Sunday, June 26, 2011

Day 6 – Sunday, 6/26/11 – 11pm


“I haven’t written anything particularly clever in the last few pages.” “Oh, s***! You’re right.” This is the worst line of thinking that can descend onto the writer. Especially in the first draft. It can become a feedback loop of constant re-reading and rewriting and correcting and reading before bothering (should the writer ever get around to it at all, which is doubtful) typing the final word and a satisfying “The End.” Or just “End” if you’re feeling post-modern (read: thick (read: moronic)). To combat this one could simply just be clever all the time, but this is a lot harder than it sounds. However, the easiest way to get around this, I’ve found, is have only a handful of clever characters. This isn’t to say that everyone else is an utter buffoon, quiet the opposite. Characters, much like people in the real world, are specialist. You have the friend that can run a mile in only a few minutes, the gamer nerd (who should be good at math, but isn’t) who is a quick thinker, the sad sap who reminds everyone to be empathetic, etc (insert your own friends here for maximum effect). Again, I think it was Joseph Campbell who first noticed several repeating specialties, and used them to create a long list of character archetypes. However, I think in writing we should go one step away from the commonly referred to archetypes, and create our own. Of course, coming up with a list of qualities needed for the story and then placing them on the least likely characters for contrast work best. Some of the greatest contrasts have become clichés (Hooker with a heart of gold, cultured crime lord/cannibal etc.). I suppose at some level it at least shows us what we should be doing and gives back to the old quote, “give me the same, but different!” (I forget who said it, please forgive. I will look into this later).

I’m well into my third act. I honestly might just go ahead and wrap it up. All I have left is a last reversal, a story climax, and the conclusion. The last twenty or so pages have been much more action filled than I had anticipated. It is an adventure film for kids, so that’s probably the best.

It’s nice to be so near the end. I’m no longer unfocused. It took waaaay too long this time around, but I finally know exactly what I must do for the character, when they should do it, and to whom. Hopefully that makes some kind of sense. As I’ve said before, I do work with an outline, but I leave it as barebones as possible so that things such as character and such can really shine through. We’ll see how well that works.

I might just crash after writing this, then take up to writing again. It will still be day seven when I finish, so I won’t have finished early like I wanted to, but at least it will be done.

Then the rewrites begin. :)

 DAILY TALLY:
Pages: 77 (Goal: 77) – 85% complete
Scenes: 69
Words: 12008

TOTAL CAFFEINE CONSUMED:
Mountain Dew (12oz): 7
AMP Energy(16oz): 9
Red Bull (8.4oz): 7

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