Start the rewrite.

I suppose it's not very good form to create a blog, invite people to read it, and then not update it for over two months. I apologize for that. However, the two months between updates was not completely devoid of productive work. I have been doing a good amount of preparation before I embark on actually rewriting my novel. This preparation has included re-reading the first chapter and taking copious notes, creating an outline for the rewrite, doing a lot of conceptual writing regarding characters and various themes I want to convey, and a lot of thinking about everything to get me back into the right frame of mind. It's been over five years since I did any actual writing for this novel, and I knew I couldn't just jump back into it like nothing had changed. I've also been trying to do more normal reading, hoping that I can learn from real writers and develop a distinct personal style and voice in my writing. I get sad when I think of all the writerly development I have missed out on by not being very productive the last few years, but I don't let it discourage me. I just have to make up a lot of ground at some point. I feel, however, that I have a new, fresh perspective on my work, and that is going to make the overall work a lot stronger. I am confident that the rewrite is going to make for a better, more entertaining novel; I just need to start the actual rewrite.

Start. The. Rewrite.

Start.

The.

Rewrite.

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Two days ago I created a little plan for what needs to be done before I start the rewrite. Once these steps are complete, I will force myself to get working. They are:

1. Transcribe and organize all of my written notes, outlines, etc. and organize them for efficient retrieval.

2. Finish re-reading Jonathan Franzen's essay "Why Bother" which deals with the state of the American novel and writing in general, and goes along with other recent reading of authors like David Foster Wallace.

3. Articulate my thoughts and beliefs about writing into my own "artistic credo," a statement on why I want to write, what writing means to me, etc.

Since I created that plan, I've finished the second item and have made good progress on the first. The first item is the most important, as it will make the rewriting process flow more smoothly, and it will help me synthesize everything, the many different plans, notes, and outlines I've made in the eight years since starting this novel. The third item shouldn't take too long, as I have various journal entries to reference on the topic of writing. I feel it's wise to define why I want to write at the outset of this push to finish my novel, as refocusing my priorities and convictions can't help but be a positive move on my part.

At this point I feel that I should be starting the rewrite by the end of this month.

What in the world is going on here?

You're probably asking yourself that very question at this moment. I know I am.

At the end of last November, I decided that I was going to return to my unfinished novel, A Certain Kind of Weird, and actually write some more sentences and paragraphs and pages and chapters and hopefully finish it. Since that time I've been doing a lot of thinking, some reading, and a little bit of writing, mostly conceptual notes and stuff like that. I've had to return to the little world I created and the characters in it. While the basics of the story have always been in my head, there is a lot of stuff that I need to revisit. I started writing the thing eight years ago. That's a long time. I haven't seriously worked on it for about five years. Thankfully, I had pretty extensive notes for where I wanted to take the story and what I wanted to do with the characters. I've been trying to track down all of my notes and outlines, not the easiest task, mind you, trying to locate every notebook with any kind of character sketch, note, or outline in it. All the while I've been thinking about the what I need to do to make the story work with where I am now as an author and human being.

Tonight I really began to dig in to the text of the first chapter. I have filled the margins of the printed pages with notes, revisions, ideas, comments to myself, etc. It was at times almost painful to read what I had written, at other times quite amusing. The revision process has begun. It will be long and difficult but ultimately worthwhile.

Okay, so back to why you're here. I decided it could be useful to create a blog in which I talked about this process of returning to my novel. I plan to write about the characters and the story, about specific episodes and ideas and the overall process. I invited you to read the blog because you have either been exposed to the story in some form or because I would like you to be exposed to it. You are here because you have opinions that I trust, and I am hoping that you will feel free to provide honest feedback. That will not only help my writing improve, but your willingness and (I'm hoping) excitement to be a part of this will keep me motivated to actually finish this thing.

If you want to read the thing I call my unfinished novel for the first time or revisit it, let me know in the comments. I'll then get the text out to you via email. Don't feel obligated or anything. I honestly don't want this to be a chore for anyone. If you're not interested or too busy, I won't be offended at all. That's how life goes and goes and goes and goes and goes.