I've always loved that word. Echo.
Just looking at it, shaping your mouth around it, gives you a feel for what it is. I'm pretty sure it's the most high-quality word in our English language. Echo. It's bad-ass, because it ends in an O. The word itself, that final vowel sound, carries on, because there's no consonant at the end to cut it off, ending the word. The word "echo" might just go on forever.
I'm hand-writing my novel. Hand-writing has an amazing feel. I'm working, moving my hand across the page, moving the pen up and down. All these little shifts of my hand, wrist, fingers, they all combine across the blank page, creating this story that moments ago didn't exist.
The writing part, the beauty of the language, hasn't come yet. Bits and pieces of it are scrawled across the margins, but for the most part, I'm getting to know my characters through interviews, by the lack of color I see in a mundane apartment, by watching them when they don't realize they're being watched. And already I'm more interested in them than I've ever been in any other set of characters.
Except maybe Roland and Susan and Eddie and Susannah and Jake and Oy.
But that's another story.
I can't wait to start with the language, the dialogue. And I love the fact that I'm already longing for it. Dialogue has never been one of my strong suits. I prefer to follow the action, treating it like a silent movie. It's wrong on many levels, but it is a place I've been stuck. It is easier for me to just narrate the details. What if my character wouldn't want you to know that she is feeling lonely, but it happens to be something important that will turn up later? I like telling. I don't want you to miss anything. I don't want you to misinterpret something, so I'd rather tell you exactly what you're supposed to see. I'm a Virgo. I'm also an only child. The "my way or the highway" mentality is a huge part of who I am. Leaving it up to my characters to show you how they feel by way of dialogue and action, well, that's going to take some faith, on my part.
Faith and practice.
But I'm up for the challenge.
On that note, adios adios adios adios adios adios.
Echo. What a great E word.
ReplyDeleteAnd you are brave to be writing your novel longhand. I take notes that way, if I have to. But they are mostly illegible.
:) Good luck!
I like all the O-ending words you've posted! And margins are my favorite, although I type much faster than I write--but longhand seems so romantic and awesome! Great post!
ReplyDeleteIt is a great word, and congrats to you for writing your novel by hand. I could never do it.
ReplyDeleteThank you all! I am really loving this longhand thing. Maybe it's dated, but it feels good. It feels productive. I'm learning a lot as I go: I learned this morning that I need to number my pages for easy reference. It will be interesting to see how it all fits in to the final product, but thank you all for your kind words. It is the little things that keep me going, along with the great-big feeling of accomplishment I experience each time I flip over a new page and keep going. :-)
ReplyDeleteI like the way you write. I've always wanted to write a novel, but I'm too scared to begin :). I wouldn't be able to handwrite anything longer than a sick note. My handwriting is so terrible, I wouldn't be able to read anything. Good luck with the novel.
ReplyDelete