555

I started the rewrite of the first 20 pages of my novel. It will be a pretty extensive rewrite and I started by writing 555 words of new material tonight. So, goodnight!

Can't Sit Still

I have been very antsy to write today. My mind keeps drifting and I have to stop myself from starting to continue writing my novel in my head. It kills me to stop myself from doing this. Occasionally, I jot don't some notes, but I miss sitting at my computer at home, engaging the keyboard in a fingertip assault. After work, I have my commute into the city, then I need to finish some homework, then meet with my professor, then class. I will not be able to tap away until close to midnight.

Perfect Weather

It's raining today in New Jersey, perfect weather for writing. I must admit that I often yearn for weather that drives me inside. It is there, with the shades drawn, that I do my best work. I know others must feel differently, wanting to find a bright Caribbean beach on which to scrawl away. But all I want to do on a beach is let the UV and vitamin D lull me to sleep.

No.

Give me rain.

Give me cold.

Give me snow.

And I will show you

what I know.

Infusion

 I was re-reading "The Fenton Child" by Mavis Gallant at lunch. With fifteen minutes left until I had to return to work, I decided to take a nap in my car. When I do this, I usually take off my wristwatch and fall asleep holding it in my hand. When the watch begins to slip out of my hand, I wake for a second and check the time. This ensures that I do not oversleep.

As I drifted in and out of consciousness, I began to dream of "The Fenton Child." I did not make up new situations, but rather just floated through images of what I had read. This is the first time this has happened to me. I have never had what I was reading become infused with my dreams. It was pretty exhilarating and made the fiction seem all that more real, more than my waking imagination ever could.

Johnny Ramone

This is long past due, but I just wanted to remember guitarist Johnny Ramone, who died a week or so ago of prostate cancer. Since this is a writing blog, here are a few Ramones lyrics. Each group of lines is from a different song

I met her at the Burger King
Fell in love by the soda machine

Sittin' here with nothing to do
Sittin' here thinkin' only of you.

They got done surfin'
and their goin' to the discotheque a go-go
But she just stood and stared
she had to break away
Oh, New York City really has it all
Oh yeah-eh, oh yeah

Hey daddy-o
I don't want to go
down to the basement

I don't wanna walk around with you
so why do you wanna walk around with me?

I don't want to be buried
in a pet cemetery
I don't want to live my life again

Rest in peace, Johnny.

Glorious Criticism!

I urge all of you aspiring writers out there to have your work critiqued by at least two assertive poeple whose opinions you trust. I cannot begin to tell you how helpful it was to have my work critqued in a workshop last week. At first, it was painful. However, after thinking through everyone's verbal and written comments, I was able map out how I wanted to rewrite my first chapter. In fact, I was able to decide on the overall structure of the novel and map out the first six chapters. Other people's opinions were more inspirational than a whole listening library of classical music. So do not be shy and have someone read your work.