Statistics

There are 12 chapters, 222 verses and roughly 5261 words in Ecclesiastes. I just completed creating text/dialog for chapter seven, the lengthiest chapter in the book. This means I've grappled with seven chapters, 143 verses, and 4064 words of Ecclesiastes so far. 

I've got five chapters, 79 verses, and 1197 words to go. Seeing progress is encouraging since the going is so slow. 

Chapter seven was the most difficult to transform into a classroom lecture. The content was random, repetitious, inconsistent with other chapters of Ecclesiastes, and very uncomplimentary to women. It provided good fodder for class reactions, but man, was it hard. Good thing I like a challenge.

Five more (shortish) chapters to go and then I get the delicious pleasure of giving the students names and character. (At this point all I have are word balloons with dialog but only rough ideas of who the students are). I'll also do thumb nail sketches, examine the grand arc to the narrative, and make many corrections to the dialog. 

I simply can't wait to see how this thing turns out. In his brilliant book, Stumbling on Happiness, Daniel Gilbert says we are notorious for imagining futures that are way better than they are likely to be (a mistake Qoholeth was prone to  make). On this side of drawing I imagine a Pulitzer, Reuben, Golden Nosey, Mark Twain Award and even a Nobel or two, one for literature and the other for .... oh, I don't know, it doesn't matter. Let's say economics! Let's add appearances on Colbert and Piers Morgan. Grandiosity fuels my creativity. 

On the other hand, waves of self doubt plague me. I imagine this graphic novel will be a disaster and colossal waste of time. I feel like those singers on American Idol who think they're fabulous but can't carry a tune.

I actually relish this double-mindedness. Grandiosity keeps me energized;  insecurity keeps me real. Such are my creative musings today at the completion of a very difficult chapter. Onward!