Saturday, September 27, 2008

welcome to the next level

I seem to be a little over-vehement with the pencils this morning.—John Steinbeck

Not long after my last post, I was leafing through an old journal of mine, and I realized something: I started revising this novel in January. January. Nine whole months ago, nine months I’ve spent revising the first half of the book. ... Which launched several days of feeling acutely irritable and frustrated with myself. It took only six crazy months to draft the novel in its entirety; why is it taking so long to re-write it?

And if I really think about it, I can come up with enough answers to almost satisfy myself: I’m learning all the time; my characters have become fifty times more dynamic and interesting; and my sister got married, for goodness’ sake, and that will mess with a writing schedule… etc. etc. But I was still left with all those calendar pages devoted to rewrites.

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Posted by Jenn Langefeld on 09/27 at 02:47 PM
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Monday, September 15, 2008

exchanging one malaise for another…

I realized on Friday (with the help of my insightful mother) that if I’m serious about lighting my room on fire, then my real problem isn’t with my novel at all, but with the… file folders. Should this be a huge surprise? No. Not really.

So I set writing aside this weekend and focused every shred of energy on my room. I have sorted, sneezed, sweated, organized, alphabetized. I shoved all my furniture around, trapped myself in a corner for a frustrating half hour, fought off my brown recluse paranoia (sticking a hand behind a dresser or far under a bed just seems to invite malice), encountered my fair share of cobwebs, and otherwise wrestled most of my stuff into its proper place.

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Posted by Jenn Langefeld on 09/15 at 03:34 PM
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Thursday, September 11, 2008

patience was never my strong suit

Cicadas are leaving their shells everywhere—it looks like a fleet of bugs had to make a quick getaway, and left their coats behind. One is caught in a web on our porch, and our neighbor’s fence is studded with them: eerie and ghostlike.

Reminds me that autumn is, after all, a time of shedding. I much prefer orange and yellow seas of leaves, though, to pale beetle-y skins.

You know how much I love fall. But somehow, the change in the air has been making me crazy today. And this past week. (Past month?)

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Posted by Jenn Langefeld on 09/11 at 06:48 PM
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Monday, September 08, 2008

in which i fall in love

Another trip to Borders, another Maple White Mocha (I told you, they’re good!). A quick jaunt through the sales aisle.

A flash of yellow, glint of bronze.

Rub my eyes. Gasp. Peer at sales sticker… not possible. Butterflies in stomach, irrepressible grin, warm cheeks. Running not walking to the cash register. Smug as I walk out the doors.

I have found the Gourmet cookbook (over 1000 pages, over 1000 fantastic, jaw-dropping recipes) for a mere ten dollars.

And I know I’ll just never be the same. I’ll certainly never eat the same…—jl

Posted by Jenn Langefeld on 09/08 at 01:14 PM
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Saturday, September 06, 2008

let’s break out the cinnamon sticks

You’re the crumble on my apple crumble. —Gavin Ewart

I like autumn. The drama of it; the golden lion roaring through the back door of the year, shaking its mane of leaves. —Joanne Harris

Yesterday was most perfect. We’ve had a bout of overcast, rainy weather, which makes me deliriously happy to be alive. Too many sunny days in a row oppresses me, which I understand is strange. But I just can’t help it. I never got over Grand Rapids’ weather, and I miss it in autumn more than ever. So yesterday’s gloom and the constant rain of Thursday were hugely appreciated…

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Posted by Jenn Langefeld on 09/06 at 06:19 PM
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epilogue

Despite my long delay in reporting this, I did send the story, and I did send it on my birthday, hooray! Then we celebrated the story’s departure and my twenty-fourth year with mocha cheesecake (perfection).


um, you really should have been here for the cake.

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Posted by Jenn Langefeld on 09/06 at 06:10 PM
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