I’ve been writing, and when I’m not writing, I’m researching, and when I’m doing neither, I’m recovering from both: hence the absence of posts. (Plus, my net connection can be a problem: so frustrating!)
All this simply to pass on Mary Novik’s post on Wonders and Marvels today, on telling time by flowers. She includes a delightful diagram of a flower clock, shown here.
I’ve raved here about Mary Novik’s novel Conceit here, as well as interviewed her (search “Mary Novik” for my posts). I’m eager to read her next novel.
Those quotations are nifty! It is so reassuring to know that others have swum out to the polar sea in a bikini and produced books like Mistress of the Sun! Your blogs are terrific inspiration for those of us who are struggling tthrough a draft, but also a great peepshow into your methods for your loyal readers. Keep the posts coming!
Mary, your close accounting of my word count cheers me so much! "Vicarious panic" indeed. As you no doubt know — as you are no doubt feeling this very minute! — when one is in the swamp of a novel, it begins to feel like quicksand. (I can't remember who it was who said this, but it's apropos: "Writing a short story is like having an affair. Writing a novel is like swimming out to sea to drown.")
I often think, these days, of the guideline put out by Anne Lamotte that goes something like this: "God is in charge of quality. The writer is in charge of quantity." My first drafts are very sloppy; I suspect the gods are napping.
May you have "bon courage" in your own wonderful work. Thanks so much for this encouraging note.
Sandra
Hi Sandra
Thank you so much for this comment about my post at http://www.wondersandmarvels.com. It's such a great website. I've also put a colour image of the flower clock on the backgrounds page of my own site, http://www.marynovik.com
I've been following your blog for some time, but couldn't remember my login (!) so haven't commented for a while. Not only have I been enjoying Baroque Explorations, I've been eavesdropping on your Notes on the Writing Life, especially How to recover from a plot derailment. As you know I'm working on a new novel myself–talk about vicarious panic!
On July 2, I read that you had to write 38 chapters in 17 weeks. 2 ½ chapters a week. Impossible. But starting off at 100 pages a day. I could do that! July 7, you were up to 282 words by noon. On July 8, you'd slipped in another zero: 1,000 a day. August 4: 1500 words, page 157, 48,277 words total. August 22: 2,000 a day. I'm sure I'm not the only fan out here rooting for you. Keep us posted on how it's going!
Cheers,
Mary