Write-vember Diaries: Day 12
Your honour, I put it to you that I might just be a creative person. You decide.
Inner-ramblings-turned-outer-writings of a girl trying to hit 50k in 30 days
Daily word count: 2,367/ 1,667
Total word count: 18,477 / 50,000
% complete: 37%
Lunch of choice: New Yorker sandwich from a new lunch place1
Music of choice: Good Omens Soundtrack
This is a total vibe - as jaunty and entertaining as the show itself, with peaks of action-intensity. Polling at 89 minutes with 62 songs, the tracks pass at a lively clip, making it very easy to get swept up into a writing flow. Definitely a soundtrack to return to. Particularly track 10: End Titles - The Theme That Got Left in the Car, for a punchy bop.
Also, it’s composed by David Arnold, who I’ll always make time for. [See my 15yo self and her entire love of all things Casino Royale.]
Session Notes
May I approach the bench?
You’re never going to believe this. But I wrote over 2k in an hour. 2,367 words, to be exact.
I know! I wouldn’t believe it either. That sounds impossible! But I have corroborating evidence.
Exhibit A: my washing machine. It was running at the same time (just under an hour) and sang its little ending song about 5-10 minutes before I finished.
Exhibit B: I listened to 43 songs from the Good Omens soundtrack and Spotify confirms that this polls at about ‘about an hour’
Timeline of events
Having spent the whole day working with spreadsheets, I was a little daunted at the idea of sitting down to write 1.7k and then a blog post on top of it. Hours stretched out ahead of me in a dark taunt. I would need to drag myself and my characters through this time until the task was done.
But then.
I sat myself down and almost made a game of it. How many words could I write in an hour before dinner? Being hungry is a good drive for me (until it’s not and then I’m a Hangry Demon.)
Perhaps it was the minor mind-numb from 5 hours of spreadsheets, but something in me clicked. Or, rather, was unleashed.
Words thundered out of me. My MC had questions and ideas, and she knew exactly who was keeping secrets. Her spidey senses were tingling and I was fully along for the ride. In her accusations to a particular character, I learned of a secret notebook - just the thing that might unlock the first act. I’d hit gold. A gold-shaped missing notebook, that my MC now has to find.
Closing arguments
I never thought I would love - truly love - first drafts in the way I love editing, analysing and critiquing. But, dear reader, it has happened. While it’s not been a quick journey, it certainly has been fun. One day I’d like to talk about this more, but it’s quite late and the spreadsheets + word count have really tuckered me out. Even reflecting on it now, the moment feels like a lovely, hazy, artistic dream. And as someone who struggles to consider herself as creative (imposter syndrome), I’d have to agree that the facts are stacking up in favour of my being creative…
For now, I hope that sharing my experiences of today show that extraordinary writing days really do happen. Perhaps just when you least expect it.
Shelf-Talkers
When I first landed on Substack, I was intimidated. I thought everyone had everything figured out. And then I realised that being unknown here meant boundless trial and error. Another writer posted that they had completely redone their own Substack, and the whole process felt a little more achievable. As with anything in life, our Substacks can grow, just as we do.
AOB
I also designed and printed a card for a friend’s birthday this month (and thank heavens I’ve told exactly No One that I’m on here blogging my little heart out so they won’t see it.) Another point in Creative Proof. I rest my case.
See you tomorr-
Look, idk where the whole lawyer theme came from, but I had fun and that’s what counts right? Right. I hope you had fun too.
- Actually, maybe it’s because Sandra Bullock’s character was a lawyer in Two Weeks Notice, wasn’t she? If you’ve skipped the footnotes, this will be a wild link, and I understand the look of confusion on your face. And I guess my MC in her writing today was accusatory in a lawyer/courtroom vibe. ANYWAY.
Court dismissed.
See you tomorrow <3
This became SUCH a ramble, but I couldn’t kill this darling so it’s become one of my favourite vibes: full-blown context in a footnote. Enjoy.
The sandwich was so mouth-wateringly chunky that I had half for lunch and half for dinner, which - for some reason - makes me think of Sandra Bullock ordering Chinese takeaway in Two Weeks Notice. When I was younger, I thought ordering your own food was the raison d'etre of adulthood. (Even though I’m fairly sure it was to make a point of her being lonely? I’ve not seen it in a hot minute but that part flew over my head: she has her own place and can order whatever takeaway she wants? SOLD.)
I still get giddy ordering food nowadays (clearly; how many words have I used on this point?) and I’ve been an adult for aaaages so you’d have thought it would have worn off by now. Thankfully not.