On Writing a Novel, Entry #9

Back in action, baby.

"Spring Break" hasn't exactly been the wave of productivity I hoped for. Oh well, it was a long weekend and there is still time.

I worked over page one again today. I've put probably 4 hours into page one alone. Well, only 199-299 to go, right? Still, I think it reads the smoothest of any of the pages by far, and it is actually at this point approaching good writing. It is discouraging to look at how much I have ahead of me, but it is encouraging to see something start to form. This must be how a sculptor feels when he starts to see an arm emerge from a chunk of marble.

Actually, I have no idea how a sculptor sculpts, so maybe they wouldn't get that particular moment. But the sentiment is the same.

Mr. Vonachen's character is changing. He'll change a lot this chapter, and then I will have to go back and change him. Which is okay--this new development speaks to the respect Sammy feels for him, and his "goodness." He will be an imparter of wisdom, and as such we will delve into his backstory a bit. I think the reader (or at least the writer) will be intrigued by him, and will want to know more about him. Since I am holding off on Sammy's story (or at least teasing it out slowly) hopefully Mr. Vonachen's story can be enough of a stopgap before moving on to the much slower "real" plot.

Brit pointed out that I have some character issues thus far. Sammy is at once withdrawn/depressed and yet gregarious and likeable. She said she can't get a finger on if he's shy or withdrawn or not. I guess she's right and I need to clarify that. Originally I wanted to write this as an exploration, to an extent, of depression. Sammy's depression comes from fleeing life instead of confronting it and living it. But at the same time he does still have some confidence, some expectations of himself...plus he has to be likeable. It's an quandary that I need to solve so my reader doesn't have to without any help. Withdrawn (to an extreme) seems more difficult, in that is will be an impediment to any conversation and that sort of opening to character revelation. It will also slow down an already slow story even more, because he will necessarily take longer to get out of his shell. I suppose it would make the narration more introspective and could even necessitate a first-person POV fiven that I'd need ro replace external dialogue with internal. I do not think I can do that.

Still...maybe we need to see Sammy spend some time on his own. So far he is always working or talking with Lydia. What does he do when alone in his room? How does that loneliness affect him? Who is he when he is only with himself?

For now, Mr. Vonachen. Perhaps I need to take the block of marble, take off all its corners, and start to create a rough shape before I can bring out anything too specific elsewhere.