Sporadic Presence

So, aren't you beginning to wonder where I am? What I'm doing? Why I'm not writing very often? Or for very long? Especially since the BnM redesign has been done for awhile now . . . aren't you the least bit curious?

Well, obviously not! You didn't email me. You didn't inquire. I could have been carried off by bears . . . and I don't think you would have even noticed. Anyway, it doesn't really matter, you're here now, I'm here now, let's just get on with it.

I've been unusually absent, or sporadically present depending on your point of view, because I finally reconnected with my novel and I've been working on it everyday (during the time I'd normally blog). Today I'm trying to do both, ask me tomorrow how that's working for me.

My writing gal pals suggested I shop around a piece of the novel as a short story. So, I've been giving it to people for feedback -- writers and non-writers. The challenge in taking something from a longer piece of work is to include enough stuff (and the right stuff) so it stands alone as a complete short story. It's difficult to only see what's on the page when you've got all these characters complete lives in your head, everything they've done and said since the day they were born plus what they're going to do every day until they die. It's hard to forget you know these characters and their story when you've been living with them for years. So that's why I've offered up the short story version to many sets of eyes -- The novel is still well under wraps, not anywhere near ready to let that baby fly yet.

I've been getting some really helpful feedback . . . and then I've been getting some very exciting feedback. Thought I'd share some of the more exciting comments, because while the helpful comments are very helpful . . . they're also kind of, well . . . disappointing in a way because they mean I've missed the mark and need to go back in and rework the story. Things like -- I have no idea what's going on here; I'm lost; Who is this person?; etc. Great stuff when it comes to rewriting and making improvements, but not nearly as exciting as:

"The story shines through very well. You center on the emotions of implied adultery, tragedy and love not living up to its own PR/reputation in his mind in a very short space. The 'point' of the story is brought out by the emotions of the characters as revealed in speech and action. But you have enough to make it plain the emotions aren't the story--the characters are. That's an accomplishment . . . these characters are developed and real without a fuss or unnecessary extras. All in all, a good, very tight story."

"This was nicely crafted. Thank you for that."

"The story held a mildly eerie pulse, in the form of underlying tension, that I liked. Your writing was good and the pace kept my interest. You packed a lot of story in 6 pages and the complex layerings are a credit to your ability. Grammatically, it was strong. Thanks for an enjoyable read."

"I loved the sense of atmosphere in this story. I felt the same way that I felt, honestly, the first time I picked up THE GRAPES OF WRATH: a crushing sense of poverty, of a family struggle that couldn't and wouldn't end without tragedy. I thought that you used the rain, too, beautifully as a pathetic fallacy: I felt the greyness and murkiness of their lives. The description of Trey in his casket was beautiful, amazing. I'm dazzled by your work."

Now, for those of you who don't know, The Grapes of Wrath may be my number one favourite novel of all-time (certainly in the top three), so that last comment (which came from a very successful published author, big time associate editor with a MAJOR American magazine) tickles me pink! It doesn't help me improve the story in the slightest, but it gives me that little ego stroking I need to let me know I'm not wasting my time. That's why these comments are exciting. All the criticism and nit-picking that I need to receive if I ever hope to improve is a little easier to accept and learn from when you know at least one person really enjoyed what you've done so far.

Mood: Giddy
Drinking: black tea
Listening To: Rumbleseat, John Mellencamp (I bought the recent Greatest Hits compilation, Words & Music, with bonus DVD, in case I forgot to mention that . . . and it's fabulous!)
Hair: hanging in my eyes, covering my face, not unlike the creepy girls in Japanese horror movies