Author's Note in my journals

In many journals, when I need to take a step back and look at my writing with an objective eye, I will title 'Author's Note'.

Initially penning these feels completely self-indulgence. But when I don't read these 'notes' for a while, it's when I realize the gem of understanding about why I wrote it in the first place.

Here is an example. Written on July 27, 2011:
There are too many personal stories to be told. Everyone has a story to tell: a private history(lesson). This book may take 3 books, I'll see.
Look at that: I always said 'Stacey's Story' would be only one book, + I was right. If I only focused on her. But once I began revealing Slash's story too, then the floodgates opened, + everyone needed to tell their story.
-End of journal entry

I'm in my FOURTH term!!!

Well. This is it. I am in my fourth term in my MFA program and very excited.

In spite of the early mornings, the commando-style seminars, and the copious amounts of handouts, duo-tang folders and exercises, there have been exhilarating moments and being in the company of what one cohort said "my tribe".

Now my draft has crystallized into a different beast all together. It has been encouraged to stretch and morph. It has been overhauled and redecorated. Now I am in that mode where I will try out the ideas suggested to see if this will lead to a final product to springboard into a final draft.

Yikes, now I am sounding more academic because as I type this, I am in seminar, but I want to have more entries on this blog before this month concludes. There are too many distractions and asides to concentrate on. I am also concentrating on my future before I graduate next term (June). There needs to be self-evaluating even while I don't want to self-evaluate.

Eventually, this will end and I will miss it.

Note to self

Organized my documents solely for this novel and realized that all three needed to be renamed.
I also began to highlight the side notes and footnotes within each document.

This is the second draft.

I'm doing first draft and second draft at the same time.
When I counted, the grand total came to 74 typed pages from over 1,600 (Yes, you read right) handwritten pages.

I'm about to shed tears.

Writer's note to self

When trying to figure out how to fit the Harlem Renaissance into my story, a thought came to me: most of those men and women DID NOT know they would become famous, that they would grow to be legends. Inspiration to future generations? No!
They simply wanted to elevate their art, and in so doing, elevate the Black race.
Once I figured THAT out, I am able to write and thread what became the stirrings of the Harlem Renaissance.