Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Progress Report 4

Done. I've finished the first draft, rough as it is. As I've been saying, I've been very unsatisfied with the actual business of writing, but forcing myself to in fact experience that lack of satisfaction, without sitting down (except for structured breaks) at the piano, or indulging in other distractions, has been an important experience. It has moved the project forward, and the next three days of editing will, I hope, show me exactly how far I've come, if not the page, then at least in my thinking on this subject.

6 comments:

Jonathan said...

Excellent progress. Congratulations. Also, it is interesting to see the work habits of others as a point of comparison. Now I'm wondering whether I can sit down and write 6000 words in a few days.

Thomas said...

Thanks. I'm sure you could do it if you picked a subject you understand through-and-through. Or at least a subject you have 30 or 40 clear ideas about.

Jonathan said...

Hah! I wish there was a subject I had 30 clear ideas about. I have 30 clear ideas after I finish an article, usually not before.

Thomas said...

Well, try that. Try sitting down and writing on the subject of a paper you've already written (though not exactly the same paper). 3 hours a day, 400 words an hour. 5 days. That's 6000.

Thomas said...

It's an experience, is all I can say.

Jonathan said...

I have written on things I've already written about, just changing the format or audience or language. You are write, it is a much different experience that writing for the first time on something..