Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Tuesday Twosomes - Apparently Stuff Happens

I've been clipping right along with the manuscript. I've managed to keep to my 1,000 words a day for nearly two weeks now. I wonder what will happen when I finish the raw writing of the manuscript. I may have to design a self-hypnosis induction to tell myself to stop.
Despite the 50,000+ words as of yesterday I'm still not clear on the point. I know it's an awful admission, but it's the truth.
Other manuscripts have  started with an idea or a scene in my mind and fell together as I wrote. This is sort of doing the same, and stuff does happen, but the characters are unwilling to grow or give much of themselves to me. Perhaps, I tell myself, it is destined to be such a long manuscript that developments must be parceled out carefully.
Underneath that is the strong hint that I simply don't have a clue what I'm doing and the characters are using this against me.
No matter what the reason, each day as I add to the file they take me somewhere. I suppose that's all I can ask for now. It is only a first draft.

Two lines from Dead Broke:

"I did the equivalent of a hard swallow.
'Someone will come to you and ask a little favor. Not too much, a little something such as you've done for us already perhaps.' "

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I had the pleasure of reading Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club (Ivy Books, 1989) last week.  It quickly took its place as a favorite. I think I'll be reading it every few years to savor the language, the characters, the story, and the strong spine of rich emotions that holds it together.

Two lines:

"For many years I could not remember what I wanted that night from the Moon Lady, or how it was that I was found again by my family. Both of these things seemed an illusion to me, a wish granted that could not be trusted."
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9 comments:

David Cranmer said...

Two weeks at 1K a day is impressive. Everything else will fall in place.

Clare2e said...

I second David! You can't edit what doesn't exist!

Leah J. Utas said...

Thanks for the vote of confidence, David.

Thanks, Clare. That's exactly it.

messymimi said...

It almost becomes like stream of consciousness at that rate. The characters reveal more of themselves as you keep going, and things happen at their pace. Eventually you get where it all comes together, and you go back and sort out the gold from the dross, understanding more about why those things happened than you would otherwise.

Leah J. Utas said...

Wise words, Messymimi. I am often surprised at what my characters get up to.

the Bag Lady said...

I agree with everyone else - it will all fall into place eventually!
Congratulations on sticking to your word count for this long.

Leah J. Utas said...

Thanks, df Bag Lady.

Reb said...

Oh, maybe you're writing a trilogy! ;)

Leah J. Utas said...

Ahhhhhh! The pressure, Reb. The pressure! Seriously, I won't know anything until it's done.