Archive for February, 2009
Bukit Merah
Not so long ago, I said something about working out a concept for a next project. Back then, things were rather hazy. Now, they’re still rather hazy, although haze has no direct correlation to confidence, and I’m a bit confident about this. That said, I still don’t know a lot of things, and it’s just best not to say anything that I don’t know. In other words, here I go trying to say something while trying not to say anything again.
So let’s see what I’ve got. I have a working title. It’s up there in the heading, though if you look now and it’s hiding then it’s Bukit Merah, which for the non-Singaporeans and maybe some Singaporeans is a place in Singapore. I’m still messing around with the title, so I’m almost sure it’ll change before I’m done.
What I’ve got so far is a very brief chapter outline, and it’s broken down into ten chapters or so, give or take. There is a strong mythological element to it. Or there will be. I’m dealing with a handful of characters, say about half a dozen. I also have a few scenes in my head and they seem to be working. It’s all kind of tenuous, I suppose, but I expect it to pick up some weight over time. There usually is a catalyst with these things (for me), though that could be anything at all, so I’m not sure when it will arrive. I’m not even sure I’ll know when it does.
It is in a way a simple story, though I said that about The River too and I wouldn’t really call it simple. I think it would also be fair to say that it’s a sort of traditional story, in some sense anyway. Think of folktales and oracular traditional stories, those things. I’m feeling my way around it, but that’s mostly accurate for the state that it’s in now. It also means it’s all a little evil, a little gruesome and certainly far less romantic than The River.
I’m tempted to start writing. I have the first 5-10% of it pretty clear in my head and I really, really want to have a go at it.
And that, I suppose, is that.
d
As Usual
Attrition
Oh yes, it’s here. First it begins with a trickle, then it builds to a wave, and finally it ends with a flood. The first assignments have snuck in under the door and the first deadlines are doing their warm-up exercises. I’ll have to figure out a way to ensure that I still manage with my work while not compromising school things. I’m not too sure yet how that’ll work out, but we’ll just have to take it as it comes.
Is it really the fourth week already?
Funny Relations
New semester, some new romances in class and some old ones too. Funny how some things develop.
Today
Some assignments, some lab reports, some stuff. I wonder if I can squeeze in some work too. Lots of stuff to do. Not much to tell write about here. Better get started.
d
And his squeaky voice…
In Any Case…
This is what was on the menu for the weekend. I did some minor edits to The River, and it’s strange because looking back at it now, I’m convinced I can’t write like that even if I wanted to now, though I should clarify that it’s not a good-or-bad thing. I imagine that I’ll be going through it a few more times while simultaneously hammering out the query.
Speaking of which, no, no progress on the querying.
Did some studying. Life does not look very pleasant in the forthcoming weeks.
Discovered that my voice goes all squeaky and stuff nowadays when I get excited about things. I think the important point here is that I’m actually getting excited about things again. I think it’s part of that impossible 2009 happiness.
In the long list of coincidental encounters, I saw Agustin on Friday, and this doesn’t fit into the weekend, but I thought I should make mention of it here because the ensuing conversation was the one that let me hear my squeaky voice. It was also a rare occasion when anyone expressed any interest in a draft because she voluntarily took my editing copy of The River from me for a read (so now I’m working purely on the computer). While I should feel impeded, it made me rather all very happy. Then again, almost anything seems to have that positive effect these days.
I have half a winning idea for the next, currently unnamed project. I think I’ll have something to say about it by this week, but in the meantime, it grows quite happily. It feels very secure.
Played some. Watched some TV. Talked to a returning friend or two.
Realised that I have a little more money than I thought and far less money than I would like.
Music. Lots of music.
Wrapped my new books. Oh and at the end of Friday I finished the first book of the three-volume paperback edition of 2666. It goes down very easily, I realise. Like good wine. And I don’t even drink.
I actually remembered to flip my calendar yesterday, which doesn’t happen very often. Welcome, February. Enjoy your stint.
Incoming!
In this week, I need to…
Do the usual tutorials. I also need to get started on a paper, due in a few weeks. Throw in some reading into the mix.
Get a haircut.
Edit some more. Finish that love story I’ve been writing (though I suspect this will still be on the list next week). Polish up Abide With Me and wonder what I’m going to do about it. Fix up the new idea.
Collect a textbook, though that probably is a difficult to work out, for reasons that are also difficult to explain.
Catch up with a particular someone.
Lab report. Just remembered.
Read more 2666.
And… I think that’s good enough for a week, no?
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