Yeah, not quite up to where I need it to be, but I've had a lot of homework this week, what with two midterms on Thursday and Friday. So I'm frankly quite pleased with where I am, and will continue writing throughout the week, catching up on however many words I need to catch up on over the weekend.
Here's the first paragraph for any of you who are interested:
"It had been many years since I had last seen Mr. Julian Quinn, and as is the nature of such flighty things, my memories of him, once so cherished, had long since been forgotten--still there in my mind, surely, firm and unassuming as stones in a riverbed, but softened, worn faded and shapeless, as all things eventually are, by time. Looking down through the flowing waters of fifty years that ran between us, I found them grown smooth also, slipping from my fingers like minnows. Such reminders of age do not rest easily upon me: the sensation of the dull cotton of my brain gathering dust and moonbeams and my bones gathering the cold. So it is that even now that I approach the age at last when a man's best source of entertainment is plumbing for those river stones to examine them anew in the sunset of his days, I have always avoided those sunken memories of the man with an instinct something akin to that of a wary beast still tendering old hurts. And, considering the half-century of silence that I had not been alone in building between us, I suppose he felt something of the same regarding memories of me . . ."
It's tough to resist the urge to edit and rewrite, but I'm forcing myself to forge ahead without doing either, because I'm determined to get this novel done on time. So far, so good. I may wince, I may feel I could have written [insert passage here] better, but so be it. I'll wait until November's over, and then my editing demons can come out again to frolic all they like.
How are all your novels going?
I envy all the NaNo-ers I know. Maybe I'll do it next year . . . maybe I'll do it when I've finished grad school. . . . *sigh* You intrigue me, though. This Mr. Quinn seems a man worth knowing more about.
ReplyDeleteOOOOH!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAlright, First:
I have passed 10,000 words in my novel. But, before you start feeling jealous or start hyperventilating or something, please relax, because none of it sounds as good as yours does. Your idea is wonderful! Can't wait to read more.
Mine is coming along, but it's taking it awhile to 'sing.' My opening chapter is probably the best...although Chapter Four has some good stuff in it. Hope it gets better soon.
I am so glad that the beginning is being so kindly received by you all! I don't feel it is very good myself, but then I'm never truly happy with anything I write, so I just have to ignore that feeling. My own worst critic, and all that. I hope you'll enjoy all future excerpts as much.
ReplyDeleteAnd Anna, I can't believe how fast you are writing! Hold tight to whatever muse it is you have, because it's a good one.
Thanks. :)
ReplyDelete