July 2024 Writing Update
So, I’m a few days late. In my defense, though, I was moving. From NYC to P. Er, Philly. Philadelphia. I live there now. Not sure I embodied the tortured and aspiring artist stereotype very well while I was in New York, but I imagine I will embody it even less out here. I dunno. Anyway, as I’ve said for most of the months of this calendar year, I’m editing. What else is new? Well, the edit has once again paid off in a huge way!
It turns out that during draft one, around Chapter 26 or something, there was a section that I really didn’t feel like writing at that point in time. So I left some notes to myself on what that section was supposed to contain and how it was meant to connect to what would follow...and that was it. Cut to: future Zach, wondering where the rest of Chapter 26 is.
At first this was terrifying. But then, as I forced myself to get back into that “creating” rather than “destroying” headspace, it was freeing. It was nice to see that I could still find the voice I was using for this novel in longer spurts after such a while away from actively using it. Yes, I’d corrected sentences and rearranged paragraphs here and there, but I’d never done a full day’s writing recently for the novel like I had during the first draft phase. Being able to put myself back in that place, right in the middle of various plot threads, too, felt good. It inspired some confidence and made me a bit sure of the editing choices I was making for the next few sessions after that.
Outside of the neverending story, there’s still the other projects that I use as rewards for myself. That screenplay bug was just too pesky, and I could'n’t help myself. So, I’m about halfway through that story now. I started writing it over a vacation just as a more “fun” and “laid back” way of keeping the writing muscles active. Now I’m really liking how it’s coming together and the themes its playing with. Time will tell if that attitude keeps, though.
And as for that novel that’s set as a series of journal entries? I’m trying something unique there. I’ve reached a point of time-skip in the entries, and I’m actually imposing a bit of a time skip for myself as well. I feel like it gives me a break and makes me look forward to coming back to it, while also helping me better inhabit the characters who are supposed to be writing these entries to begin with. I mean, the time is passing for me just like it is theoretically passing for them, right? I just hope I don’t forget everything. I’m sure I won’t. Probably.
