Pruitt Day 15
Well, well! Surprise, surprise! I realized that there's no way in hell I can finish writing and editing a 50,000-word version of Pruitt before the end of the month. It's not that I can't keep up with the pace, mind you; I could just blurt out all sorts of nonsense. Look at this blog, for example. I bet I post 50,000 words or so per month, but there's no cohesion, no intention, no point. It takes a long time to formulate strong characters, settings, dialogue, etc. I could have come up with the 50,000 words easily enough. However, I refuse to let an idea this good turn into some sort of piece of crap; I will not let it die an early death because I felt rushed.
I've got about 10,000 words so far, and those are definitely in rough draft form--some dialogue, certain paragraphs, short-hand descriptions, names, set ideas, floorplan sketches. In other words, it is merely a skeleton, but what a skeleton it is. Over this past weekend, the plot sprouted into being in a serious way. Names continue to be a bit of a problem, but I figure I can take my time with those, or put them off until the final draft. Until then, the text is sprinkled with code names, such as BUDDY2, SISTER, and BOSS. That will do for now.
The format will be as follows: I. Prelude; II. Morning; III. Afternoon; IV. Evening; V. Epilogue. I originally intended to create the story in four sections (or acts, I suppose)--intro, day, night, outro. Then I realized the possibilities for having three main sections comprising the body of the story. The prelude, as well as the epilogue, will be Rich in heaven, looking back on the day, and serve as the story's cornerstones. The morning will start with Rich in a low mood, rising ever so slightly. The climax will likely be more like a plateau, spreading out across the course of the third section, serving as a keystone to the preceding and following sections. The fourth section will be critical in that it will present Rich's reaction to the story's climax, and his anticipation for its effect on his life, with a gradual turn downward, as the story slowly accelerates toward his demise.
The morning and afternoon are nearly completely plotted out. Ideas as far as the other three sections are slight but hearty for the moment; I have no doubt that these will firm up once I set my mind to doing it. At any rate, those portions can remain incomplete for the moment, as the daytime plot points are more important and immediately necessary to understanding the purpose of the remainder of the tale.
The problem with meeting the volume requirement is strictly a question of quality. Everything in this story has to be completely authentic and believable. It is a fiction, but it will be a fair reflection of things as I see them. That means capturing vague societal commentaries, the feeling of the experience of being, and myriad other details about the relationships, pleasures, and the state of the world around us. This story will be approachable yet comprehensive. I want you to get sucked into this world. For example, when Alive Rich leans against a bar, I want it to feel like you're standing right there with Dead Rich, soaking up everything that's going on in that room. I want to direct a movie in your mind's eye--in my opinion, that's the mark of the great author. I will not presume that the audience knows anything about what I'm describing before I start describing it. I will leave nothing to chance and so, that being the case, I cannot afford to rush it.
The biggest problem I ran into with regard to the word count is that you simply cannot plan or force creativity. You see, sometimes I'll come up with an concept that I know is fantastic and workable, but before I can formulate an approach that captures the depths possible within the idea, I have to hide under the covers and listen to Coltrane, or get a coffee and take a really long walk, or stand at my window and think of nothing whatsoever. I wish I knew how to meditate, though I don't know how effective it would be compared to my other methods, which seem to be working pretty well.
At any rate, I am sorry to say that this book will not be done by the end of the month. It's supposed to be about 150 pages; I have roughly 22 right now. If I bear down and really do my best to flesh it out, I could have between 80 and 100 completed by December 1. I must say that I'm a little disappointed by this realization, but at the same time I am very excited by the prospect of Pruitt. I think it has more promise and a greater likelihood of completion than any other writing project I've undertaken. I'm starting to love this story, and I think you will too.
I've got about 10,000 words so far, and those are definitely in rough draft form--some dialogue, certain paragraphs, short-hand descriptions, names, set ideas, floorplan sketches. In other words, it is merely a skeleton, but what a skeleton it is. Over this past weekend, the plot sprouted into being in a serious way. Names continue to be a bit of a problem, but I figure I can take my time with those, or put them off until the final draft. Until then, the text is sprinkled with code names, such as BUDDY2, SISTER, and BOSS. That will do for now.
The format will be as follows: I. Prelude; II. Morning; III. Afternoon; IV. Evening; V. Epilogue. I originally intended to create the story in four sections (or acts, I suppose)--intro, day, night, outro. Then I realized the possibilities for having three main sections comprising the body of the story. The prelude, as well as the epilogue, will be Rich in heaven, looking back on the day, and serve as the story's cornerstones. The morning will start with Rich in a low mood, rising ever so slightly. The climax will likely be more like a plateau, spreading out across the course of the third section, serving as a keystone to the preceding and following sections. The fourth section will be critical in that it will present Rich's reaction to the story's climax, and his anticipation for its effect on his life, with a gradual turn downward, as the story slowly accelerates toward his demise.
The morning and afternoon are nearly completely plotted out. Ideas as far as the other three sections are slight but hearty for the moment; I have no doubt that these will firm up once I set my mind to doing it. At any rate, those portions can remain incomplete for the moment, as the daytime plot points are more important and immediately necessary to understanding the purpose of the remainder of the tale.
The problem with meeting the volume requirement is strictly a question of quality. Everything in this story has to be completely authentic and believable. It is a fiction, but it will be a fair reflection of things as I see them. That means capturing vague societal commentaries, the feeling of the experience of being, and myriad other details about the relationships, pleasures, and the state of the world around us. This story will be approachable yet comprehensive. I want you to get sucked into this world. For example, when Alive Rich leans against a bar, I want it to feel like you're standing right there with Dead Rich, soaking up everything that's going on in that room. I want to direct a movie in your mind's eye--in my opinion, that's the mark of the great author. I will not presume that the audience knows anything about what I'm describing before I start describing it. I will leave nothing to chance and so, that being the case, I cannot afford to rush it.
The biggest problem I ran into with regard to the word count is that you simply cannot plan or force creativity. You see, sometimes I'll come up with an concept that I know is fantastic and workable, but before I can formulate an approach that captures the depths possible within the idea, I have to hide under the covers and listen to Coltrane, or get a coffee and take a really long walk, or stand at my window and think of nothing whatsoever. I wish I knew how to meditate, though I don't know how effective it would be compared to my other methods, which seem to be working pretty well.
At any rate, I am sorry to say that this book will not be done by the end of the month. It's supposed to be about 150 pages; I have roughly 22 right now. If I bear down and really do my best to flesh it out, I could have between 80 and 100 completed by December 1. I must say that I'm a little disappointed by this realization, but at the same time I am very excited by the prospect of Pruitt. I think it has more promise and a greater likelihood of completion than any other writing project I've undertaken. I'm starting to love this story, and I think you will too.
posted by Pat at 12:02 PM
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