So, needless to say, the team of my iMac and me are not about to break out as the next great thing in photography, and I probably could have combed my hair, but I thought I’d post this anyway to give you a sense of what my books look like as I’m writing them. This is from very near the beginning of the first draft of Graceling — the end of Chap 1 and beginning of Chap 2, to be specific — and also looks to be my first attempt at a map of the Seven Kingdoms. Writing longhand can get messy, but it’s the way I love to do it — I love to be able to touch what I’m writing. Digging this up was a blast from the past. Pictured is Notebook #2, and the date in the corner of the righthand page is 9.17.04. I’m currently writing in Notebook #11.
The phone call with Famous Movie Studio has not yet occurred, but may instantly occur at any moment. In the meantime, the whole thing has got me thinking about the movies, and all the ways our society constructs and regulates our notions of beauty. It’s very important in our society, you know, that we agree on universal standards of (gendered) beauty and all strive to achieve those standards (in a gender-appropriate manner). This is important not only because it keeps us all in agreement, but also because it makes us all feel the same way. Bad.
I will now unveil to the world my own standards of female and male beauty, to give all you imperfect people something to strive for.
The Feminine Ideal
The Masculine IdealReady, set, go! Strive! STRIVE!!!
In other news, the writing is turning out to be really fun this week.
Although I think it might be making me a little punchy.
