So pretty momentous day here ’round Microkhan’s new-ish Queens headquarters: after many weeks of inventing excuses to procrastinate, I’m finally starting to write my next book. It’s due in April, so I reckon I have just enough time to craft the tale and fill in the remaining research gaps. But right now the endeavor seems truly daunting, as I try and dream up the perfect opening line. I’ve been wracking my brain, trying to remember how I concocted the opener for Now the Hell Will Start. (For the record, that book begins: “It is best to use discretion when confronting an emotionally shattered man, especially if he’s holding a semiautomatic rifle.”) But try as I might, the process seems to have slipped from my memory. Guess I have no choice, then, but to resort to trial-and-error; given what I know about that approach to writing, I expect the ensuing eight hours to be filled with little save pure frustration.
As I begin my proverbial thousand-mile journey with a single step, brighten your day with a little vintage Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth, taken from an old In Living Color episode. Yes, that is a permed-out Jennifer Lopez doing the intro.
Jordan // Jul 11, 2011 at 10:31 pm
It really was a shame when Pete Rock and CL split. Pete has certainly done well enough for himself, but CL mostly dropped out of sight. We lost a mighty fine MC.
Brendan I. Koerner // Jul 12, 2011 at 8:35 am
@Jordan: Couldn’t agree more. Every time I hear this duo, I’m bowled over by CL’s incredible flow and wise lyrics. They’ve done a few reunion shows in recent years, but they obviously lost a lot of productive years due to their split. Sad that they couldn’t work things out earlier on, but I guess that’s the nature of musical partnerships–they seem to engender a lot of acrimony.
DM // Jul 12, 2011 at 9:56 am
I started mine in the middle to avoid getting hung up on the beginning. Good luck man.
Brendan I. Koerner // Jul 12, 2011 at 9:59 am
@DM: Hmmm, interesting. Did you start with a chapter that you knew would be the easiest one (due, perhaps, to the strength of the reporting)? My narrative is fairly linear, though there is a bit of time shifting at the very start. I wonder whether it might make sense to start writing at the point where the central event takes place, as I have more than enough research on that; there are still some gaps elsewhere that I’ll have to fill in along the way.
Semi-Annual Microkhan update « Stacked // Jul 14, 2011 at 10:27 am
[…] the first stops on my morning internet rounds, and it was there I learned that the ‘Khan is starting a new book. Exciting news indeed, especially since Mr. Koerner frequently uses his blog to post updates on […]