Writing, Day 15

I have passed the 15,000 word mark, and even though I am proud of myself I am behind on my word count. As I try to catch up to where I need to be, I've come to a realization about my story.





I am seeing shades of the film Out of the Past, which is a classic in the film noir genre. My story isn't a classic, and isn't exactly like the story in the film, but involves the theme of a man torn between the love of the good girl, and a sick attraction to the bad girl. A major component of noir is the protagonist's obsession with the femme fatale, who drags him down from his morality and brings him to a point of having to choose between his higher calling and his baser instincts.

Often, the protagonist is placed in physical danger from the conniving spider woman. Sometimes the protagonist ends up having to kill the dame. I'm thinking right now that Jeff Evans, my detective, is going to end up worse off at the end of the book than when he started.

I found this image of a vintage postcard of Tiffin, Ohio from early in the twentieth century. It shows The Shawhan Hotel on the right, which is the model for my hotel, The Bennett, in Sherwood, Ohio.

Writing, Day 8

I am at nearly 9000 words now, with 20 pages under my belt. Of course the thing is complete crap, at least it seems so at the moment. But since the pressure is off to write something good, I am reveling in it, be it crap or not.

My private eye, Jack Evans, is getting entangled with a dark and mysterious woman who may or may not be all she seems. Jack seems to be a bit naive with the ladies, despite his wry, slightly jaded outlook on life. We shall see if he makes it through the tangled web, or if he is trapped for good...

That bit of writing actually seems better than stuff in the novel... Oh well. The photo is from a great movie called Don't Bother To Knock, and is one of the inspirations for the novel. Check it out if you get the chance. It stars Richard Widmark, Anne Bancroft, and Marilyn Monroe just before she really hit it big.

Writing, Day 1

So it's the first day of NaNoWriMo and I've gotten to 2398 words. I'm kind of impressed, although not with the quality of writing. I am seeing a few sparks of what this thing could become, however, and that's exciting. The piece is supposed to be a noir mystery set in 1948, but I haven't found the right snappy tone for my detective, Jack Evans. I am trusting that as I get to know him better, he will become more real and his personality will take on depth. The last thing I want him to be is a failed loser detective who is boring to listen to!

NaNoWriMo

I am taking a bold, and perhaps misguided, foray into the world of writing by participating in NaNoWriMo. For the uninitiated, this stands for National Novel Writing Month. The idea is that from November 1 until November 30, you attempt to write a 50,000 word novel. I have always wanted to write, but being the perfectionist that I am I cannot get past the blank page. NaNoWriMo is focused on word count, not quality of writing, so I'm thinking that if I can just get words on the page eventually they will shape into a cohesive story. At least I will have more writing down on paper to shape and edit later.

Anyone up for being my writing buddy and trying it for themselves? Go to the link provided here and sign up for an account. You can't lose, since you will end up writing more than most people do in their lives. See you there! NaNoWriMo

Now what?

I'm sort of at a standstill. There isn't any indication that more graphic design work is coming along, and all job options have disappeared. I'm spending time working on a dollhouse that I've wanted to finish, but that's a hobby. What am I doing? Do I continue with mixed media, graphic design, sculpture? Do I try to sell some stuff on etsy, even though I haven't been able to sell anything there yet? Is this void a sign that I need to change direction? I have to find a focus, one that is joyful to do and possibly creates an income.

I need to fire my inner voice, that's for sure.

I took the photo at my friend Kelly's farm with my iPhone, which came out surprisingly well. Whenever I visit there I feel inspired to paint or draw; the landscape is so beautiful. Another interest that may or may not be a good idea. I've always tended to spread myself too thin.

By The Lake Side

I promised a final image of my artwork for my alumni show. Here it is!