That Hobbit Lady

March 9. I’m almost at 25,000 words (only one page away). So…I’m less than a third of the way done on time, but about half done on word count. IF I was writing a 50,000 word novel, which apparently I’m not. I hope Chris Baty’s book gives suggestions on what to do when you reach the end of your month before you reach the end of your novel. Should you keep going at the same pace, or would that eventually become too exhausting? Actually, I don’t find the writing exhausting or troublesome at all. At least not yet.

The most revealing aspect of this experience is learning that you do not have to write it RIGHT, you just need to get it WRITTEN. In other words, don’t be afraid to write sentences that you know are semi-awful, because you can always fix them up later in the editing process. I’n trying to turn off my “inner-editor” and for the most part I am successful, but when I do a read-through I can’t help but make a few corrections here and there. But it’s not really interfering with the creative process.

Another revelation: you don’t have to make everything up, you don’t always need to “re-invent the wheel.” For instance, my main character needed a boss who just happens to be exactly like a boss I once had. So I made my old boss her boss, I even gave him the same name. There was no need to “create” a character, when I looked back into my own life and found that the exact character I needed already existed. Sometimes being creative is knowing when NOT to create (if that makes sense).

And last, but not least, I have been learning the full impact of Chris Baty’s words, which go along with the age-old idea that creativity is “10% inspiration, 90% perspiration” : “The biggest thing separating people from their artistic ambitions is not a lack of talent. It’s the lack of a DEADLINE.” Very very powerful tool, that deadline. Don’t leave home without it.

Too busy writing my NOVEL to comment much here. Much progress being made. I’m about 1 week into it, and about 9,000 words, I think. Although, judging from where I am in the storyline, I’m going to need a lot more than 50,000 words! I’m just going to keep writing until the story is told, word count be damned!

I am now only a little more than 48 hours away from being able to begin writing my novel. I have been taking notes LIKE MAD. It’s been great! A few times I thought, okay, that’s it, I can’t add any more to this story, and then, wham! I write, “Maybe…this happens…” and I’m off and running on another layer of the story, deeper insight into the characters, finding little nuts and bolts that are going to hold the whole thing together and make it overall STRONGER.

The most exciting part is that I actually have a beginning and an end, because traditionally my way of writing has always been to start off with a beginning, have no idea where the story is going, and fizzle out somewhere in the middle. It reminds me of that famous saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably end up someplace else.” So now I actually know where I am going. And quite looking forward to the trip!

I am two days into taking notes for my novel and I am so angry at all the Creative Writing teachers I’ve ever had! Why didn’t they teach me the stuff Chris Baty so obviously points out in his one little book? It makes absolutely the most sense ever, and I have a real feeling that this is the RIGHT way to go about writing a novel. I mean, I know every writer has a different procedure, a different inspiration, but I think this way is going to work for me. If I had done this years ago, I might very well be published by now. Maybe. Anyway, I am still so on fire for this idea.

Also, I was reading a little bit by C.S. Forester, who wrote the Hornblower novels, and that poor guy! I mean, his experience in “constructing” the story makes a lot of sense, but when he sits down to actually write (in longhand, with one of the most undecipherable handwritings I have ever seen) it was an absolutely exhasting procedure for him, and it went on for three or four months at a time. He didn’t really enjoy the writing, but he very much enjoyed the “having written.” His story is in The Hornblower Companion, if anyone is interested. I personally find it very interesting to hear what other writers go through.

And as usual, my favorite quote is the one I heard in college years ago: How do you write 50 novels? Put your ass in a chair and keep it there for a LONG, LONG TIME!!!

I’ve made a decision. I have gone as far as I can in Chris Baty’s book about writing a novel in a month, and by George, I’m going to do it! I’m going to do it in November of course, along with thousands of other people, but I am so on fire for this idea that I don’t want to wait till November! Ilve already got a story idea, so I’m going to do a “WriMo” on my own—or NOT on my own, if anyone else is inspired to join me—in March.

Actually, I’m going to give myself a Beginner’s Handicap of a few days. On Feb 20 (next Sunday) I’m going to start note-taking/outlining/time-lining/etc. Baty says you can take no more than a week to do that. Then on Sunday, Feb 27, I’m going to begin writing. If you count through to March 31, it’s 33 days. Slightly longer than a month, but hey, February is kind of funky, and to tell the truth, I can’t wait to begin, so I’m just going to start a little early.

I’m writing this here so that anyone who reads this will know what I am doing and is welcome to question me on the progress of my novel. Also, I am writing this here, so that if anyone would like to join me, PLEASE DO!

By the way, a little hint that is not in the book: if you decide to write your novel out in longhand, each side of a sheet of looseleaf paper holds about 250 woords (for normal sized handwriting). So each day you want to fill about 7 sides of looseleaf paper, roughtly 1750 words per day. At that rate, it will take 28.571428 days to complete 50,000 words (or so my calculator tells me.) That sounds about right.

In the immortal words of SpongeBob…”I’m ready!! I’m ready!!! I’M READY!!!!!”