37: A Satisfying Finish
12/17/2012
The leopard attack scene is done now. Just finished and took six days to write six pages. That’s much better than the last scene, and I think the quality is better too. Though I relied heavily on my notes taken from reports of actual leopard attacks. Not very much of it was original, save for the phrasing. Someone said that the art of genius is the ability to conceal your sources. Well, I hope I concealed mine well enough.
This was an intimidating scene, its importance being obvious. Given that, I’m pleased with how it turned out. Particularly the death sequence. The leopard attack itself wasn’t much fun, just a lot of staging and having to figure out how to describe it. Action sequences are difficult for me in this regard, and not much fun.
The next scene where Diallo watches his father die will be more “fun” for me. I have no staging or notes that limit or define my options. I can spread my creative wings and just feel my way. It should be brief, too. No reason I shouldn’t be able to write it in one sitting.
Famous last words.
Present-Day Reflection
7/1/2026
One of the most satisfying things about the writing process for me is simply finishing something. Finishing a scene. Finishing a chapter. Finishing a Part. Finishing a book. Finishing a myth or a fable. Even though nothing is ever really finished but merely abandoned. It’s enough to say I’m finished with it for now – adding it to the Batu canon and moving on to the next. Until I return and rewrite it yet again, months or years down the road.
Anyway, I’m at one of those points now with this website, having just finished my Kanar Exegesis upload and formatting. It took a lot longer than I thought it would, but it also turned out well. So, I’m enjoying that transitional pause between one project and the next, soaking up the self-satisfaction of a job well done.
