Saturday, September 29, 2007
earning my MFL
I feel the terror of idleness, like a red thirst.—Mary Oliver, from “The Deer”
It’s a bit tricky for the workaholic in me to let up. (As faithful readers of this blog probably realize...) I list, goal, and plan myself to death. I think it’s out of fear, though. Especially last year--I was afraid that I might see this writing stint as one gloriously long summer vacation. And then slip into idleness… sleeping in, slouching around, forgetting to put words on paper.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
something rewritten this way comes
No language stands still. --Chicago Manual of Style
By the end of last week, my draft stood at 26,631 words--roughly a fourth of the book. ...And then on Monday, I lopped off a few thousand words--over two chapters!--and am rewriting yet again. I feel like this goes against all the writing advice I’ve received: aren’t you supposed to press on, get to the end, and then turn around and rework it?
Friday, September 07, 2007
there and back again
The distance is nothing, when one has a motive.—Jane Austen
And so I’m back from a whirlwind week--my grand tour. Up to Gaylord, Michigan and then down to Nashville, Tennessee, and two days ago, back home. By the end of it, I felt like I had truly seen a chunk of the Midwest--the dried cornfields through Illinois, lakes and pines in Michigan, and the dark hills of Kentucky and Tennessee.
trying to catch a picture of the fields
Friday, August 17, 2007
marking time
There’s not much left of August, though it’s been hot enough to make me think summer will last forever. At least, it feels like forever, if you’re curled over an air conditioning vent, dreaming of Grand Rapids blizzards, and hoping it will cool down to at least ninety. (I am not a fan of triple-digit heat! And I was even less so when our air conditioning croaked last week: it was too hot even to whine ...)
Friday, August 03, 2007
how not to talk to a writer: part two
All right, I’m ready to admit that this is more of a rant, and less of a “how-to” post. Nevertheless, here’s a little more insight into the opinions of this writer, and what makes her cringe when talking about her work.
Monday, July 30, 2007
progress: a few steps forward and a few steps back
If any of you see my July loping down some back alley (probably looking anxiously over its shoulder), please chase it down and send it back to me. (Use force, if necessary.) It ran out before its contract was up, and I desperately need it back.
Friday, July 20, 2007
how not to talk to a writer: part one
Not surprisingly, I spend much of my time at a slim desk in my bedroom, facing a few pictures of Paris and a host of inspirational writing quotes. (With each new dawn, every writer gets a second chance to write well. --Eric Maisel) When I do venture outside and meet new people, at church or among friends, the questions come up: what do I do, and how do I do it.
I’ve never thought of myself as easily offended, but I’ve been surprised at the way others talk to and about writers. It’s not really their fault: While a lot of people read books, most don’t know what to say when confronted by someone who writes them. Or, even worse, someone who hasn’t written one yet but claims she will.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
community for the rest of us
I’ve been running a bit ragged lately; we do that a lot, it seems. Last Friday night, we were five hours at a wedding and reception for a family friend, and Saturday was full of my sister’s wedding plans. I wriggled into a bridesmaid dress, and we browsed for reception centerpiece ideas.
Writing has been going well, too. I have completely redesigned my heroine. I figured her out! We absolutely clicked--I can hear her voice in my head. But now, my old ideas for the plot are toast, and I’m rethinking the course of the book.
Exciting stuff! Maybe too exciting. On Sunday, I wanted to curl up at home, be sleepy, and appease my introvert self. Instead, we spent the day out and about, but it was more refreshing than I expected.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
of fireworks past (happy independence day!)
It’s been a rainy Fourth of July for us, and our plans are up in the air. Or rather, non-existent. It’s just me, my mom, and my younger sister here. Adrienne spent the morning working at a busy café, and Mom and I have been writing. (Yes, I began the second draft! Over two thousand words, hooray!) Will we all scrape together enough energy to go searching for fireworks? Or make it a movie night? Not sure yet. But it makes me think about what we did other years…
I spent many Fourths of July watching fireworks at a place called Holiday Shores. We would park our car among the rest, and, not daring the mosquitoes in the grass, I perched on the edge of our Dodge’s warm hood, staring up at the sky. Partway into each year’s show, I would shut my eyes against the next several explosions, and then open my eyes as wide as I could, to fully take in the next burst.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
the wind, and the waves
It’s so easy to get sidetracked in this writing life. Countless distractions and interruptions, whether internal, external, or what-have-you. Laundry seems a thousand times more important than clarifying my idea of a city in the book. Answering the phone is more urgent than rereading the dialogue I wrote several weeks ago. Hmmm.
Also, the publishing industry is terrifying. I kept bumping into statistics this week on how difficult publication is. It’s pretty near impossible. And, if you do get in, then you have to get people to recognize you! To want to buy your book. And you have to have enough people buying it that your publishing house wants another book from you. And then another. And another.
So, unless my writing style attracts a rich prospective husband, I can pretty much kiss goodbye my dream of living on fiction sales, right?
Saturday, June 09, 2007
as i go forward (part two of two)
If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.—Thoreau
Now that we’re into June, more and more graduation 2007 photos circulate. I love seeing the familiar black robes on my friends, love sending my congratulations, like browsing the graduation displays at bookstores and gift stores. It’s been a year of being an alum (alumna?), and I’m realizing just how much has happened since last May. It’s been a full year!
Saturday, May 26, 2007
the bermuda files
palm trees over John Smith’s Bay: the beach we visited on our first night there
The dust--or should I say the sand--has settled from our latest trip: a week’s vacation in Bermuda, which is where my Dad lives and works. Last Tuesday, Mom, Dad, Adrienne, Jon, and I flew to the island, where we had a fabulous time, exploring the island by day and playing canasta in his apartment by night.
I’ve been to Bermuda twice already, and so my goals for this trip were fairly simple:
1. Eat at pubs. (It surprises me, but I miss eating British comfort food!)
2. Enjoy the variety of accents on the island.
3. See something that I haven’t seen in Bermuda before.
4. WRITE. A lot.
Monday, May 14, 2007
if i could go back . . . (part one of two)
The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything.
--Edward John Phelps
I learn by going where I have to go.
--Theodore Roethke
May 20, 2006, with Kristen and Adrienne, my two fabulous sisters
Next Sunday is my one-year anniversary of graduating from Calvin! (I’ll spare you my shock over how quickly this year has gone.) They say that college is one of the best times in your life, and I’d agree. It pulled me to all extremes--I have never been so challenged, nor have I had such a wonderful time as I did at Calvin.
But time clarifies all things. As the months scuttle by, I’ve thought of things I wished I had done at Calvin. A few surprise me: I didn’t realize how much I’d miss them. Here are the things that top my list:
Thursday, May 10, 2007
the curse and joy of travel
The writer’s paradox: You can’t write without living fully, and you can’t live fully and still find time to write.—Monica Wood, The Pocket Muse
I am writing this at a park, not far from our house--listening to the sound of traffic behind me and watching a string of mid-morning walkers circle the ball fields. My Bavarian Chocolate coffee (which needs sugar!) is in a travel mug by my side.
Writing while away from my desk makes me think of trips and travel. We just spent a long weekend in Nebraska (soaking up some time with my younger sister!), and we leave soon for a week in Bermuda. In fact, we’ve hardly stayed still all spring, going and coming, and it takes a toll on that quiet, fragile, dreaming work of writing.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
we’re getting warmer
It’s the beginning of May, but it feels like summer: sunshiny, warm, and the beach beckons.
Summer? Wait a minute. Summer was last year, summer came right after I graduated . . . is it possible that it came a year ago??
Oh dear. Does this mean that my great, glorious, First Year as a Writer is nearly done?
About Me
My life at Calvin College
Name:
Jenn Langefeld
Class of 2006
Hometown:
O'Fallon, IL
Major:
English
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Most recent entries
- let’s break out the cinnamon sticks
- epilogue
- yeah… about that.
- crossing the last t, dotting the final i
- gasping for air (or hope)
- five days to go?
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- trial by story
- let’s drink a toast to monday mornings.
- the whirlwind that was july
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- inspiration
- untitled
- the wedding album, part two