Short story diaries: Vol 2. On music and starting
/Music
Since I made writing a regular habit, I’ve always had to get myself started with music. It’s become like a Pavlov’s dog effect both for my creative pursuits, but also working life. I turn on the music as large as I can comfortably bear with headphones, then set to work. And just like that, the music cues my productivity. It’s really a marvel.
Because my short story book has been within me for so long, I felt I could only get started with Claude Debussy’s Suite bergamasque. Since my first book drafts I’ve written, the “Prélude” has been the catalyst for every writing session. I’ve begun a Spotify playlist sharing what I listen to when I write, and it really does get me going, creatively speaking!
On starting
From that, you have probably deduced that I did actually start my book—only a week late! I forgot how hard it is to start a first draft from scratch, especially if you’re like me and hate planning out books and outlines. I’m such a planner in every other part of my life, that I think my creative ego needs to just be let free to run with its ideas when I write prose. It probably would be better to plan more, but I find that the more I plan, the more I find excuses to never actually start!
So, I’ve started and I’ve written a little under 2,000 words for the prologue. It’s not the pace I used to write at, but I’m trying to take it slow now as I get used to writing everyday again. It’s also tricky, as I’ve 18 characters to introduce as efficiently as possible, while still leaving room for readers to interpret as they will. I’ve introduced six characters so far, and I hate the sense that I’m not doing it “right” and I’m rushing it—they currently only get two paragraphs each and there’s no good parallel structure to my work right now.
But that’s always the feeling with a first draft, and I really need to hunker down on ploughing through the words and ideas this round before I begin editing. I really think the first draft should be straight from the heart, and then after that I can hammer away and pick myself apart.
Still, already I feel like I want to go back and really fine tune what I know about these six characters. Yet, I don’t even know them yet! I don’t know their names! I just have a general idea of the purpose they’ll serve, and I know later I’ll get to spend more time with them, which will be nice. It’ll make returning to the prologue later all the easier.
So, there you have my brief update; probably brief because I actually wrote more of my book today. My goal is to finish the prologue this week, and while it will be mediocre, it’ll be done, and that’s all I ask of myself at the moment!
