Hello there!
First off: Another big thank you for all of the words of support and encouragement I received after I sent out the announcement that I’d finished Draft 0! Y’all are wonderful, and it means so much. I'm still giddy.
But, mixed in with that giddiness, there's been a slow-creeping realization that I have no idea what I’m doing. Or a fresh wave of that, I guess.
(Note: This is in the context of writing, and editing my book, specifically, but can be applied to most things; “I know that I know nothing”, and all that jazz).
“But Corbett,” you might say, brow creased, “you literally send out a newsletter about writing. And it’s all you talk about now. Honestly, when’s the last time you had a conversation that didn’t—“
Ahem. Let’s stay focused.
Yes—I’ve learned quite a bit about the novel writing process. I’ve read books and articles, I’ve watched videos and lectures, and so on. I blithely present myself as an armchair expert, and while I am attempting the things I’m talking about, I’ve still never done any of this before—i.e., I have no idea how to pick apart and edit a 112,000 word story. I’ve set sail into unknown waters, and right now all I see is blue.
To be transparent, that intimidates me. It ought to. That’s reasonable.
It’s also kind of the point.
I’m excited to make landfall, of course—to touch down on terra nova and to know that I achieved what I set out to do. But I’m also here for the voyage. I’m glad to feel lost, in a perverse way, because it’s giving me the opportunity to test my navigational skills, to study the currents, to draw out my map. I’m stretching the metaphor, I know.
The point is that while my ultimate goal is to put a book (or, hopefully, many books) out into the world, so that I might share my stories with others, I’m also in it for the joy of discovering something new (both about the process, and myself). As I’ve written about before, I’m writing because I love to write. Doing, trying, and learning new things is intimidating—admitting how much we don’t and won't ever know, and how far we have to go, is intimidating—but that’s also life. Pulling away from the discomfort, settling for the familiar, is easy. But not satisfying.
That’s what I’m trying to remind myself, anyway. But there sure is a lot blue.
✌️Corbett
PS As always, please feel free to forward this newsletter to friends—and if someone shared this with you and you'd like to see more, you can subscribe on my website!
✍️ Writing Updates
🗝️ Project Curses Update
Well. Once again, in spite of not knowing what I’m doing, I continue to make progress on Project Curses (though if its in the right direction, I can’t be certain).
Since writing “The End” earlier this month, I’ve spent a bit of time relaxing, a good chunk of time reflecting, and a whole heap of time trying to puzzle out how to go about coaxing this seedling story to grow and flourish (not actually grow, though—112K is plenty enough words).
I think I’ve worked out the next steps now, and I’m currently in the muddle of reading through the novel and taking note of everything that can be augmented, amended, or abridged. As I’m doing so, I’m also zooming out and giving thought to the flow of the story as a whole: interrogating the pacing and the plotting—trying to imagine what the story will look like in its ideal form (i.e., “how would I want this to look and feel if someone picked it up off the shelf of a bookstore?”).
This bit—this figuring out where and how exactly the story needs to change—will take longer than I originally thought. I think that’s for the best, though—putting in the time and mental energy now will save me from the headache of exploring tangents and dead ends.
To that point: I’m getting the sense that this first edit will be much more substantial than I first anticipated—and take a lot longer than I thought. The timeline should stay roughly the same, though—I’m just doing more of the work up front, and subsequent edits should be lighter and less invasive.
In theory, anyway. I’m making this up as I go along.
Wish me luck!
🗓️ Timeline Update
⏯️ Current Task:
Complete Revision Guide #1
⏳ Target:
9/1/2024
⏭️ Next Task:
Rewrite the first 50% of Draft 1
🗓️ Target:
9/22/2024
😻 Recent Favorites
📚 Reading
- Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree // I needed a palate cleanser, after finishing my novel, and craved something light-hearted and fun. I’d been dismissive of this book, initially—the conceit of “orcish adventurer opens a café in a generic fantasy setting” felt a little too campy, for my tastes—but it seemed the right fit for the mood I was in. I’m so glad I got over my pretension. This was a lovely story; not a literary masterpiece, but it was heart-warming, and well-told, and played with fantasy tropes in a thoughtful way. All in all, exactly what I needed!
🎧 Listening
- Chronicles of a Diamond by Black Pumas // Continuing with the good vibes: towards the end of last month, Sarah and I found ourselves without plans on a Sunday and decided, on a whim, to go see Black Pumas since they were playing at our favorite venue. They put on a fantastic show, and their singer, Eric Burton, gave one of the most energetic, charismatic, heartfelt performances I’ve ever experienced. Their studio albums are wonderful, of course—give this most recent one a listen if you haven’t already—but definitely consider catching their show if they come through your city.
🍿 Watching
- “Who’s Taking America’s Water?” from Climate Town // I’ve recommended videos from the ragtag, climate-comedy-edutainment channel that is Climate Town before, but—while all of their videos are truly excellent—the quality and poignancy just keeps getting better. This video, predictably, talks about water rights in the west, agricultural land use, and all sorts of related issues—but in a relatable, friendly, funny way that makes you feel seen, and oddly hopeful.
💬 Show & Tell
“An act; a change; a journey. ‘Go to sleep,’ we say to the baby in our arms. Go to that place, that other place, where everything is different, where you won’t have to cry . . .
For young babies, of course sleep is the natural state. They return to it with angelic constancy, and when they’re kept from it by hunger or discomfort they let us know their misery and rage. The infant’s moments of awareness form a little archipelago of islets in a vast, soft sea. It’s only unfortunate that the islets tend to cluster, clamorously, endlessly, right where the parent’s need for sleep is deepest.
Growing up means being awake more and more often. The baby’s islands of awakeness increase and join into the continent of daylight on which we adults move purposefully about, doing business, certain that we’re aware, because we’re awake. As those who practice meditation testify, the two things aren’t the same. You can be wide awake all day without a single moment of awareness.”
— “Great Nature’s Second Course” from Words Are My Matter: Writings on Life and Books by Ursula K. Le Guin
I love this excerpt from Le Guin for several reasons (aside from cherishing everything she wrote in general):
For one, as a newly minted uncle (Congrats on the new human Andi & Brian! Hooray!), I’m thinking quite a lot about my niece, and what it will be like for her to grow, and change, and experience the world—but also, importantly, how I can help to make that growth and those experiences as wonderful and nourishing as possible. How I can help to make those islands of awakeness meaningful, and good.
For two (I can use words however I’d like, thank you much), since completing the Guardian’s “Reclaim your brain” guide last month, I’ve been using the Healthy Minds app to practice and learn about mindfulness—about awareness—almost every day. It’s been wonderful, so far, and has definitely confronted me with the difference between being awake and being aware.
For three, Project Curses deals heavily with sleep, and dreams, and how going to that other place can be a comfort, or a curse. This essay, as a whole, was a wonderful resource for thinking about those themes.
So, yeah—I’m thinking about and relating to these topics a lot, right now. Babies. Awareness. Sleep, and dream. I hope the quote sparks something for you too.
🫶
