The bad news is that I didn't meet the daily goal of 1,667 words yesterday. No gold star for me! It also means that Paddy is able to redeem his "Onerosity" Coupon for toilet cleaning.
The good news is that I've started my novel. Day One finished with 916 words in the tank.
The kit recommends trying to exceed the daily goal throughout most of Week One as it's viewed as the easiest week for getting words down. So I have much to cover today!
Before my heart surgery, we were looking around for - and finding - many omens. We found these signs to be reassuring. Then, whilst in hospital, Pip leant me the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho which was all about omens -- and even contained a few very strong ones for me. I mention all of this because this morning the card for Day Two reads like another omen:
Writing a novel is like working with clay. You first create a rough shape, then massage that shape into something beautiful, such as an ashtray or a fearsome army of worms. Unlike potters, though, who can simply buy clay at the art supply store, novelists have to pull off the supernatural feat of creating their clay with their minds. It's an amazing accomplishment, really, and it's also why postponing judgment of your work until the end of your first draft is so important. What you started producing yesterday is noveling clay -- valuable, essential, and invariably lumpy. Its beauty will grow as you work with it.
After I had finished my 916 words yesterday evening, Paddy and I went for my little walk as part of the 'building back up my strength' regime. I told Paddy what my book was about and he said that the first draft was like creating a sculpture from clay. And then we joked that actually I'm building the clay itself. What you started producing yesterday is noveling clay. These were almost word for word our own words on yesterday's walk. I love omens.
Today, if you don't reach your word goal, can I have a toilet cleaning voucher please??
ReplyDeleteRebecca (and Barkley)
I read a lot of advice from different people, all saying the same thing: don't edit as you write. It's really hard to train yourself out of it - really hard! I found it does work, though. Even if you have to keep only one line visible at a time, so that you can't look back. If you re-read, you tinker, and it stops your progress. Nobody ever wrote a perfect first draft, anyway :-) Going great guns, bring on May so we can dive in to your story - ee!
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