Rekindling the Fire

I haven't done much writing - well, ANY writing - in a while. This is NOT good.

Honestly, until I restart the classes in April, I don't expect to get any productive new writing done. I just don't feel up to the task.

However, I think I can do something in the meantime. I've been told, from my previous classes and from Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (a must-have for writers), that I must write regularly. And this is what I need to do. For now, I think I will go back to my existing full chapter and write a new draft of it. The chapter portrayed Sarah making a trip to Seoul, South Korea, in 2003, and since I wrote it, I boosted the chapter's significance by having Sarah's grandfather fight in the Korean War - and having Sarah fall in love with Kirsten. Those new factors must be reflected in the new draft. In addition, I may change the format of the chapter, from one long, continuous vignette to a series of scenes, in order to cut out some transitional scenes and hopefully shorten the chapter.

Afterwards, I may go ahead and start writing about a different phase of Sarah's life, such as her high school life, her initial adulthood, and so forth. I should have some rich material to work with by the time the classes do begin.

I still want to have a very rough draft of the novel ready by year's end, and I want to be sure that it will happen.