Of Snivelling Snotbuckets November 30, 2007
Posted by Jen in : Novel , trackbackS’funny. Well, depends on your definition of ‘funny’ I suppose. Anyway. When I started The Novel, I had this great big idea that music and art were going to feature really strongly as some sort of metaphor or catalyst. (Catalyst? No, I have no idea what I’m talking about either.) Somehow, though, it didn’t quite happen that way.
All that time ago, 90,000 words seemed like more words than I even knew. What on earth will I write about to fill in the 80,000 between beginning and cliched end? I thought. Admittedly, the tosh that I wrote meant that I got to know my characters better. But now, somehow, I’ve just hit 70% and it’s all happening. All on its very own. And I’m wondering how to cram all the good bits in before the finishing line? The huge swathes of tosh will have to be pruned with a machete and the good bits written instead. Gawd.
Things, serendipitously, are still clicking into place. I have been asked at the last minute to play with Cranbrook Symphony Orchestra in a concert tomorrow night. And they’re performing one of my favourite pieces of music. This spurred me on this morning to write a section of The Novel that is pivotal, bringing in all the things I wanted to include and drawing everything together. But writing it, while listening repeatedly to this, has made me cry so much that I’m now a quivering emotional wreck with a rosy red cheeks and stuffed up snozzle. See? A funny business, this writing lark.
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That is really exciting to hear that it’s all coming together and stuff. Fab news.
It is a funny old thing about the music, cos while I appreciated the sound, I’m really rather unmoved by it. I know that this is definitely my deficiency, but still it strikes me as odd. She looked like she was enjoying it though.
You can always wield a machete, but it’s harder to create the good bits - so well done - your characters have come alive and that’s when it gets enjoyable - so enjoy and allow them to flow…bugger the word limit….
I’m so pleased you are feeling and finding the flow. I had the opposite when I was coming towards the end of my first draft so I am rather envious. Go you!
Bravo Jen! Watch out with the machete though - it’s hardly a precision instrument - try a pencil, or the delete button! You just wait - it’s all going to just come tumbling out of you in a big, exciting gushing finale.Whaaahhhhhhh….. Oooh, sounds a bit saucy - didn’t mean it like that.
Mya x
JJ - I love the way she smiles halfway through. I don’t cry EVERY time I listen to it, just when I was writing an emotional bit alongside it. Same way a soundtrack enhances a film, I suppose. Hope I don’t blub at the concert later
Hannah - you know what? I’m going to print your comment out and stick it to something. I think ‘bugger the word limit AND end of year deadline’ might have to be the new thing.
Helen - I’m worried that it’s only just starting to work and I’m nearly 3/4 of the way through!!
Mya - no machete? You spoilsport, you! Saucy works for me - and at least I’ve past the stage of peaking too soon…
Sounds like the book is storming along now. Deadlines and word counts are nothing compared to getting the good bits down:-)
Enjoyed the video. She looks like a cross between Julia Roberts and that woman from the L’oreal ads, Andie someone. The comments on the vid are intruiging. Someone said she missed a couple of notes. Of course I spotted that too:-)
Enjoy your concert xx
May I suggest that when it comes down to any ‘creative editing’ of the novel, some Slipknot might be more helpful.
Just a thought.
Well done for getting so much of the novel done so far. Not wanting to speak for any of the other people who comment here, but I think I’m fairly safe in saying that we’re all ‘egging you on’.
loved loved loved that piece of music. I always seem to forget that I really like classical music!!
Well done on the writing…..I have so much admiration for anyone who puts pen to paper (or should that be fingers to keyboards?) cause I can’t write for toffee. It sounds like it’s all flowing nicely.
Hope the concert went well
C x
Lane - those ‘missed a note’ comments are sort of the reason I’ve avoided studying music as part of my degree. I love to enjoy things as they. Perfection is dull, isn’t it? Imagine if flowers were all exactly the same shape and shade and planted in rows? There’s more beauty in imperfection somehow…
Bedshaped - ashamed to say I had to look up ‘Slipknot’. I thought it might be a sort of spliff!!! Crumbs, they look WELL scary. And as for ‘egging’ me on? Ugh. You should be ashamed of yourself - that was, obviously, eggs-tremely bad
Carol - glad you loved it, I do too. Perfect for the moody, rainy weather here too. The concert was terrific; wish you’d been there.
Really pleased that you are making good progress. I usually listen to music while writing although not classical. I didn’t think the piece was sad, but music is very much in the ear of the beholder and depends on mood aswell. Keep going with the novel and don’t worry about word counts or deadlines.
Thanks for saving my identity, us sheep can’t be too careful!!!!
Must know go and look up “slipknot” too.
jen,
Some sort of spliff? Am I that predictable?
I’m not sure what you mean by the response to my egging you on comment. Have I missed something? I hope you haven’t searched on the internet to find it’s some kind of sexual slang because that was never the intention. Perhaps it’s a regional thing. It was intended as a motivational phrase.
Sheepish - you’re right about music meaning different things to people, sounding different… Hope Slipknot didn’t scare you!
Bedshaped - Slipknot just sounds spliffy! I don’t know why. Um… as for ‘egging’ being something pervy? Noooooooooo… I was wittering on about eggs in a recent post so I thought you were referring to that. We would presumably share regional ‘things’ anyway since I’m sort of only down the road from you (I think). The thought of it being some weird sex thing made me laugh though!
Sounds like you’re over the hump, heading downhill and picking up speed on your way to the finish line. Go Jen Go!!!
Yay! Go you honey!
Deadlines are the new rock and roll.
x
Zinnia - got the hump, more like! Where’s the writing time gone?
Caroline - Deadlines? Not Jack Daniels? Oh ‘eck.
It’s fantastic once it all clicks into place. And you CAN go longer than 90,000 words if you need to…..
Rebecca - but, but… MORE than 90,000? Ugh. That’s lots!