If you read this blog on a regular basis, you know that I am agonizing (steeping) a new novel. You also know that one of my goals was to write six hundred words a day for the first six months of 2011. That would be enough to complete the first draft of my manuscript by my birthday on June 30th.
HA! The joke's on me. Eric are you out there? It keeps morphing.
More plot. More subplot. More back story. More characters.
Damn thing's gone global.
Which means that it's a freakin' gnarly undertaking and if I allow myself to dwell on that thought, it scares the everloving stuff out of me. It also means that the chapters I've already written require a rewrite.
So. Rather than pounding out six hundred words a day on my laptop, I am busy scribbling notes in my handy-dandy journal so that nothing escapes.
Last weekend a wonderful thing happened. Somewhere along the two trips I made between Dahlonega and Villa Rica, GA (about 200 miles for each round trip), I stumbled across the soundtrack for my Colossus:
Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.
On the final leg of the second trip I had company: my cat Bugsy. He wasn't at all sure about the whole car thing, especially after our false start two days earlier. But, as he had little choice, he manned up and came along. Quietly, I think. I faded Pink Floyd to the front speakers and cranked it up.
I'm not sure when or where the inspiration happened, but I'm pretty sure it was on the first trip. I had taken out my fear and was peering in to it, when Floyd pulsed out a trilogy. What? No Colossus? You mean I can relax and write the first part? Then later the second? Then the third?
My mind flit to Tolkien's work and in that moment, I understood how the man had done it. His story was too big to comprehend or attack, so he split it in to pieces. Many of you are authors and have probably understood this forever. I did too, intellectually.
But now I know it in a whole different way.
Roland Yeomans and others haved blogged about their novel soundtracks. Now I have one.
Yeeehaaaa!
My brother sent this remastered version of Time from Dark Side of the Moon. Thanks, Bill!
HA! The joke's on me. Eric are you out there? It keeps morphing.
More plot. More subplot. More back story. More characters.
Damn thing's gone global.
Which means that it's a freakin' gnarly undertaking and if I allow myself to dwell on that thought, it scares the everloving stuff out of me. It also means that the chapters I've already written require a rewrite.
So. Rather than pounding out six hundred words a day on my laptop, I am busy scribbling notes in my handy-dandy journal so that nothing escapes.
Last weekend a wonderful thing happened. Somewhere along the two trips I made between Dahlonega and Villa Rica, GA (about 200 miles for each round trip), I stumbled across the soundtrack for my Colossus:
Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.
On the final leg of the second trip I had company: my cat Bugsy. He wasn't at all sure about the whole car thing, especially after our false start two days earlier. But, as he had little choice, he manned up and came along. Quietly, I think. I faded Pink Floyd to the front speakers and cranked it up.
I'm not sure when or where the inspiration happened, but I'm pretty sure it was on the first trip. I had taken out my fear and was peering in to it, when Floyd pulsed out a trilogy. What? No Colossus? You mean I can relax and write the first part? Then later the second? Then the third?
My mind flit to Tolkien's work and in that moment, I understood how the man had done it. His story was too big to comprehend or attack, so he split it in to pieces. Many of you are authors and have probably understood this forever. I did too, intellectually.
But now I know it in a whole different way.
Roland Yeomans and others haved blogged about their novel soundtracks. Now I have one.
Yeeehaaaa!
My brother sent this remastered version of Time from Dark Side of the Moon. Thanks, Bill!
13 comments:
Whatever it takes to write your heart out, do it. One day, we'll all be published, right?
~ Yaya
Curious. Do you know how it ends? Or is the problem that the end keeps getting farther away?
Floyd is an excellent choice. My personal favourite is The Division Bell, an immense album if I ever heard one. Best of luck getting the draft done by June :D
Good Morning Olivia. I really enjoyed this post because you explained so well how creativity can be just so overwhelming. I am not a writer, but sometimes my vision in my head is too much for me to attempt to draw or paint it. I don't know where to start. And I love Bugsy's involvement in the process :-) ps good to hear The Floyd. My fave is Wish you Were Here. Do you know it?
I loves me some Pink Floyd! Dark Side of the Moon is a classic and one of the albums I listen to when I write. Excellent choice. :)
Yaya, yes! And thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. I'll be by your place later.
Murr, YES! I DO! That was how I knew this was the soundtrack. It fit so perfectly that I saw the ending. And some of the shape of each the three pieces. I'm driving back up today so hoping I'll get more!
Jamie, thanks! Another Floyd fan, yay!
~Olivia
Welcome to my world!
At least I'm not the only one that is scared spitless at my book.
The only thing is that I got terrified when I started to take notes, so I'm doing the logical thing and pantsing it.
Good luck with your new brainchild.
:-)
What a great album. Glad you finally found the right one.
When I was going through Army basic traning (back in the day) in the 70's my company woke up every day to the sound of Pink Floyd's TIME from Dark Side of the Moon.
I alwayz called it the alarm clock song because that is what first woke us. And we played it loud.
...this is the second time I've stumbled across this idea in the timespan of ten minutes. The thought is utterly enticing...a soundtrack to one's work...lovin it:)
EL
Awesome soundtrack. I luvs Pink Floyd, but couldn't pick a favorite song or album.
......dhole
I have a goodie for you on my blog today!
Don't you love when something you *know* dawns on you you and you *get it*? Pink Floyd, wow, that's some inspiration.
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