Today I have a day off from work, and I'm forcing myself to be productive and put this time toward my writing. (And reading. And catching up on my DVR list and finally watching more of Stranger Things). It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to start writing again. I sunk back into my old routine of turning on the soundtrack to my WIP, which for this particular work in progress is the score to Kill Your Darlings -- nice and dark and moody -- lighting a candle, and setting everything else on silent and do not disturb.
I find I'm writing less with each session, but the content I'm producing is better. The quantity is decreasing, but the quality is more than making up for it. It's weird to not be writing as much, as fast, as I used to. I'm adjusting to the new pace of my voice, and I think the reason I'm going slower with this one is because I'm putting more consideration into the first draft. Not that I haven't put a lot of time and effort into my other drafts; I guess it's just that this one demands more of my thought and attention. It's pickier than other stories I've written. That's half the fun, this newness of relearning how I write. The challenge of sussing out the proper mood of the story.
Anyway, this afternoon, I finally begun Chapter 4. And because I'm big on accountability, I want to share another, longer excerpt with you. This one really demonstrates the role art will have in the novel. I mentioned before how much I loved studying art history when I was in college, and now I get to put all that knowledge to work! And who knows, maybe someone will find all this art history stuff as exciting as I do and do some research of their own. Or not. Whatever floats your boat. (But I think it's cool, so, you know, do whatever I'm just saaaaayyyyyiiiinnnng it could be fun. I think it is, at least.)
TMoD -- which has a full title and is not just some vague and meaningless acronym I'm using, I promise -- is going to be about many things: murder, love, art, crime. Here's a slice of it, in the early stages of setting the scene for the Big Events that will happen throughout the story.
The painting the two characters discuss, for reference, is "Judith Beheading Holofernes," and it's a favorite of mine from the Baroque movement. Take a look at it while you read the excerpt.
art
Hello internet, it's been a while. Many whiles. Sorry. I haven't forgotten about you -- I just got super, crazy busy. Well, you know, busier than normal. Which means I've been very, very, very busy doing many things, all at once. And while doing these many things all at once has taken a toll on my stress (and knocked me down a little last week with a wicked bug), these things are all exciting!
Let me catch you up on the few things I've been doing that I can talk to you about. They're all fun and surprising and make me the slightest bit self conscious as I don't often like being at the center of attention unless it's while debating something I'm super passionate about, but since I'm becoming rather passionate about this, let's all pretend I'm not nervous about sharing it. Faking it until I make it, one day at a time.
One project I was recently involved in was actually something that sparked a bit of magic in me. Friends -- of all different talents -- came together for a shoot on a beautiful property in Harwood, Maryland. Kelsey Mattson (whose work is spectacular, please look at her website and see everything she does!) met the owners of the farm and wanted to do a stylized shoot on the property, and because Kelsey has this magnetic energy to her, everyone she spoke to was more than willing to donate their time. It was more than worth it, and I'm sure what I got out of that Thursday night on the tranquil farm was more than they even realize.
The farm, Harwood Hills Farm, is an agro-tourism location that is the ideal venue for a peaceful wedding. Naturally, then, I stepped into a gown for the night and became a bride. My hair and makeup was done by the brilliant Caitlyn Meyer, the dress was borrowed from Wren Bridal, my ring and earrings from Kajs Jewlry, and I had a stunning bouquet from Crimson & Clover Floral. Kelsey planned and styled the shoot, and the entire thing was shot by Sarah Culver (again, another person whose work I've admired for a long, long time before getting to work with her!).
The other night, I saw three preview images from the shoot and I could not believe how incredible they've turned out! And if those were only the previews... I cannot wait to see the end results! I shared one of the images on Instagram, and wanted to share it here as well because !!!!!! I still can't believe the entire night was real. It was pulled straight from a dream.
Let me catch you up on the few things I've been doing that I can talk to you about. They're all fun and surprising and make me the slightest bit self conscious as I don't often like being at the center of attention unless it's while debating something I'm super passionate about, but since I'm becoming rather passionate about this, let's all pretend I'm not nervous about sharing it. Faking it until I make it, one day at a time.
One project I was recently involved in was actually something that sparked a bit of magic in me. Friends -- of all different talents -- came together for a shoot on a beautiful property in Harwood, Maryland. Kelsey Mattson (whose work is spectacular, please look at her website and see everything she does!) met the owners of the farm and wanted to do a stylized shoot on the property, and because Kelsey has this magnetic energy to her, everyone she spoke to was more than willing to donate their time. It was more than worth it, and I'm sure what I got out of that Thursday night on the tranquil farm was more than they even realize.
The farm, Harwood Hills Farm, is an agro-tourism location that is the ideal venue for a peaceful wedding. Naturally, then, I stepped into a gown for the night and became a bride. My hair and makeup was done by the brilliant Caitlyn Meyer, the dress was borrowed from Wren Bridal, my ring and earrings from Kajs Jewlry, and I had a stunning bouquet from Crimson & Clover Floral. Kelsey planned and styled the shoot, and the entire thing was shot by Sarah Culver (again, another person whose work I've admired for a long, long time before getting to work with her!).
The other night, I saw three preview images from the shoot and I could not believe how incredible they've turned out! And if those were only the previews... I cannot wait to see the end results! I shared one of the images on Instagram, and wanted to share it here as well because !!!!!! I still can't believe the entire night was real. It was pulled straight from a dream.
Planning & Styling - Kelsey Mattson (@mattsonmade)
Photography - Sarah Culver (@sarahculver)
Floral Design - Crimson & Clover (@crimsoncloverfloral)
Paper Goods - Townley Prang (@townleycreative)
Rentals - Something Vintage (@smthingvintage)
Dress - Wren Bridal (@wrenbridal)
Suit - Christopher Schafer (@christopherschafer)
Jewelry - Kajs Jewelry (@shop_kajsjewelry)
Hair & Makeup - Caitlyn Meyer (@caitlynmeyermua)
Venue - Harwood Hills Farm (@harwoodhillsfarm)
In college, I changed majors a half dozen times. There's no exaggeration there. I couldn't seem to settle myself into one specific course of study because I wanted to study it all. And all of it, many would argue, were degrees that would lead nowhere.
I fell in love with the humanities. My mythology class was so interesting I became obsessed with the texts we were assigned -- so much so that I decided to read and research more on my own, outside of the context of the class. My philosophy classes were gripping, and I discovered how much I enjoyed engaging in intellectual (and passionate) debates over morality. Of course there were a number of literature and publishing classes that lifted me up into the clouds and ultimately convinced me to take the leap and major in creative writing and English. But one of the classes that sticks in my mind even to this day was my art history class.
Art was always something I appreciated, but from afar. I cannot paint, I cannot sculpt. Hell, I can't even sketch well. (Though I can draw a pretty wicked Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Not exactly museum worthy work though, is it?) Because I'm so atrocious at art, I'd only taken a few necessary art classes during elementary and middle school. They were tolerable, but never took hold in me because, like I said, I sucked. I sucked hard.
This art history class, though. This one hit the mark -- I didn't have to draw, I only had to look. Sitting on the bottom shelf of my bookcase is the Big Art Book, and I take it out at least once a month to stare at some of my favorite pieces. Like I did during the class, I study the techniques and colors, the styles and the artists. I read as little or as much into the art as I want; create my own story or read about the artists' intentions. God, I love it. And I love art. But that's not what I do: I write.
Which leads me to the literature bit of this post. One of my lowkey favorite authors of late is Donna Tartt. The first novel I read of hers was The Secret History and I have never sat so in awe of a work of fiction as I did when I finished that book. She had such an artistic way with her words -- something that stretched beyond poetry. Her language wasn't necessarily overly flowery or complicated, it was the ideas that brought the fascination; the crafting of her characters, of the world they occupied, was stunning to say the least. It took little convincing for me to want to pick up another one of her novels, and so I did.
I just started reading The Goldfinch this morning. It arrived in the mail yesterday and I was surprised at how big the book is. It's easily twice the length of The Secret History. I hardly read the synopsis when I bought it off Amazon, but this morning, when I woke up early so I could start this beast (yes, I get it, I'm super lame but whatever), I scanned the back cover.
Here's what I know about the book: It follows Theo after he loses his mother in an accident. (That accident is an explosion at a museum. I just finished that bit this morning. Wow, was it well written.) He's taken in by a rich family because he is fatherless (presumably because his father left, I'm gathering). Dealing with his grief over the loss of his mother, he becomes obsessed with a small painting of, you guessed it, a goldfinch. Somehow, this leads to him discovering the underworld of art and shit gets real.
Already, I'm hooked. Anything with "the underworld of art" in the summary, and I'm in. I can't wait to read a book that contains the cross section of all that I love: art, mystery, and incredible writing.
One thing I will say about Donna Tartt is that her novels are not only interesting, and her writing is not only crisp and exact, but her work is inspiring. After The Secret History, I was compelled to sit down and write something that could be even half as masterful. Of course, I could never replicate her style, even if I tried. It's a style I enjoy reading, but not a style that comes naturally to me in my own work. And that's okay. Art isn't supposed to be the same, and the voice of an author should be as unique as the brushstrokes of a painter. I'm turning that envy in to drive and determination, and someday, I hope it will all click into place.
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