I wrote a story today! I…

I wrote a story today! I knew my fingers had been itching all week for some reason...okay, I didn't know it. I was pretty convinced that I was just going to sit around itchy and frustrated (about writing, you perverts...) for weeks to come. But instead, Kev and I went into Borders this afternoon around 12:30. The idea was tickling at me then -- it's one that I'd been playing with for about a week or so -- something of a sequel to "Season of Marriage", one of my most popular stories. Not really a continuation of Raji and Vivek's story (though you do learn something new about her), but a story about her niece, Minal, just come to America to start college. (And, of course, where else would a bright young thing go but the University of Chicago...? :-)

I knew what it was about, and I even knew a little of what Minal's problem would probably be, but I was missing a plot. So I puttered around for a while. I wandered over to the folk music section and listened to some music. I went to poetry, and tried to find a poem that Maxine Hong Kingston had referred to in her book, but no luck. I did find some beautiful Japanese and Chinese poetry, very romantic and often quite sad. I found a few books of erotic poetry too. I took those back to the cafe where Kevin was working, and skimmed through them for a while. Somewhere in there, the wheels started turning, and I knew I wanted to start with a letter, or part of a letter, from Minal to her aunt...so I started typing, and it just went from there.

I typed from 1 to a little after 6, taking only a few breaks for chai and research -- bookstore are wonderful places to write stories. (I know, David, RSI, I know. But it just doesn't occur to me to take more breaks when the frenzy is upon me...) By then the first draft was done, and Kev and I came home (with a quick stop at the video store, where we rented a few movies, including the one we just finished watching, _Wild Things_, which was pretty damn good, actually). And now I've sent it out to two critique groups and the readers' list (which any of you can be added to, if you only send me mail. It averages about 1-4 pieces, mostly poems, a month), and the reaction is starting to hit.

It's terrible, it's awful, I didn't do justice to Raji and the readers will kill me, I didn't do justice to any of the characters, I went too fast, I got lazy, the ending sucks -- oh, yuck. Yes, it was a rush writing it, but frustrating too at many points and now I just feel sick to my stomach, although maybe that's the caffeinated chai. I'm going to go wrap myself in a blanket and watch another movie, I think.

Good night, everyone.