People, my people,
1. It was obvious, when I thought about it, but I only worked out about making BP into Mary Sue's mum at the start of last week, during the feverish period of writing about giant fish which means I am now doing a chapter today so that I will be two days ahead at the start of next week, which is still a nerve-wrackingly small amount.
2. I want to say it is nerve-wracking because it leaves me no time for quality control, but actually I have not really got any time for quality control anyway. MSIL only works (in terms of not ruining my life in areas like rent) if I severely limit the amount of time I spend on it to 'the amount of time it takes to check the chapter I am publishing for spelling mistakes + the amount of time it takes to write 1000 words'. And even then, I had really hoped to be all but done by next week, which is the first time in ages I will be able to sit down to write something someone might one day buy (If you can imagine such a thing) and I suspect I will be resenting still doing this. Partly, I think, because both the projects I expected it to have run neatly alongside over the past two months fluttered around in the near distance before disappearing into the ether, which has made it feel like a less efficient use of time than I envisaged it being.
3. But don't for a second think this means I regret writing MSIL. It has been / is still being excellent mental floss, and you (I mean 'I') never write anything without getting better at it. MSIL has been a wasteful use of time and energy, I suppose, in terms of what we economists call opportunity cost (if that is what we economists call it - my knowledge of econo-jargon is based on having read half a textbook towards the end of 1991), but maybe it has also been what we in the world where everyone uses the same expressions as my mother, 'a time of gathering.' I think and hope so.
4. I have not got the details of the ending worked out, but I have a rough idea. There are still some things that could go either way.
Stay strong.
1 comment:
Can't imagine how you can think this venture has been a waste of time and energy... opportunity costs... I'm enjoying the whole story, the blog, the comments, the courage of your endeavor, the strength of your conviction to post each day. Maybe you are part of a culture (Brits, writers, Londoners) that are not used to cutting themselves any slack, rarely pat themselves on their backs, never feel as though they have done an amazing job. How about giving yourself a bit of each.
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