On Breaking 40 000

December 10, 2008 by maureen.ulrich.

Yes, I’m now at 42 000 words, and Jessie’s second season with the Xtreme is well underway. I’m not used to writing at this break-neck pace. (Okay, I’m not used to writing LONG FICTION at this pace. I have been known to hold auditions for plays which aren’t finished yet. For example, “Mrs. Ulrich, how come we can’t try out for Uncle Lester? You listed him on the Cast of Characters?” And I’m thinking — because he only appears in Scene Four and I haven’t written Scene Four yet. When you’re teaching ELA, it’s hard to squeeze in time for writing student productions.)  So now I have written 33 000 words in the space of a few months. And I am painfully aware of the flaws in what I have written, but I don’t have time to go back and do any revising — because I don’t know if the revisions will be “on the mark” either.   I just keep going, keeping my fingers crossed. Today I started  a chapter about a road trip to Swift Current for a hockey double-header and suddenly — and entirely by accident — discovered a way to reveal something Kim. I’ve known what the “something” is for some time but the “how to reveal it” was a total mystery. This reinforces for me the notion that a writer shouldn’t pre-write or pre-think every element of plot. Something’s got to be left for “inspiration.” And I think that’s where the realism in writing comes from — because it’s characters acting and reacting — instead of me forcing my preconceived ideas of plot outline on them. Of course, most of what I’m writing could end up on the cutting room floor — as did many, many scenes from Not Just a Boy’s Game/Power Plays.  I’ll just have to wait and see what happens next.

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