Can We Talk 2

Give It 100!

         I sort of took a break. I've been working on a project which turned into a much bigger thing than I thought, and finally got through it. Give it 100! is a good project for writers here at WDC. It has no start or stop date, except the one you choose. Then you feel the commitment. I thought mine was simple, just write for 15 minutes solid each day on the same topic or area.

         I chose the history of the American West as opposed to the way it has been portrayed in movies and television. But I wasn't critical of those media, just pointing out the truth. They are themselves a different phase of history. However, the topic required a lot of research that can't be done in a few minutes. I chose to make a separate entry for each day, as in book form, so I had to complete an entry each day. I couldn't add onto to same entry on the next day. So my actual writing took 15 minutes to an hour, depending on how much prep I did the day before. The research took hours each day.

         Even if I watched a movie or took notes on an old TV rerun, I still looked up the actors, directors, real geography or customs. Sometimes the shows were right. Times weren't as primitive as I thought. Other times I was right, the show used music that hadn't been written or devices that weren't invented.

         I find I've been steeped in American history. I think about Indians, buffalo, or old school houses all the time now. My conclusion is that the Wild West still exists in the heart of man. The race is still greedy, untamed, and frequently vile. Yet the ideals still exist: justice, law and order, peace, mercy. Yet hot heads still prevail. We may not have advanced so much after all.

         Back to the writing. If anyone wants to try it, I suggest you don't pick anything non-fiction that will require research. 100 days in a row, even with an allowance for illness or other duress, is a pretty tall order. Or if you do want to do research or write in a scholarly manner, don't do separate daily entries. Just keep track of your page length or time or word count. My 100 days are done, but I feel like I've accomplished something. So now I want to edit it and enhance it. I recommend you try it to feel that accomplishment.