Quick update, and a snippet!

My word count is slowly increasing. I’m horribly behind on my goal, but I’m writing more consistently than I have been for a long, long, time. And I’ll soon break my personal word count record. These may seem small in comparison to a goal of 50,000 words, but they’re very important stepping stones for me.

I had a tough time picking out a snippet. This is part of a much larger scene, and some things have occurred that are mentioned here. Yes, I’m sorry, you don’t get the full details. What, you want all the details you say?

My friend, we call them books. You’ll have to wait until this one is finished.

Also, I’m pleased with my decision to write in first person POV. It’s very, very tough to pull off, and I can already see things I’ll need to revise come first-draft revision time. But it’s getting easier as I go.

Edited to add: There’s also a very small snippet under my novel info on my Nanowrimo profile. You can find the link to the right, above my word count meter. I won’t be posting that snippet here.

Here’s a snippet from the story so far. It’s less than 500 words, and nowhere near a complete scene. Please keep in mind that this is a first draft, and will likely undergo revision. Even still, do not post this anywhere in any way shape or form. The segment of the story below, though incomplete, belongs entirely to me. I should also note that these snippets will not necessarily be posted in order. Enjoy. Click below to keep reading.

I’m watching a special Inside the Actor’s Studio, in which Dave Chapelle is interviewing James Lipton. It includes a variety of snippets from various episodes of the show. I’m struck by the similiarities between serious acting, and serious writing.

In acting, as in writing, an actor strives to express themselves through a character and a setting, and responds to the plot of the story. Within every character is a small piece of that actor. It is not a representative piece, and not necessarily accurate-you must take the good with the bad. An actor strives to bring the character to life, to draw the viewer in and make the viewer feel the character’s joy, grief, anger, etc. as his own.

As writers, we strive for the exact same things. Our medium is different-we use the written word instead of the spoken. Within every real character is a little piece of ourselves-good or bad. From the most heroic swordsman to the cruelest villian, if that character was memorable, you can probably bet the writer invested something of himself in it.

I don’t think that one is more difficult than the other–both are notoriously hard to get write. I think that writing a story is a more precise art-we cannot rely on our body language to get something across. But, I think that most readers are far more forgiving a writer’s faults, than a fan whose favorite actor delivers a poor performance.

Nanowrimo, week one.

Writing has been slow this week. Between a stressful week at work and the weather (rainy, cloudy days make me lethargic and unmotivated), I’m way behind on my writing goals. BUT, I got a good bit done today, and I AM writing-which is the most important part.

It took me a couple of hours to write a scene, but it ended up being the longest I think I’ve ever written, coming it at just under 2,000 words. In one scene, I managed to more than double my word count so far.

I’ve got a fairly clear idea of where the story is going, and how it will end. But my muse has already tossed in a few surprises, which I’m excited to see how they play out as the story continues.

EDIT: 9:34pm. I got some more writing in, after dinner. I’m up to nearly 6,000 words. I’d call this a highly productive day.

Here’s a snippet from the story so far. It’s less than 500 words, and nowhere near a complete scene. Please keep in mind that this is a first draft, and will likely undergo revision. Even still, do not post this anywhere in any way shape or form. The segment of the story below, though incomplete, belongs entirely to me. I should also note that these snippets will not necessarily be posted in order. Enjoy. Click below to keep reading.

A busy day at work, but I did get my inventory completed by the end of my shift.

I wrote another scene today. It was rather difficult, and it will need to be revised. But revision will wait until after I finish the first draft. If I revise as I go, I’ll never finish. Perfect never finishes, after all.

More writing tomorrow, in between errands. The first PFS game is tomorrow as well.

In other news:

License plate leads police to suspect in fatal hit-skip

The license plate from a vehicle that apparently struck a man walking on the Stringtown Road bridge over I-71 early yesterday led Grove City police to an arrest in the hit-skip fatality.

Aaron M. Sellers, 36, was charged with leaving the scene of a crash and drunken driving. He lives at 1936 Seaside Circle in Grove City, according to court records.

Officers found the license plate to Sellers’ vehicle at the scene of the crash, which occurred about 1:20 a.m., police said. Sellers was arrested at his home.

The pedestrian killed was identified as Lawrence Daniel, 55, said Franklin County Coroner Brad Lewis.

If you’ve ever spent a lot of time in Grove City, you may have seen Larry “Stick” Daniel. He was a quasi-homeless guy, but I never saw him with a sign or asking for money or anything. His family are regular bowlers. I never met Larry, but I saw him often, walking around Grove City.

This struck a chord with me today. Everyone knew about Larry, but who really knew him? What was his story? Michael Stackpole says that everyone has at least one book in them. What would Larry’s book have been? Now we’ll never know, because someone got behind the wheel while drunk, and took away from Larry the only thing he had left to lose.

A Slow Start

Typed up tonight what I wrote by hand last night. Finessed it, and decided to try out first-person POV. I think it’s the best choice for this story.

BTW, Police Procedure & Investigation: A Guide for Writers is an invaluable resource.

I have to do my monthly inventory at work tomorrow. If I don’t get it done during my scheduled shift, I’ll need to go back in in the evening to make sure it’s done by Tuesday morning. Wish me a quick and productive inventory–it’s the only way I’ll get to do any writing tomorrow.