My Moments of Madness Sometimes Amuse Me

So I'm reading through my rough draft for the first time, marking all the things I want to change with pen, when I stumbled upon something towards the end of the book. It was just one word, but it caught my attention:

blarg

Written just like that, in a paragraph entirely of its own. No capitalization or punctuation. It had nothing to do with the story or dialogue or... anything, really. But it's in there, and I definitely wrote it. It's also in the first printed draft that I packaged for the girl the book's dedicated to, who's probably scratching her head over it just like I am.

Thing is, I have no memory of writing it, nor do I have any idea as to what idea I was trying to convey.

You have to understand... by that point, the birthday deadline was looming, and I was up writing around 5,000 words a night on top of a full-time job. I was hip-deep in madness and exhaustion. I was probably seeing leprechauns dance across my computer screen at the time. Playing the bagpipes while dancing naked in the streets were most likely distinct possibilities to my fried brain that night.

Still, when I read it just now in my first read-through of the rough draft, I burst out laughing. It's definite proof that writing and insanity are one and the same. Don't let anyone tell you differently.

First Draft Done

Yup.

The past few months have been insane in the push to get it finished in time, "in time" being the birthday of the person the novel's dedicated to. To write it by the deadline, I had to kiss instant messaging, facebook, and a few of my other favorite distractions goodbye for a little while. This decision, in turn, positioned me to take the brunt of a few "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" rants. My apologies go out to those people! It wasn't personal!

Also, because the girl who the book is dedicated to reads this blog, my online writing got pretty slim there for awhile, because I know she would be smart enough to pick up any hint or slip whatsoever that would reveal my intentions. I wanted it to be a surprise, and luckily I was successful in that respect.

So, was it worth it? Most definitely, because she is worth it. If it weren't for her, the novel wouldn't exist in the first place. She deserves all of it and more. I'm so happy and relieved it all worked out.

So now that the rough draft is done... what now? Well, for starters, a MASSIVE amount of editing and rewriting. First drafts are always shitty, and I will be spending a lot of time, erm... de-shitifying the story as much as possible. The first draft is about getting the damn thing written, now I can concentrate on the voice, flow, pacing, and detail of the story. As much as I love writing, I enjoy this part of the process as well.

Also, since the secret's out, I'll be updating this site more often. I'm sure all of the two or three people who actually read this are overjoyed.

Stay tuned. More updates soon.

The Saint of Fort Washington

Homelessness being a reoccurring topic on here, I thought I'd bring up an excellent film centering on the topic that recently got a huge boost in availability via Netflix.

I'm talking, of course, about The Saint of Fort Washington.

Talk about an under-appreciated gem. I heard about it from a friend through facebook who saw it outside of the U.S., but when I went to look for copies of it... there were none to be found. Try looking it up on Amazon sometime. The only copies you'll find (if there are any left to be found) of the movie are non-USA import discs. I had to buy one of the import DVDs and play it on a multi-region player. The Portuguese subtitles and picture quality were a little distracting, but the movie blew me away regardless of those minor nuisances.

The performances all knock it out of the park. The cinematography is extremely effective. Some of the shots of the homeless shelter are a hit in the gut; both amazing in scope and heart-wrenchingly sad. The story is both grim and inspiring. It really should've got more attention than it did. I get frustrated whenever I think about all the awards it should've received.

It's still not available on Region 1 USA DVD, but recently Netflix was awesome enough to make it available on Instant Watch, which means if you're a subscriber, you can view the film directly from your computer.

So yep... go and watch it. You won't regret it. Here's the trailer if you want a taste.

Still Alive

Yep, still here. My goal has been to write around 2,000 words per day, and I'm actually not doing so bad! I saw this quote from the 2005 movie adaptation of Factotum, and found it particularly inspiring:

Henry Chinaski: If you're going to try, go all the way. Otherwise don't even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives, jobs. And maybe your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision. It could mean mockery, isolation. Isolation is the gift. All the others are a test of your endurance. Of how much you really want to do it. And you'll do it, despite rejection in the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can imagine. If you're going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods. And the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It's the only good fight there is.
- Factotum - (quote found here)
So try. Write and create with fire and endurance. I'll be over here attempting to do the same.

Challenge

Hi Everyone,

I've been told by the author of How Many Licks? to spread the word on an online contest he's holding. Details found here:

http://diaryofnumbers.blogspot.com/2010/02/fermi-contest-ii.html

I'm also curious as to what kind of solutions people come up with. Seriously, how many times has the video game character Mario died in his adventures?

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Congratulations to a friend of mine for getting her articles on David Bowie and Eleanor of Aquitaine published! The more people click on these links, the more she gets paid, so get to it:

http://www.studentpulse.com/articles/186/innovation-or-desperation-david-bowies-little-wonder

http://www.studentpulse.com/articles/187/the-uncommon-commonality-of-eleanor-of-aquitaine

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I've been reading up on typical work-output of some authors, as in how much and how fast they write.

Neil Gaiman wrote in a tweet:

"@tesharasox an okay writing day on a novel is 1000 words plus. 2000 is an excellent day. More is a great day. 1:21 PM Feb 21st via TweetDeck in reply to tesharasox"

Similarly, dailywritingtips.com, quoted Stephen King's On Writing in this article:
"Stephen King (in On Writing) tells fiction writers to aim for a target of 1,000 words a day, six days a week."

In this article, Hemingway was recorded as saying:
“I write one page of masterpiece to ninety one pages of shit,” Hemingway confided to F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1934. “I try to put the shit in the wastebasket.”

The second paragraph of Charles Bukowski's Women (page one) reads:
"I'm not sure when I first saw Lydia Vance. It was about 6 years ago and I had just quit a twelve year job as a postal clerk and was trying to be a writer. I was terrified and drank more than ever. I was attempting my first novel. I drank a pint of whiskey and two six packs of beer each night while writing. I smoked cheap cigars and typed and drank and listened to classical music on the radio until dawn. I set a goal of ten pages a night but I never knew until the next day how many pages I had written. I'd get up in the morning, vomit, then walk to the front room and look on the couch to see how many pages were there. I always exceeded my ten. Sometimes there were 17, 18, 23, 25 pages. Of course, the work of each night had to be cleaned up or thrown away. It took me twenty-one nights to write my first novel."

*Granted, Bukowski is writing as reoccurring character Henry Chinaski. Still, if it's even remotely based on fact, I find it to be amazing.*

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So, writers out there. How much do you challenge yourself to write each day?

Time Machine

Hi All. Some good links this week:

Chapter Five from my cousin's online novel is now up. It somehow gets even better with every chapter, so if you haven't started it, be sure to take a look.

If you have any interest in reading, writing, art, or just awesomeness in general, you should really check out author Neil Gaiman's Online Journal. In yesterday's entry, he posted two great links that list writing advice from some fabulous authors. Here they are:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/feb/20/ten-rules-for-writing-fiction-part-one

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/feb/20/10-rules-for-writing-fiction-part-two

Similarly, if I had some sort of time-traveling power where I could go back and have a chat with my high school honors English class, here are the ten things I would impart upon the aspiring writers -- including the 18 year old version of myself -- of that class:

1. Familiarize yourself with madness, but don't succumb to it; chances are you're most of the way there already if you want to be a writer.

2. Don't envy the success of other artists. Instead, network with them. It's a much more rewarding course of action.

3. Disregarding a work of art due to the genre it's lumped in, the age group it's intended for, or the medium in which it's conveyed is never a good idea. Brilliance can be found everywhere. Have an open mind.

4. Every person is entitled to speak his or her own thoughts, but remember that your dreams are some of your most important possessions. If something foul, condescending, or rude is said about your dreams, smile and continue your course. But don't let go of them.

5. Recognize fear, and know that you aren't immune to it.

6. Write as if each story is your last memento to the world. You never know, it very well could be.

7. Celebrate the fact that you are capable of horrible writing. We learn through revision and chopping away at the words our stories don't need.

8. Treat writing like a job you really enjoy. Just like other jobs, you will advance through experience, putting in lots of hours, hard work, and by being friendly and professional to your colleagues.

9. Trying to publish something that you would be embarrassed to read aloud probably isn't the greatest of strategies.

10. Thank people for their suggestions about your work, even if you don't agree with them.

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If you could go back and tell your younger self ten things, what would they be?

It's All In An Ending

"Everything. Everyone. Everywhere. Ends."

-Six Feet Under

As I near closer to the end of my story, I can't help but feel the pressure. You know, THAT one. Tying it all together. Trying to leave the reader with a sense of happiness. I mean, they spent all that time with your words, don't you want them to be more than just a little bit glad that they've done as much? Out of everything in a story, the ending is what's carried with the reader or audience after all is said and done. At least that's how it is for me.

Whenever I feel pressured, I look to the masters. Artists who've ended their projects with style and aplomb to spare. What follows are examples of some of my favorite endings in various mediums (spoilers beware):

*The "Six Feet Under" Series Finale -- TV series can't be an easy thing to end, given the immense history and fan base they build, but this show did it right. Sweeping and elegant, the viewers can't help but feel a sense of elation and wonderment, which is miraculous considering it is a show about death.

*The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman -- "Graceful" is a word that comes to mind when reading the final chapter of this celebrated novel. I'm a huge fan of this author already, but still I was floored at how well-written the ending to this story was. He really is a talent to be treasured.

*"The Shield" Series Finale -- I really didn't think the creators of the show would be able to pull it off. Each year, audiences clamored and gossiped (at least me and the people I watched it with did) with theories on what type of fate was in store for should-we-root-for-him-or-not badass Vic Mackey. Well, the creators were successful in crafting an appropriate ending. And trust me, you'll never in a million years predict what actually happens to Vic.

*"Space-Time For Springers" by Fritz Leiber -- One of my favorite short stories of all time. Google it sometime if you've never read it, it's marvelous. The sacrifice at the end is so poignant it's palpable.

* The "Cowboy Bebop" Series Finale -- If you haven't watched the entirety of this series, shame on you. Yes, it's an anime. Don't judge. Just watch it. The ending (and ending song) are brilliant.

And finally... my favorite ending:

*Survive Style 5+ -- Best. Ending. Ever. Best use of a Cake song too, I might add. Yes, it's a weird ending, but then again the entire movie is strange. It's also absolutely perfect. If you can watch it without smiling, I will be amazed. The fact that it hasn't been released on R1 DVD or blue ray is a crime. Also more pressing... when are director Gen Sekiguchi and screenwriter Taku Tada going to collaborate on another film?