The Age of Innocence and me really just aren't getting along, so I'm afraid that I'm dumping it and passing it along to the friends of the library. This is the second time I've tried to read it and I couldn't get past page 34. I know so many people love this book, it's just not for me. So, I replaced it with Rebecca for the Classics Challenge so that I can still fulfill my requirements for that one. I've also made the decision to pull out of the Pulitzer Project. I think my ambitions were a little too lofty when I signed up for that one. It's just too big of a commitment for me and I hate leaving things wide open. That one doesn't have a time frame, which means that I would NEVER complete it...I need deadlines! And I would probably run into the same problem with many of the other books as I did with The Age of Innocence. So I accepted that it was not for me and I'm feeling relieved. There are still plenty of Pulitzer winners that I'd like to read and I still will...just not all of them.
In yesterday's post, Dark Orpheus said that she was curious as to what the line of dialogue was that led me to discover what the ending of my NaNoWriMo book will be. So I went back and read it and saw that it was actually internal dialogue and vague enough that it wouldn't give away the central plot, so I'd share. The character who speaks (or thinks) the line doesn't even know what's going on. So here it is:
“You’re not gonna find him,” he thought. “You’re not gonna find him until they’re ready to give him back.”
Ooh...mysterious..psht...whatever, I still don't know exactly where this thing is going! I didn't get much writing done at all today. I had to get to 15,003 words and I got to 15,067 or something like that. So at least I met my goal, but it's only about 500 words more than yesterday. I just wasn't feeling up to writing today. Hopefully tomorrow's better. It's hard to write during the weekend. I've been writing at work, so I associate writing this book with being at work. So now when I'm home for the weekend I feel like it should be a break from everything. But since I'm a state employee now, I have a 3 day weekend for Veteran's Day, so I would have a whole lot of catching up to do if I took the whole weekend off. So I have to force myself to write!
But now I'm going to go enjoy the start of my weekend. I've traded The Age of Innocence for David Sedaris' Me Talk Pretty One Day which I'm loving so far. I love David Sedaris. He's hilarious, but writes genius social commentary at the same time. This is my second book of his being read for the Seconds Challenge! Go figure. Hope everyone else has a great weekend as well!
16 comments:
That is quite mysterious! You really need to finish your story now, even if just because we all want to read it :P
15000+ words is really good. I know what you mean about getting used to writing in one place and having trouble doing it at home. I used to write at my university's library, and then when I tried to do it at home I just couldn't focus!
The Pulitzer Project IS ambitious, but I guess that's what I like about it. That and the fact that it has no deadline :P I'd never have joined otherwise. I guess that for something like this you have to focus on trying, and not necessarily on succeeding. If there are any Pulitzers (and I'm sure there'll be) that I can't get into at all, I won't feel guilty about putting them aside ad moving on to the next one. I know that means I will never officially complete the Project, but hey, I'll be having fun with it all the same. But if it was feeling like a burden to you then it's good that you pulled off. Just promise me you'll still read Middlesex :P
Argh, sorry about the deleted comment. I have 30 blogger windows open at the same time, and for a moment I got confused and became completely convinced I had posted this reply in someone else's blog :P
Well, you gave it two tries, can't ask for more than that! We should be glad we only get a few that we just can't get into..
You must post your word count at work, cause I check on you and saw your count before you posted..in fact I saw it rather early-ish. (ok so its not a word)
I hope you write this weekend.. I wouldn't want you to fall behind. It's hard enough that at times you sorta hit a wall and don't know "what next". At those times you do have to try not to think on it for a bit.. then try again and things generally start working right again.. I hope you don't hit a wall until you reach your goal!.. but it you do.. I know you will still go back to it until you finish your entire story now.. no matter what the word count is!
Nymeth, I'm hoping that writing at home isn't too much of a road block. That could cause a problem! We'll see.
I see we go in two totally different directions when it comes to the Pulitzer Project :p I'm totally opposite. I know I'd never read most of those books if there was no deadline because there would always be "something else" that I'd want to read more. And I would feel extremely guilty for putting them aside, lol...like I did with The Age of Innocence. I felt so guilty about putting that one aside that I dropped out the challenge! LOL! I solemnly swear that I will read Middlesex next year and I'll dedicate it's reading to you :) That one and The Road are definite Pulitzers that I had planned on reading anyway.
Funny that you thought you posted this comment in someone else's blog :p That person would've been quite confused!
Deslily, Yeah, that's only two "did not finish" books for the year. Not so bad.
Yep, I post my word count while I'm at work...I do everything NaNo while I'm at work, so I'm going to have to get used to this weekend at home thing. I'll definitely get the story finished. I'm seeing this thing through to the end!!! And I'm going to write this weekend even if it's crap...I figure even crap is better than nothing at all :p I can go back and edit it all later!
"edit" now that's a word you will become VERY familiar with LOL..
It can be a relief to let go though. There are a few challenges that I am rethinking. I started making a list of books that I "committed" to reading in 2008, and I began to feel very overwhelmed, very fast. I still don't know what I'll end up doing. Because most of the books I still want to read someday...I even thought about thirty seconds of starting a challenge called Books I Want To Read In My Lifetime....but I resisted the urge.
Deslily, Oh yes! I've been very tempted to become familiar with that word already, but I'm sticking with my guns and saving all editing until at least December when NaNo is over. Just trying to get it written for now!
Becky, uh-huh! I know that panicked feeling of looking at the challenge lists that you've committed to all too well! lol, scary, huh? Oh Jesus, Becky! A Books I Want To Read In My Lifetime Challenge?! What are you trying to do to us?? lol!!
I would SO participate in a "Books I Want To Read In My Lifetime Challenge" -- because my will is weak!
15,000 is REALLY good! Hey, we need more details on that mysterious line. It does sounds almost Stephen King-ish.
BTW, anyone heard the casting news for the new Star Trek movie? Winona Ryder plays Spock's mom. Heh?
Maybe you could take a break, at least just for one day, then dive back to it later. Until later, Deanna. ;p
"The Age of Innocence and me really just aren't getting along..."
Remember, life is too short for bad books!
Wesley..uh..I mean Dark Orpheus ;), Winona Ryder as Spock's mom?!?!?! Winona Ryder in a Star Trek movie?!?! I'm so very intrigued! Oh they should do some weird time warp thing and have Winona Ryder cuddle Leonard Nimoy and tell him everything will be ok :p This is going to be great!
I think I might take a NaNo break one day this weekend. I did that last weekend and it turned out fine..no problem catching up. We'll see.
J. Kaye, You get the award for favorite quote of the day :)
You really have to be in a mood to read some Classic Lit. But David Sedaris is utterly hilarious!!
Good luck with the writing this weekend.
Steph,Thanks! So far I haven't done any writing :/ I'm going to try to get some done tonight though!
I love Rebecca. Whenever you get around to reading it I look forward to your thoughts. And congrats on plugging away at the writing this month!
Carl, Writing's been fun this month! Exhausting at times, but fun nonetheless. The best part about NaNoWriMo is that I was seriously considering backing out last minute because I was convinced that I wouldn't be able to do it, but now I'm 73 pages into my own book and it's a great feeling and I find that the book kind of writes itself and I'm just along for the ride. Very cool experience. Glad I stuck with it.
Kudos to your for overcoming the urge to back out. Now that you're in the home stretch I am sure you are feeling great about sticking it out!
I definitely am, but it's getting really difficult now! I'm in the "I'm ready for this to be over" stage. But once I get to the ending I think it'll be fun to write again. I have big plans for that!
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