I wrote a book
Posted under Books I love
I did it. I wrote a book. Not a very long book, not long at all really. And not a very good book, but good enough.
I signed up ages ago for The Art House Co-Op‘s ‘Fiction Project’ but the lovely Moleskin notebook sat empty and neglected for weeks. I had a few, very half-hearted ideas but I never got futher than a brilliant first sentence in my head. Then work started getting really tricky and I, sadly, decided I just didn’t have the time or headspace to write the book.
Fury struck a few weeks back and I decided I absolutely WOULD write the damn thing. In usual fashion I just threw myself in to it one day. Beyond the prompt supplied by the Art-House Co-Op (‘If you lived here’) I had nothing. Nada. Just the first sentence. And the rules of the project say that all the books must be handwritten, so no fiddling around endlessly re-drafting onscreen unless you’re organised enough to do a rough draft and then a fair copy by hand. No time for that, I just started writing and took it where the words led me.
Writing in long hand is hard, really hard, when you’re used to typing. I’ve used muscles that were retired long ago. And the process of thinking and committing words to paper is so different than writing on screen. Paper seems so permanent somehow. I didn’t revise or scratch out at all. If I started a sentence without properly thinking through the rest of it, I just had to work with what I’d got. LIBERATING.
It’s been a long, long time since I got involved in creative writing and I surprised myself at how much I enjoyed it, especially the physical process of getting the words down. It’s not a great piece of literature, but it’s a great achievement for me and I did what I set out to do. And that will do for now.
Cool! Sounds fun. I used to write “poetry” all the time.
Congrats Spud! That would be a unique process for me too! More like stream of consciousness writing? Did you use your writing room? Will we be reading some of your witty words with us soon? Hmmm???
Hope the megaboys and Mr. Spud are treating you well today. Happy Mother’s Day.
Well… I’m very proud of you indeed…. very proud. It’s so huge to write, and with such old fashioned tools… hee hee.
How do you know that it’s no good if you are the only person to have read it?? eh??
Thanks lovelies…yes Deb I wrote it in the Writing Room! Felt like the right/write thing to do ;-) xx
PS Ali, I didn’t read it. I just wrote it and didn’t want to re-read it for some reason. If you want to read it you’ll have to go to the Brooklyn Art Museum where it will be stored once it’s been on a tour of the US.
Well done you ! Impressed that you wrote it long hand, not sure I could still do that or at least do it legibly
did you fill the entire moleskine?
and what kind of pen did you use? (the pen is very important.)
I am so impressed! I find that when I journal on paper I cannot write as long as I used to before my handwriting totally breaks down. Congratulations on your perseverance and your accomplishment.
Congratulations on your first book. Now it is time to push on and work with it!!!!
Oh my gosh … YOU DID IT!!! I am in awe! Congratulations!! Mine is still pretty neglected but now I’m so inspired!! You did just what needed to be done: Just sit down and write. Did I say congratulations yet? Okay, I’m saying it again!!
(They extended the deadline, right? I’m off to check …) xoxo
Yeah YOU! My hands are cramping at the very thought of all that writing. When can we buy an autographed copy? :-)
Oh, gorgeous handwriting on a gorgeous Moleskine. That’s so lovely. I am really impressed – there’s something magical about a whole book full of words.
wow! Well done you! I find “proper” letter writing quite exhausting these days because I actually have to think before I write….
So extremely satisfying and inspiring! I’m so impressed and feel I must challenge myself to do this!
Thanks everyone! Secretly quite glad this weekend doesn’t involve hours of frantic writing…