Writing Process Wednesdays, Novel Journals, and Project Do Better

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  So my novel journaling has been very topsy turvy.  That turned out to become a serious problem for me, once I began writing the scenes for the rough draft, and  remembered that I had left notes in a spreadsheet, and on paper, in different locations at random.  All of the writing advice insists on keeping a novel journal as you go through the writing process, but personally, at this point (and it has now been 2019-2022, three years, since I began jotting down ideas, excerpts, timelines, and research notes), for me, the novel journal is getting to be more of a hassle than a help, it seems.

Maybe I will find out, later on in the process of writing this novel, that it is helpful.  I hope, at any rate.       whobyfireiwilltmpcover

Also, having already tried to put too many subplot and scene notes in too many spreadsheets and online reminders, as well as on paper, I am drowning in paper and in online notes, and even in bookmarks stuck in my research books for this novel project that I paused to write a nonfiction book, and restarted!  I found that a short series that I wrote completely off-the-cuff actually helped me thinking about this novel, more so but perhaps also with the help of the novel journaling process, in a different way than I had expected.  The series: BchrFancySaleBigger (Ann and Anna, linked below…) was so easy to write that I found myself wondering what was so difficult about this project, and then I realized that I already knew everything about the series, because I was using a historical personage with a known itinerary, and adding a second protagonist with a history that I already knew intimately, since she was drawn from my own family history.  Not as a person that I found, but a person that I have been trying to find for many years.  But looking at the known history and tracking backward, it is clear that such a person, or persons, certainly existed in my family, sadly.

     Thoughtful Readers, please consider reading about #ProjectDoBetter.  This novel is my personal way (as opposed to founding the Project, overall) of contributing to building tools, through story, which is one of humanity’s most powerful tools,  that can help increase empathy and compassion in our world.  Story, as part of how we see our world, helps us make sense of and define our actions in this world.  And remember how important story is also as part of this project. Let’s Do Better.

Shira

Action Items:

1.) Share your thoughts, please.

2.) Write a story, post or comment that uses those thoughts.

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Click here to read, if you like:

B5, Hakan: Muhafiz/The Protector, Sihirli Annem,  Lupin, or La Casa de Papel/Money Heist Reviews

Holistic College Algebra & GED/High School Lesson Plans,

Shira Destinie A. Jones, MPhil, MAT, BSCS

ShiraDest

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Shira Destinie Jones’ work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

About ShiraDestProjectDoBetter

Shira Destinie Jones is founder of #ProjectDoBetter, a long term plan proposal for community building, and a published poet, academic author, and advocate for improving our #PublicDomainInfrastructure. Her other book, Stayed on Freedom's Call, on Black-Jewish Cooperation in DC, is freely available via the Internet Archive. She has organized community events such as film discussions, multi-ethnic song events, and cooperative presentations, and is a native of Washington, DC. She promotes peaceful planning, NVC and the Holocene Calendar, and is also a writer. More information at https://shiradest.wordpress.com/

12 thoughts on “Writing Process Wednesdays, Novel Journals, and Project Do Better”

    1. Thanks, Quips, but no promises on how soon that will happen. I’m exhausted trying to spread the word solo on Project Do Better, and cannot start the Ann & Anna novel until I finish Who By Fire, which is being held up by my inability to find others to help share Proj. Do Better.

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  2. PS The tale itself does not have to be pleasant in order for the story to be fascinating. History is really a series of someone’s story(ies)

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  5. Pingback: Writing Process Wednesdays, Novel Journals, and Project Do Better | Context, Critical Thinking, Continuous Learning: Project Do Better | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

  7. It’s very rare that a writer is willing to share their methodology about how they construct a piece. That kind of insight is incredibly helpful to other writers coming up in the game.

    I lead a writing group here in Fort Worth, TX where we discuss this sort of thing, and I’m actually wanting to do an online version of our meetings either through Twitter Spaces or Clubhouse. It’d be awesome for a sista and literary mind such as yourself to join once we get that up and running.

    In any case, thank you for taking the time to share your insight with the writing community. It is greatly appreciated.

    Best Regards,
    The Stormy Poet

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    1. Hi, Stormy, thanks for writing!

      I still don’t understand why other writers don’t share their methods, as we are all learning to Do Better (at least I like to hope so…), and it doesn’t take away anything but writing time. I’m very glad to see that my painful experience may help others to avoid a bit of suffering, hopefully!

      I have not heard of Twit. Spaces (although I am on Twit: ShiraDest…), nor of Clubhouse, but if you think my input would be helpful, I am happy to make some time to join, if you will give me a bit of help finding and coming up to speed on the virtual meeting space (don’t worry, I actually tend to be a “quick study” (or so I am told), so I won’t take too much hand-holding! LOL). Thank you for inviting me, and for letting me know that this work is helpful.

      I’m here on WP less often now that I am trying to let go a bit of Project Do Better so that I can work on my novel, so if I take a while to response, pls don’t hesitate to ‘poke’ me via comments on my recent posts (probably the fastest way to find me).

      Warmest Regards, (and stay safe in those power outages down there!!)

      S.Dest.

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    2. I love your document, Stormy. It expresses nearly the same objectives, in far less space, as those of Project Do Better (https://shiradest.wordpress.com/2022/11/14/the-free-manual-for-the-umbrella-project-is-here-willing-hands-needed/). I had some comments, if you don’t mind:

      P. 28: Exactly: “… However, what we can do is minimize doing as many of those actions as humanly possible and engage in behaviors and actions which work towards undermining the system–things the average person can do on a daily basis. And, if a concentrated core of people consistently practiced specific speech, thought, and physical actions every single day of their lives that works toward lessening the effectiveness of the system, then and only then will we see this beast begin to weaken.”

      I love your (summary): speak only when needed, useful, and with precision. (p.29)

      Thank you: get rid of “the crabs in a barrel” mentality, and build solution sets (as Project Do Better is meant to be).

      -Oh. Ok. Now I get my landld, and why no argument/conversation seems to make any difference.

      P. 31 and on: Project Do Better, likewise, especially Phase II, focuses on solution-building educational tools

      Thank you, voting with our dollars! Project Do Better works on the financial education in Phase I, then moves to financial self-defense in Phase II, but more generally, as education for cooperative citizenship, which we will need, to dismantle this system.

      Thank you, self-discipline (in entertainment, and all other areas, I’d add, emotionally and intellectually, as you’ve already pointed out, though I’ve not yet, up to p. 36, noticed physical training? -yup, P.41…) for the greater good.

      P. 37 Yes, but no federal level candidate has yet been available, to my knowledge, pledging reparations, and for one to be a non-spoiler, we’d need Ranked Choice Voting or IRV in place, to prevent accusations like the 2000 Gore/Nadar election spoiler. But all of you other level points are spot on, imho.

      p. 39 Yep, just like at the Greek festivals back east, when Greeks would come up to me and ask which island I was from, then, after telling them I was Black, literally turn on their heels (this happened at more than one festival) and walk away from me without another word.

      P.42 Excellent examples via A. Frank’s Diary, of text reading results, thank you -I knew that there was a difference, but not in these interesting details.

      P. 43, Thank you: historical fiction like my series Ann & Anna are part of Project Do Better mostly in Phase IV, but I see how crucial fiction can be, now, much earlier. And not only, as I had supposed, for educating the white readers (‘could a slave refuse her master’s sexual advances’ -Seriously?! In which universe did this reader live, to imagine that possibility?!), but also for ourselves? Thank you, again. I thought I was only writing because I had to stop those nightmares that pushed me to write about my enslaved ancestresses, and now I see that there (hopefully) were many more benefits than I knew.

      P. 44 Exactly, thank you, Standing in The Gap, together…

      P. 45 I love #3.
      #4 “-No, you may NOT play with my hair!!”

      #9 could apply to our students, for those of us who have been teachers/professors, but have refused to have children, no?

      Thirst for knowledge, thank you, #13.

      Remain hopeful, not bitter, and ever scrutinizing, yes.

      Thank you, #24! Finally, someone else who recognizes this without being a Mormon!

      (#26, last 5 words!!! LoL!!)

      #27 Fair enough.
      #28 *ouch* Ok, that one hits home…

      #36 ok, I will be looking up Dr. John Henrik Clarke, Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, Neely Fuller Jr., and Dr. Yosef Ben-Jochannan.

      #38 Thank you, respect for all life.

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