Working, working, working…
(nice example of a “Penny Dreadful”)
So, I’m in the throes of NaNoWriMo, and I have to say… I’m really nervous about what I’ve written so far on “Penny”. Can I really put copious vomiting, neurotic parent spoofs, and a child taxidermist in the same book?
Right now everything feels off kilter and fluffy. Everything feels messy. I know this is only a first draft, but I’m scared.
I wonder if others are NaNoWriMoing books under contract? I wonder if this was a mistake. If the “serious” nature of work that’s been sold and the zany/spontaneous nature of slamming out 1500 words a day are incompatible.
I console myself with the fact that I always have time to do-over if this is a miserable failure. I also console myself with the fact that I’m a much better rewriter than I am a writer. Something learned in all those years of poetry workshop makes me a very tight tinkerer, and terrible at just throwing words onto a page.
But right now I’m nervous.
One other, unrelated, note… I’ve been re-reading Gone Away Lake, because there are things I need to learn from it to write this… and I’m struck by the (Joe and Beth Krush) art in the book. It looks SO MUCH like the (LeUyen Pham) art for Any Which Wall. Which is AWESOME. But weird.
Tags: gone away lake, joe and beth krush, leuyen pham, nanowrimo, penny dreadful, writing
November 6th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
I don’t think you are the only one writing under contract. I believe Holly over at Brimstone is on a deadline for a contract as well. Hang in there. We will be here for you to bounce ideas off of.
November 7th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Hi Laurel! I wanted to be your NaMoWriMo buddy but I don’t know how to do that. I tried NaNoing a book under contract two years ago but slacked on it, and I wish I wouldn’t have. I think it’s a great way to get going, under contract or not. Good luck!
November 7th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
I think you can definitely put copious vomiting, neurotic parent spoofs, and a child taxidermist in the same book. Sounds great–I’m ready to pre-order.
I think pounding out 50,000 words this month is a great way to get your footing for the story, whether it’s under contract or not. Keep going. You’ll cut the fluff later.
And now I’m off to get my 1,667 words in for the day. Oh, yeah, I’ve got me a great big fluffy mess. Two fonts and three colors so far to help me keep things straight.
Cheers!
November 15th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Your remark about needing to remember that you’re a better rewriter than a writer is brilliant–I want to put it up above my desk and look at it frequently.