Eileen R. Tabios / #EileenWritesNovel / June
June 2, 2016
153 days of daily writing into the novel, it suddenly became hard today. It got tough because, for the first time, I looked over what I'd written and saw holes in the plot. Fortunately, to see the holes means I can plug 'em! But I see the wisdom of not beginning the editing too soon so that I don't lose the writing momentum. Especially as tough days still lie in wait—a recent article on my FB feed said that novel-writing is 30% writing, 70% editing (I don't know if that's true but I can believe it). So, for fortification, let me preen over the manuscript's physicality.
I began the process by hand-writing in a journal.
At some point (thankfully), I switched back to typing but pasted print-outs into the journal. I seemed to draw encouragement from the physicality of creating a filled-up journal. You can see my beginnings in the photo where it's all handwriting, to the current state of affairs where the journal simply offers taped print-outs.
In any event, I celebrate how my printed manuscript recently reached two huge binder clips. I estimate I'm about 5/12 done with the first draft. Onward!
And toughness? Bring it on...! Have you seen my bicep?! It makes my keyboard quiver!
June 10, 2016
That moment when you're not feeling it as you write your 5th sex scene and you realize it's actually just meaningless "filler" while you figure out how next the plot will unfold...
June 12, 2016
I was supposed to be nearly finished! I was ending! I could feel and was riding on those few inches to the finish line! Then the novel got away from me and revealed what I thought to be the ending was, yes, an ending but only an ending to PART ONE! The novel has a PART TWO? It has a PART TWO! But I wanted a summer vacation!
June 13, 2016
An unexpected light given the times: the powerful DIANOIA by Michael Heller, such as its title poem. And that poem "Allotments" is begging to be used epigraphically in the novel... THANK YOU for the blessings of http://www.nightboat.org/title/dianoia, Michael!
June 13, 2016 (later)
Self-explanatory: This “vispo” just appeared on h&, a journal of visual/concrete poetry curated by Ian Whistle (my thanks to Ian!):
June 21, 2016
Yay! I felt the grief! That is, I’d written something sad. I returned to it for an edit, and in my rereading the tears unexpectedly sprung. Excellent.
June 30, 2016
In my newbie writing days, it would have caused me to lay down my pen (or stop pecking at the keyboard). That is, when the writing becomes drudgery, as it did a couple of weeks ago, I slogged through because there is a story to develop. The difference between a pro and a wanna-be? Slogging through. Plus, let me choose to be grateful there is a story. In some past attempts, I didn't actually have a story (or it evaporated); I just wanted to write a novel. And so this slug is slogging... It hasn't been fun for a while, but, as others note, that's to be expected: https://www.reddit.com/r/writing/comments/20gvjx/why_is_writing_such_an_inherently_painful_and/
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June 2, 2016
153 days of daily writing into the novel, it suddenly became hard today. It got tough because, for the first time, I looked over what I'd written and saw holes in the plot. Fortunately, to see the holes means I can plug 'em! But I see the wisdom of not beginning the editing too soon so that I don't lose the writing momentum. Especially as tough days still lie in wait—a recent article on my FB feed said that novel-writing is 30% writing, 70% editing (I don't know if that's true but I can believe it). So, for fortification, let me preen over the manuscript's physicality.
I began the process by hand-writing in a journal.
At some point (thankfully), I switched back to typing but pasted print-outs into the journal. I seemed to draw encouragement from the physicality of creating a filled-up journal. You can see my beginnings in the photo where it's all handwriting, to the current state of affairs where the journal simply offers taped print-outs.
In any event, I celebrate how my printed manuscript recently reached two huge binder clips. I estimate I'm about 5/12 done with the first draft. Onward!
And toughness? Bring it on...! Have you seen my bicep?! It makes my keyboard quiver!
June 10, 2016
That moment when you're not feeling it as you write your 5th sex scene and you realize it's actually just meaningless "filler" while you figure out how next the plot will unfold...
June 12, 2016
I was supposed to be nearly finished! I was ending! I could feel and was riding on those few inches to the finish line! Then the novel got away from me and revealed what I thought to be the ending was, yes, an ending but only an ending to PART ONE! The novel has a PART TWO? It has a PART TWO! But I wanted a summer vacation!
June 13, 2016
An unexpected light given the times: the powerful DIANOIA by Michael Heller, such as its title poem. And that poem "Allotments" is begging to be used epigraphically in the novel... THANK YOU for the blessings of http://www.nightboat.org/title/dianoia, Michael!
June 13, 2016 (later)
Self-explanatory: This “vispo” just appeared on h&, a journal of visual/concrete poetry curated by Ian Whistle (my thanks to Ian!):
June 21, 2016
Yay! I felt the grief! That is, I’d written something sad. I returned to it for an edit, and in my rereading the tears unexpectedly sprung. Excellent.
June 30, 2016
posted by mark young at 10:04 AM
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