Totally, the number one reason why this experiment is working for me is because of the feedback. So far the feedback has been good, but I mean more than that. When I’m writing in a vaccuum, I struggle with the pacing. How long has it been since I described something in rich detail? Have I now used too much detail? How many pages ago did something really gripping happen?
When I’m writing in 1000 word chunks, it feels like my novel is developing a heartbeat. Every installment we have some information, and then a question. A lull and then a peak. And I can guage by the feedback whether the peak was peak-y enough and whether the information was forthcoming and non-teasing enough. When this is all done, if I read through it and find that the 1000 word heartbeat is too fast or two slow, I’ll have a pretty good sense of how much to add in or take out.
And, yes, I realize that, no matter how many words, a one week heartbeat is reeeeally slow.
Last night I went to Saskatoon’s 08 BarCamp and went to a session on Twitter. I confess, I really only picked that session because I was stalking Katherine. And also, that I hadn’t been on Twitter because I could already foretell how much time I’d be wasting on it.
There was some discussion about people who do the “eating a cheese sandwich” updates, and do you really care? And someone said, “we’re such social creatures. Deep down, you probably do care.” I like that. I totally agree. I mean, I probably do not need total instant feedback on the lives of everyone in my network. But this last year at home has really taught me how much it’s the little things, the day to day things that keep you connected to people. When I was in the office every day, I could ask “what’s new” and get told how someone’s Tim Horton’s coffee cup had leaked that morning, or how their son was potty-training or how their neighbour’s daughter said the funniest thing. When I stop in to visit once every two months or so, I ask “what’s new?” and I get, “um. Not much.” And then occasionally something like, “Oh! I got married since we last talked.” Because people think that there’s not much point giving me small stories, if I’m trying to catch up.
The problem is, I’m not trying to catch up (though I probably thought I was) I’m trying to connect.
So anyhow, in the interests of getting our feedback loop tighter and smaller, I’m going to be Tweeting my book 140 characters at a time.
Kidding.
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