OK, actually got some work done this morning, this the chapter is starting to take shape. I was getting absorbed in unnecessary details again. Not sure what that’s about, whether it is a form of stalling when I don’t know where I’m going or what, but damn there are a lot of crazy details that I removed today.

Recently, I shifted tone on the book, and I think that helps shape it a bit more. The tone up until now has been very present tense, things are happening to the character as you are seeing them happen as a reader. But, I got rid of that.

Now, it is still told in the present, but as far as I’m concerned, it is being told from a vantage point in the future. It is the lead character detailing everything that happened to him. So, it will be mainly experienced in the present, but that gives it more omniscience and ability to (you would think) skip the boring details, since you know in hindsight what was important and what wasn’t.

The more I thought about it, it seems to be a common vantage point for minimalist writing. In Spanbauer’s City of Shy Hunters, the book starts with a gathering of characters the narrator says never met back when he knew them all, and the narrative continually mentions things like the square of grass outside his apartment where he would plant a tree someday.

Even Fight Club starts at the end, and then backs into the story to show how things got there.

So, starting with Chapter 7 (I’m writing 9 now), I shifted tones to this new voice, and I find it more comfortable, because it can be more assured.

Anyway, that is today’s writing. I unfortunately forgot to call my spinning reservation in this morning, so the class is already filled up. So, boring cardio and such tonight. Oh well…

I’m only going to spinning one or two more times to test it out. I’m not sure it works for me, sore taints aside, because it requires focus, and typically I sort out what I’m going to write on the book during cardio, since my mind has nothing to do but wander.

So, if I am less prepared to write because I’m spinning… then i won’t be spinning often.

Jeff

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 10th, 2003 at 8:06 am and is filed under diary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.