How is this working? Weeks 5&6 of the Murakami challenge
I really thought this was going to fail. Nice to know I'm wrong.
Dear Reader,
If you think about it, I should have failed at this already.
Weeks 5 and 6 of writing (and eventually revising) using Haruki Murakami’s writing routine shouldn’t work for me. It’s not a write everyday missive like mystery writer Walter Mosley says to do. I’m not walking every day or standing in front of a typewriter all morning. I am just focusing on one thing.
Three. Pages.
Then I walk away. And here we are, more than a month after starting and I’m still writing. How?
The focus is the thing.
Why is this working
Have you watched a video from Struthless, yet?
I use to be a big fan of productivity folks on YouTube but something about Struthless hits different. He’s a creative, a graphic designer, and has thought about how he best works and accomplishes things. For him goal setting is a more realistic thing than pie-in-the-sky planning.
When he released this video, he talked about working on his book. Some of the principles he talked about are in Murakami’s essay, which was surprising but affirming at the same time.
The idea of cleaning things off your desk figuratively and literally was totally in this video! This is the part I have trouble with the most. This concept is to complete and clean off any thing (or as many things) that need your immediate attention. For example, in my world, grading is a constant dragon to be conquered. I don’t conquer it fully until the end of the semester, but I can grade through enough papers to not have to worry about it for awhile. When it comes to physically clearing things, my desk is filled with books and things that need doing, papers that need grading or filing, projects that need my attention. Clearing it feels Herculean, even if it’s for an hour. But once it is, it’s freedom. The freedom is intoxicating. I feel drunk with it.
Structure, Progress, Feeling
In his video, Struthless organized writing his book into four categories. I’m going to talk about three specifically: structure, progress, and feeling.
He talked about being organized and having structure in his writing time. This is where he introduced the tiers — A, B, and C. The most important thing is listed as A — writing the book. B is the things he has to take care of and can not fall through the cracks. And C are ideas that come up because ideas will ALWAYS come up. (He calls it the shiny new things syndrome.) So he lists them somewhere to come back to the later. This sounds BRILLIANT! This gives you grace. A thing about doing challenges like this is that when you miss a day or if something comes up that does need you to put the project down for a second, you feel like a failure. Tiering the three goals means that if you have to put down Goal A for a week or two to take care of Goal B, you can absolutely do it as it is expected.
This is more how life works. At least for me at this moment. And this is, among other things, what I am enjoying about this challenge.
Another principal he touched on here is the smaller chunk of things. He focuses on a chapter at a time for his book project. This is, again, similar to Murakami’s only focus on a small section at a time. The three pages at a time allows me to see Project Runaway as a do-able, chewable, thing. Small progress is still progress. And that’s the thing right? Progress. Visual progress toward a goal, no matter what it is keeps you going. Any therapist or psychologist worth their salt knows that the progression is the thing. The ending comes when it comes but as long as there is progress toward the goal, there is still hope and fire.
I mean, they would put it more professionally. I’m a writer. I use metaphors.
How is it working?
I am deep into one of the short stories for the second book and it’s surprising me. One of the characters did something surprising and it made me stand back for a bit. I realized then that this wasn’t a short story, at least as short as I like them. This is going to be a longer piece, leaning toward novella length. It’s not a full fledged novel; I see the ending already.
This means that the third thing Struthless talks about in the video, feeling good, is happening. I am EXCITED to get back to my three pages, to see what my brain is going to decide. It’s like I’m telling myself my own story and I am so psyched about it.
And progress is happening! Fun is happening! Excitement and wonder is happening!
But aside from that, knowing that in the Project Runaway there is a longer piece that may anchor the short story collection feels pretty amazing, like it’s coming together as it should. Like I planned it. And we all know that a planning isn’t my strongest skill. It’s my okay-ist one.
Worries and Challenges
I know that I’ve painted this as a rainbows and butterflies type of thing. But there have been some challenges and things that may come up that I’ll need to think about.
The top thing is that during the storms in Houston last week, I began a new story. So now, I have two stories to work on. Not sure if I want to write them both at the same time (by balancing) or put one on ice as I finish the other. The story I began last week feels like a true short story. The one I’ve been working on feels more like a longer short story or novella-length piece. Not sure what I’m going to do quite yet. I am totally taking suggestions though! Regardless, this is something I’ll need to “clear off my desk” to continue.
Another challenge I see coming is summer distractions. I want to be out in these travel streets! I want to be enjoying my time off and do all the things. While the method gives me flexibility, I don’t want to be so distracted that I miss weeks of work and momentum.
Alright, that’s where I am!
Off to write I go!