But I did it. After procrastinating madly for two days, I plucked up the courage to finish the climactic scene and write the denouement.
And this, for those who are wondering, is what a manuscript looks like when you write it by hand.
The pens on top are the ones that gave their lives so this manuscript could be written. The ones in the background are the survivors. At the top left you can see the notepad I use to jot down things as I write; usually excerpts from upcoming scenes and notes for later editing. Directly below that is my outline, mind map, research notes and character list. At the top you can see my scene cards. To the far right are my cotton gloves – absolutely essential to wear, as the oils from your hand get onto the page and interfere with the ink from the ballpoint pens. REALLY annoying. So I look like Michael Jackson when I write – one white glove :)
It’s done. And I have been writing every day for 56 days. Total wordcount at the end: 89,600 words.
30 Comments
September 26, 2009 at 9:37 pm
I’m so inspired! Congratulations on meeting your goal, writing the end, and having a lot to show for your hard work over these past 56 days! Thanks for including the picture, it’s neat to see a hand-written manuscript, and all the other things that went in to the project. I’d never have thought of wearing gloves, but you make a great point. If I ever go for writing a novel by hand, I’ll take that advice! :)
September 27, 2009 at 9:20 am
Thanks Owl :) I was all keyed up last night, but I’m okay now. Fulfilled.
September 26, 2009 at 11:34 pm
WTG!
That looks so organized…you’re not even using half the table!
So when’s the beta? ;)
September 27, 2009 at 9:22 am
Well, I’m dragging it out again in December for revision, and that will probably take at least 2 months of hard work. So, early 2010 before I have a revised draft for viewing :)
September 26, 2009 at 11:56 pm
You are amazing. I am so envious! And I wish I had a set-up like yours. Unfortunately my current house doesn’t have a study/desk for me to work at, so things are a bit scattered most of the time.
Can’t believe you wrote so much by hand. And I’m dead curious to read it at some point!!
September 27, 2009 at 9:24 am
That’s no special set-up – that’s my dining room table. I pile the manuscript to one side when we eat, and drag it out again when it’s time to write :)
October 29, 2009 at 8:05 am
Can I also add that I am still a little giggly over the white glove image?
September 27, 2009 at 4:05 am
Well done, how fantastic! And I agree, it’s great to see the pic of how everything looks – very organized and inspiring (now if only my own hand writing wasn’t so bad that I can barely read it myself…)
The glove thing made me giggle, but it makes complete sense – and also, I bet slipping on a glove helps get you in the right head space now!
September 27, 2009 at 9:24 am
It does, actually! And it helps avoid calluses, too :)
September 27, 2009 at 5:30 am
Congratulations! Will the dead pens get a proper funeral for their contribution to the noble cause? ;)
September 27, 2009 at 9:27 am
No, they’ll go in the bin to make their contribution to landfill. I should get recyclable pens.
September 27, 2009 at 6:35 am
The photo was, strangely, inspiring.
It’s a shame that technology doesn’t cater for the handwriter yet. My inner two-fingered typist cringes at the thought of copy-typing 89,600 words into a computer!
September 27, 2009 at 9:29 am
It’s not too bad if you just face it one scene at a time. If I had to type in the whole lot at once, I think I’d go bonkers :)
September 27, 2009 at 9:30 am
Mind you, that’s 56 scenes, at 45 mins per scene to type in…um…that’s 42 hours. *ack*
September 29, 2009 at 1:37 am
Actually there is a toy I’m planing on getting, *pause to search for link* LiveScribe Smartpen. I have yet to try it out to so how well it fits with my writing life, but the journal-sized notebooks of the special paper cost about the same as the Moleskins that I’m addicted to now.
September 27, 2009 at 7:17 am
That’s amazing. So gorgeous to see a wholly handwritten manuscript. I have found, after years of resistance that I have now utterly succumbed to the computer b/c I type much more at the speed of my brain whereas my hand is considerably slower. And aches a lot. Although I have tendonitis to show for hours at the computer.
Congratulation. The End are two of the greatest, saddest, fullest words in a writer’s life.
September 27, 2009 at 9:32 am
Yes, it was a bit emotional, reaching the end. I thought I’d be delighted to finish, but I wasn’t. Tricksy psyche.
September 27, 2009 at 8:46 am
Wow – inspirational! I switched to pootering everything when I learned to touch type. Resultant 70K manuscript required so much editing, there is not one single sentence remaining and it’s taken more years than I care to acknowledge (partly coz I kept getting so OVER IT and sticking it in a cupboard).
A recent injury has meant no left hand keyboarding so the new WIP is oozing onto the page at (much slower) handwriting speeds. And my critiquing group has been consistently giving my first draft the thumbs-up for ‘elegant, tight’ writing. Hm.
I like to use one of my collection of gorgeous fountain pens – whichever suits my mood. A good fountain pen just glides across the paper like silk. Most of mine are Watermans (Watermen??) sourced via ebay. Yummy. And I write curled up on the couch or at a local coffee shop. Or in the park if it’s nice out.
Thank you for the pic – how fabulous to have a visual goal for me to aim for! I love how you’ve shared your technique along the way. I now plan to steal your entire MO, including the glove (bwahahah). The only exception will be the pens, of course. ;-)
September 27, 2009 at 9:33 am
Feel free to steal, I’d love to read about your progress :) And I’m hanging out for a fountain pen this Christmas ;)
September 27, 2009 at 11:28 am
Congratulations! Can’t wait to see your novel in the bookstore!
September 27, 2009 at 11:31 am
Lol! Like I’ve said before, don’t reserve space on your bookshelf, it might get a little dusty… ;)
September 27, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Oh. *Removes a RESERVED sign of bookshelf*
September 27, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Congratulations! I think you’re mad for writing longhand but…Congratulations!
September 27, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Thanks Gary :)
September 27, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Huge congratulations! Is this the first finished novel so far? Either way, you must be head-swimming right now.
September 27, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Keeping up with wordcounts while writing by hand? That sounds like it has to hurt.
September 28, 2009 at 12:19 am
[...] an unrelated, but just as motivating, note – check out Merrilee Faber’s post about finishing her novel! Talk about patience and diligence – 89,600 handwritten words (notice the picture she [...]
September 29, 2009 at 1:30 am
*HUG* You know I’m proud of you, right? You know I love you dearly, and I’m so glad you finished this?
But I’m also giggling at how big “The End” ended up being there.
Take the breather; you’ve earned it.
October 24, 2009 at 7:39 pm
[...] you look at the picture in this post, you can see how I work with pen and paper. It’s a fairly simple system, but I end up with [...]
November 21, 2009 at 3:22 am
[...] I mentioned Merrilee. Check her out by clicking her name in the sidebar, or click here to see why I’m inspired by [...]