A Writer’s Journal: Listen to your words
Today’s process:
Step one:
Changed the font in the document to ALL Times New Roman, 12 point size, no highlighting. Silly, but it helps to neaten up the text.
Step two:
Renumbered the chapters to be in sequential order. (A couple days ago… maybe a week ago, or two? I had deleted the prologue and chapters 1 and 2.) I took the brave step to name the first chapter Chapter 1.
Yay me!!! Ra, Ra!
There were also a couple chapters that I had named seven and a half. That actually made it easier for present me because eventually the number system was correct.
Step three:
I renamed all the scenes that I had named simply ‘Scene.’
That seems obvious to me now, but when I was dividing the text into scenes, it seemed tedious to add the specific numbers.
Actually, as I think about it now, I also think that it might have been smart because with the changes in the chapters, etc., it was a task that probably has to be done and re-done, so why not just leave it to the end.
IDK- I’ll figure that out in the future.
Adam Savage says that leaving a mess is just a way of saying ‘Fuck you’ to your future self.
I’m watching a squirrel right now. He’s sitting with his tummy on the ground. Probably young. I love when squirrels WALK instead of hopping. He’s sniffing the ground and walking. Now he’s digging and eating. I wonder what.
Back to Adam Savage. So I’m wondering if my process is necessary. Or (the squirrel’s tummy is SO white… Thank you ADD. Oh look, there’s a butterfly.) Or if I can be more efficient with more planning.
It’s not the difference between being a pantser or a plotter. I think that both are valuable and both can work. But maybe… I’m thinking with this whole reflection element… that I’m learning some steps that I will just implement in the beginning.
Things like dividing the text into scenes.
Writing is a weird science. Partly it is methodical. Partly it eschews method.
When we cook, we follow a recipe at first. Because cooking is chemistry. You can’t substitute salt for sugar and expect your cookies to be FANTASTIC. The two substances look the same, but they are NOT the same. They do not taste the same. They do not chemically react the same way when combined with flour, eggs, butter, etc.
Following a writing recipe is helpful at first, but then, we need to experiement.
Okay — stay focused.
Step four:
Once the whole document looked better, I emailed it to myself so that I could transfer the file to Natural Read, an app on my phone that reads text to me.
I like to use Moira, a female voice with an Irish accent. I’m used to it. She gets me.
I put the speed as fast as it will go. 9X. I’m used to that, too.
Then, I started at the beginning to hear the story.
I followed along with the text on my laptop. I haven’t printed the manuscript yet. But I will soon.
I made it to page 54, chapter six. And that was with a rather lengthy Facetime interruption.
It’s a GORGEOUS summer day here in New England.
The Corona Virus is still wreaking havoc. But my family is still doing all right.
Tomorrow, I will keep reading with Natural Read.
But so far, I’m liking what I made. If I was testing a new recipe, I feel it’s almost ready to put on the menu.
Before I send it out, I need to remove the scene numbers (although that would definitely come in handy to discuss the text, but it also it NOT the way that it will be finally published. So, no. They must go.).
I would also like to add in time and date stamps for the chapter titles.
I will do that after I’ve printed it out because I think it’ll be easier that way.
I think I’ll be able to get through another hundred pages or so tomorrow. Then probably finish up by Thursday.
Feeling good today.
