This morning I finished a first draft of the second chapter of Earning Freedom. The initial proposal suggests a manuscript of 105,000 words, though with the two chapters I’ve written, I now have more than 25,000 words. Either I will have to increase the word count to 140,000, or make significant cuts. At this stage of the project, I’m leaning toward increasing the word count.
I intend to edit chapter two, though I will not write new content until I hear from the literary agent who represents my work. That means I will set the project aside until much later this summer. I have many other writing activities to keep me busy until then, so I will not feel bored.
Boredom can be a struggle for new prisoners. My deliberate adjustment precludes the possibility for boredom. Today, for example, I woke at 2:15 to resume my writing. I wrote until 6:00 AM, then went outside to run. During these summer months I prefer to exercise in the early morning to avoid the heat. I had to leave the track at 7:30, after I completed 10 miles. My allergies bothered me so I signed up for allergy medicine at health services; an antihistamine clears my head quickly. Since finishing at the infirmary, I resumed my writing. Now it’s late afternoon, and I’m ready to lie down.
I’m reading a book on writing graceful sentences. The book is called Style and I’m finding it helpful. I have a tendency to write choppy sentences. It’s an annoying reality that I’d like to improve, as choppy sentences reveal an insecurity with my writing, I think. A reviewer for The New York Times criticized this flaw in my writing, and I hope to improve upon it in my new manuscript.
A busy schedule not only relieves boredom, it keeps me away from potential conflicts or problems. That’s an important consideration at this stage in my confinement, and it’s the reason I work while my fellow prisoners sleep, the reason I sleep while others watch television or play table games. I’m never bored.
My exercise tally now stands at 1,570 miles over the past 178 days of continuous running.
Monday, 8 June 2009
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