursday in November a 10K day. That should keep the fire under my ass.
Once I figure out what I'm writing about.
Ack.
This lack-of-plot thing is starting to worry me. It's how I know I'm not a writer at heart, I have no good ideas.
I have a bunch of mixes in hand from my producer. I'm afraid to listen to them, for a few reasons. Tomorrow I'll get a nice glass of wine, turn the lights down low, and listen.
I finished Lolita today. It took me a long, long time to get past the ick factor and get into this book, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Man, Nabokov gets my vote, for turning this vile man into such a sympathetic character. By the end, my heart was breaking for him.
Nabokov - now *there's* a guy who never lacked for literary ideas.
Off to listen
for the plot whisperers,
jules
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Something.
Damn, it's been *ages*.
It's been a long long time, even for my standards. I figure I should write in and say...something.
November is coming, faster than I'm comfortable with. I have to write a novel in November, I know. But I have no ideas, not the shell of a worm of an idea. My favorite thing to do is to go to the seventh sanctum's idea generator. Not that that's really helped me think of something to do for November.
I'm trying to recruit my friends to write novels. Because I want company. It's a burgeoning theme - I've been a lone wolf all my life. Now I want my tribe. I want a tribe around me, doing the crazy things I do, with me. I want that.
I'm still making an album. I'm a little closer to finish than when last I wrote, but I'm still not finished. Too much drama to recount here. Hope to be done by October's end.
I have read some good books: Cormac McCarthy's The Road, lots of delicious Martin Amis, I'm reading Nabokov's Lolita.
Have seen some great Netflix: Jan Svankmeyer's films, The Office (UK),
There's some good stuff on YouTube: Bill Maher's Real Time, Sensitive Skin, lots of good political documentaries.
Work is less and less satisfactory. I'm sitting here now, my brain about to explode. Some chance encounters with some of my favorite musicians have left me wanting the lives they lead. They travel and make music and meet each other for coffee while we office drones are wasting our lives in front of computers getting brain cancer.
I don't know.
I promise to write soon. And have something a little more positive to say.
jules
It's been a long long time, even for my standards. I figure I should write in and say...something.
November is coming, faster than I'm comfortable with. I have to write a novel in November, I know. But I have no ideas, not the shell of a worm of an idea. My favorite thing to do is to go to the seventh sanctum's idea generator. Not that that's really helped me think of something to do for November.
I'm trying to recruit my friends to write novels. Because I want company. It's a burgeoning theme - I've been a lone wolf all my life. Now I want my tribe. I want a tribe around me, doing the crazy things I do, with me. I want that.
I'm still making an album. I'm a little closer to finish than when last I wrote, but I'm still not finished. Too much drama to recount here. Hope to be done by October's end.
I have read some good books: Cormac McCarthy's The Road, lots of delicious Martin Amis, I'm reading Nabokov's Lolita.
Have seen some great Netflix: Jan Svankmeyer's films, The Office (UK),
There's some good stuff on YouTube: Bill Maher's Real Time, Sensitive Skin, lots of good political documentaries.
Work is less and less satisfactory. I'm sitting here now, my brain about to explode. Some chance encounters with some of my favorite musicians have left me wanting the lives they lead. They travel and make music and meet each other for coffee while we office drones are wasting our lives in front of computers getting brain cancer.
I don't know.
I promise to write soon. And have something a little more positive to say.
jules
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