My project has allotted me a good amount of time to work on my writing, which is something I’ve never had before. During the school year, I was preoccupied with homework, and in past summers, I found it hard to focus without a set schedule or goal. By having to write within a time frame of six weeks, I am now being held responsible for my work. In designing my project, I understood that I’d encounter some challenges, and in my first week several of these have surfaced. At the same time, it’s been rewarding to work out various complications in the plot of my first story.

I began with brainstorming and sorting through my ideas. I found it difficult to find the ones that were best suited to turn into completed stories, as I felt each sentence had the potential to be further explored. Over the course of a few days, I read a collection of short stories, aiming to think more critically and understand the components I liked so that I could incorporate them into my own writing. At several points this week I felt a bit overwhelmed–I had to remind myself that whatever I put down is simply material that I can edit and par down until I’m happy with it. I also had some trouble with my focus; I eventually learned that setting a timer and forcing myself to write was the best method to be stay on task. I also realized that it wouldn’t be productive to work on my own without any feedback. Next week, I plan to meet with Karyn and James to discuss my writing and the art component.

In the later half of the week, I narrowed my focus to one story. My writing process is slower than I anticipated, and so while I haven’t finished it like I planned for this week, I feel that I’ve made significant progress. In one article from my bibliography, I read about an author who chose to start each of his stories with the final line. I thought this was an interesting approach, and finished the last page of my story before I worked on the rest. Once I build the middle section of my story, my first draft will be ready to edit and revise.

My original plan was to create a collection of stories that span a variety of genres. When I was brainstorming, I noticed that many of my ideas were leaning towards science and speculative fiction. This might be the result of the books I’ve been consuming, or it could be a coincidence. I’m curious to see if it will be the dominant genre in my finished work, or if it’ll end up as diverse as I planned.

Going forward, I’ll continue writing at my own pace. I’ve enjoyed having my own schedule, as it allows me to work at hours during the day where I feel the most productive. I’ve decided that I’ll be happy with my collection even if I don’t reach my target of seven stories. This week, I plan to finish the first draft of story one and begin working on the second. I’m excited for the later steps of my project, and to see how my writing evolves as I learn more about my style. I can’t wait to start the art pieces; I’ve already begun to envision which mediums will best suit which stories.