Another Great Morning Writing Session and New Point of View in The Harvest

The long and winding writing road is always worth the ride.

This morning I got to write for over an hour and a half, and I produced over three single-spaced pages.  Somehow, I managed to write while tending to my 21-month-old daughter, but I cheated by using YouTube and feeding her Jello and Cool Whip.  That kept her entertained for a while, and I was happy with the work I produced.  Yes, progress is progress, and the writing is fairly good. 

I started working on the separate Alan point of view and am rehashing the first novel I wrote, but this story line is turning out much better.  Often, despite the best laid out maps (not that I have it all clearly laid out), the creative forces go wherever the heck they want.  I introduced a new character called Strike who is an angry cuss; he came out of nowhere.  I also introduced Mr. Brown who is the leader of the resistance, pathetic as it may seem.

Anyway, Alan won’t stay with this group for long, but the encounter will have a profound impact on his life as new ideas validate his hatred of the system.

The project is rather ambitious.  After all, I haven't written and completed a novel to my satisfaction in a long time, so tonight, I am planning on trying to eke out some writing time, but we will see.  I think I work better in the mornings, but still cannot get up at 5a.m. 6a.m. is no problem, but come next Tuesday, it will be back to the teaching grind, and I will really have to fight for that writing time. 

With that, I have to keep working on my syllabi.  I am almost done with my Creative Writing syllabus and will move onto the next ones.   I just have to tweak the course outline for my English 101 classes, and then work on the Blackboard sites.  There were things that definitely did not work last semester, and I will have to remember what those challenges were.  (Probably the deadline pacing.)  I think I can get done by tonight, so that I can get my pedicure reward.

That is my treat for working hard, although it doesn’t really feel like work because I am enjoying the prep. work and reading that is going along with the creation of my revised syllabi.  Awesome!  Bird by Bird is a great text and not overly complicated for new writers. 

I like how the author emphasizes the writing, not publication fantasies most newbs have about publishing and striking it rich.  The road is what matters, not the end. 

Here is to meeting our writing goals and creating new characters.  And to work that doesn’t feel like work.