The Town of Spring Once Again

After more than a month away, I am finally returning to my attempt at a novel. I am certain that my time away will be a double-edged sword: for all that I might have clarified, I fear that I will leave behind some of the threads I started as well. I guess this is pretty normal in the first draft of anything, but it’s still quite odd watching it happen.

In any case, Chapter 5 of Part 2 is up which is my first chapter centering on Lynn.

It’s time to see the signs: I will not finish my NaNoWriMo novel in time (unless I catch the spirit and get 30,000 words in 4 days). I’m alright with this resignation, though, because it has been more important for me lately to spend a lot of time thinking and envisioning the rest of the novel. I think I have a good idea of where things are going, and I’m excited to actually finish it, whenever that will come.

The short Chapter 4 of Part 2 is up, which is an attempt to create in Michael a characteristic of his life/experiences being half-in the moment and half-nostalgia. I am hoping he feeds off of memory similarly to how R- feeds off of imagination and visions. These memory chapters (Chapter 1 of part 2 was one as well) are also meant to be a little more active and narrative than the primarily mental thrust of the work so far.

I haven’t been posting much, primarily because I feel like whenever I write I should be writing my novel. And whenever I sit to write my novel I find I have a freelance article to finish or graduate applications to polish. Finally, I set aside today for the novel only and got something out.

I am finding myself creating a rather intricate structure and timeline for Part Two, and for the novel as a whole. I feel rather uneasy about it all, like I am tightrope walking and it is just a matter of time before I fall on my face. I still enjoy writing from R-’s mind, which is what II.3 is in, but one of the goals of Part Two is to really invest in his father, in Gabe, and in his mother (though I am still unsure how major of a character I want to make her). Or should I stick to my strength (/imagined strength) and stay with R-, use him to filter the others?

Chapter 3 is here, enjoy – or at least tell me why you don’t.

I mentioned earlier that I was breaking the novel into thirds. Maybe that’s cheating, but I need some help, and I think this is it. In any case, Part One, which may also be Day One, is done, composed of Chapters 1-10 which you can also find on the left sidebar.

Now, I need some definite time to think about Part Two, and unfortunately time is not on the side of NaNoWriMo…

Chapter 10.

How do you write about hard things, about uncomfortable events and disappointments, about lost love or tragedy? How do you live through them? The world seems itself, and then tragedy comes and it seems anything but itself. Everything fits poorly, like the edges keep poking out. What we thought we knew cracks and shatters and now all we have is what we thought we knew which was wrong.

It’s disorienting, and I don’t know how to do it. Chapter 9.

Though I am officially four chapters/days worth of writing behind, today was well spent. I only finished one chapter, but I thought a lot about the characters and where this is all going. I think i’ve got a good handle on the next few chapters at least, and I figured out names at least. I always have an issue with names and find them incredibly difficult to work with: there is so much Importance attached to a name (or at least, there can be).

For now, then, the family is named and done with, and I am not sure how much of the reasons behind the names I will go into in the story. I’ll give one spoiler: the mother goes by Lynn but is actually named Loretta Lynn Downes (the last name of the family) because her mother loved the country singer Loretta Lynn. What I am finding out is that sometimes the best details are the ones that have already happened in this big old real world. My mother was named Tami because her mother really liked some actress or musician (I’ll edit this later when she reminds me who it was).

As for the main guy, I’ve decided to stick with R- for a number of reasons, none of which need to be shared. Expect more ‘R-’ and less awkward referencing (like ‘his brother’ and ‘her son’).

Chapter 8 is here, or you can visit that fancy pop out side bar.

Finishing a chapter today puts me at least emotionally back on the wagon, and it made me realize that my novel so far is chasing a ghost that 1) I do not know and 2) I will never, ever even think of approaching. The streams of memory I think are aping Proust’s famous novel, one I have not yet read. I fully expect my brother to comment on just how far off I am here, but I think so far I’ve been dealing pretty emphatically with memory, though R-’s mind makes a strong use of imagination as well.

Also, I am looking for my own lost time, since Sundays and Mondays are SO BUSY. So… double meaning… ahem.

Chapter 7 dives into R-’s brother, Gabe, who naps and chops an onion and pepper in the chapter. Exciting stuff. Enjoy!

(Note: the chapters have all been moved to the “Town Of Spring Part One” tab)

The struggle with writing for a word count is the temptation to force a scene or a chapter to reach its mark. I let go of that tonight, and while I am all together about 2300 words off the mark now (one full day’s work + 700 odd extra words), I think it was best for the chapter.

Chapter 6. As always I eagerly await your feedback.

About 200 words short tonight, which puts me at 300 total, but Chapter 4 is finished, and the best news is that I think I might have the first pieces of plot cartilage. More writing to come this weekend, I hope!