L. saw me decorating with the Christmas lights, and he wanted a turn. What a great way to start dreaming about Christmas.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Visions of sugarplums
L. saw me decorating with the Christmas lights, and he wanted a turn. What a great way to start dreaming about Christmas.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
End-of-novel blues
I usually get stuck at least once somewhere in the middle, but the very hardest part of a novel for me is the end. I'm trying to figure out why. I already know what's going to happen. I'm hitting the home stretch, and you'd think I'd find some momentum from what I already wrote to carry me through to the finish line.
Nope. So why is it so hard? Is it because I already know what's going to happen, so it's boring to actually write it? Is it because I know what has to happen so I'm afraid it won't work? Is it because I'm so close to being done that my mind is already at the finish line and my fingers don't want to exert the extra little bit of effort it takes to get me there?
No, I think it's because I know this is where I either fail or succeed. Either it works or it doesn't, and this is where I find out. Oh, sure, I'll revise, but the big undertakings are most daunting at two phases: just before you begin and just before you end. Even if you're not writing, any big adventure has its scary moments where all the demons in your head tell you you're going to fall flat on your face. And for me, they shout awfully loud when I get near the end. It seems too hard, the whole novel seems too ridiculous, and the prospect of revising it and getting it published is just as scary and laborious as writing a first draft. So abandoning it (and starting on my third novel) seems much easier than finishing what I've got. Of course it's not--I want to be able to remember what happens to my characters before I abandon them. I don't know if it gets any easier when you have an agent or editor cracking the whip behind you, but I'll tell you this--it sure is easy to procrastinate those final scenes in the final chapter when you've only got yourself to answer to. And the blogosphere. Whoops. Maybe I'll get back to work this week.
Nope. So why is it so hard? Is it because I already know what's going to happen, so it's boring to actually write it? Is it because I know what has to happen so I'm afraid it won't work? Is it because I'm so close to being done that my mind is already at the finish line and my fingers don't want to exert the extra little bit of effort it takes to get me there?
No, I think it's because I know this is where I either fail or succeed. Either it works or it doesn't, and this is where I find out. Oh, sure, I'll revise, but the big undertakings are most daunting at two phases: just before you begin and just before you end. Even if you're not writing, any big adventure has its scary moments where all the demons in your head tell you you're going to fall flat on your face. And for me, they shout awfully loud when I get near the end. It seems too hard, the whole novel seems too ridiculous, and the prospect of revising it and getting it published is just as scary and laborious as writing a first draft. So abandoning it (and starting on my third novel) seems much easier than finishing what I've got. Of course it's not--I want to be able to remember what happens to my characters before I abandon them. I don't know if it gets any easier when you have an agent or editor cracking the whip behind you, but I'll tell you this--it sure is easy to procrastinate those final scenes in the final chapter when you've only got yourself to answer to. And the blogosphere. Whoops. Maybe I'll get back to work this week.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
To outline or not to outline...
At my writing conference, author Royce Buckingham mentioned how, when writers edit, it hurts so very much because they have to cut so much of their own beautiful writing. It feels like they're killing their children. So, he asked the question, "How do you avoid killing your children?" The answer: Don't have unwanted children!
In other words, if you have an outline, your writing won't wander all over the place. You won't have to cut much because you can stick to your plan. He also compared using an outline for writing a novel to using a plan to build a house. When he built his house, he didn't have to cut out huge rooms he'd already built. There were a few surprises along the way, and some small changes, but no expensive room-wrecking catastrophes.
I wrote (most of) my first two novels with no plan. It was fun to take a big journey without knowing where I'd end up. And what artist wants to limit their work by boring old boundaries? I've been pleasantly surprised by where it's taken me. I know where the Rocky book is headed, even though I haven't finished writing it yet, and I love how different parts are all coming together. How very Margaret Atwood of me.
But there are disadvantages, too. There have been moments where I didn't know what was coming next. I'd sit at the computer and nothing would come to me until I left the computer and sat down with a notebook to brainstorm ideas. Staring at a computer screen and feeling uninspired can be very discouraging.
So for the third novel, I'm going to try to outline and research first. I don't know whether or not it will work. But here's my guess. I think writing will go faster. I think it will save me time on revisions because there will be fewer plot inconsistencies. I think there will still be surprises. I'm worried that the manuscript will lose some spontaneity, and that my creativity (especially for non-plot aspects) will be hampered. We'll see. I won't get to it for awhile, but I'm excited to find out how outlining affects the writing process.
In other words, if you have an outline, your writing won't wander all over the place. You won't have to cut much because you can stick to your plan. He also compared using an outline for writing a novel to using a plan to build a house. When he built his house, he didn't have to cut out huge rooms he'd already built. There were a few surprises along the way, and some small changes, but no expensive room-wrecking catastrophes.
I wrote (most of) my first two novels with no plan. It was fun to take a big journey without knowing where I'd end up. And what artist wants to limit their work by boring old boundaries? I've been pleasantly surprised by where it's taken me. I know where the Rocky book is headed, even though I haven't finished writing it yet, and I love how different parts are all coming together. How very Margaret Atwood of me.
But there are disadvantages, too. There have been moments where I didn't know what was coming next. I'd sit at the computer and nothing would come to me until I left the computer and sat down with a notebook to brainstorm ideas. Staring at a computer screen and feeling uninspired can be very discouraging.
So for the third novel, I'm going to try to outline and research first. I don't know whether or not it will work. But here's my guess. I think writing will go faster. I think it will save me time on revisions because there will be fewer plot inconsistencies. I think there will still be surprises. I'm worried that the manuscript will lose some spontaneity, and that my creativity (especially for non-plot aspects) will be hampered. We'll see. I won't get to it for awhile, but I'm excited to find out how outlining affects the writing process.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Story, story, story
I have lots and lots to say about the writers' conference I just attended. Let me start with a question I came away with. The impression I left with was this: story is to publishing what location is to real estate. Everybody was talking about how words are secondary to the story. I get that you can't write a novel without a good story. But to me, a great story is not always what draws me in.
I don't like much of the plot-driven stuff that's out there. It's not all badly written, either. But if it's short on character development or has awkward transitions or clunky phrases or even if the words are bland, I get bored. I admit I still sometimes can't put the book down if the plot is exciting, but that's not what makes me love a book.
It's the art. It's the words.
I love classics like Middlemarch that make me think about human relationships. I love the great Russian authors who make me think about philosophical questions. I love books like Atonement just for their beautiful prose.
Make me think, make me cry, make me dream. Then the book will stay with me for longer than it takes me to read it. I like books that change me. And the story, well, to me that's almost background information. The plot is more like a supporting character. Story has to be there, of course, and it has to be well developed, but I don't care about the story if you can't make me care about the characters, if you can't help me learn something or force me to get out my everyday world and relate to it differently.
Today, an agent looked at some of my descriptive phrases and said to me, "Why should I care?" Good question. I've been thinking about it ever since. The answer is, "Because it's pretty! Because it paints a picture!" I'm not saying she was wrong. I've got to rip the entire manuscript to shreds anyway. But this train of thought led me to another question. Are pretty words enough? Does sheer beauty make a work of art matter?
I'm not saying I'm Tolstoy, and you certainly would know I'm not if you read my first draft. I'm just asking the question because I like imagery. I like my prose almost poetic. The fast-paced stuff doesn't interest me unless there's some other compelling draw.
Like so many things, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. But what do you think? Is story king or is there more to the story for you?
I don't like much of the plot-driven stuff that's out there. It's not all badly written, either. But if it's short on character development or has awkward transitions or clunky phrases or even if the words are bland, I get bored. I admit I still sometimes can't put the book down if the plot is exciting, but that's not what makes me love a book.
It's the art. It's the words.
I love classics like Middlemarch that make me think about human relationships. I love the great Russian authors who make me think about philosophical questions. I love books like Atonement just for their beautiful prose.
Make me think, make me cry, make me dream. Then the book will stay with me for longer than it takes me to read it. I like books that change me. And the story, well, to me that's almost background information. The plot is more like a supporting character. Story has to be there, of course, and it has to be well developed, but I don't care about the story if you can't make me care about the characters, if you can't help me learn something or force me to get out my everyday world and relate to it differently.
Today, an agent looked at some of my descriptive phrases and said to me, "Why should I care?" Good question. I've been thinking about it ever since. The answer is, "Because it's pretty! Because it paints a picture!" I'm not saying she was wrong. I've got to rip the entire manuscript to shreds anyway. But this train of thought led me to another question. Are pretty words enough? Does sheer beauty make a work of art matter?
I'm not saying I'm Tolstoy, and you certainly would know I'm not if you read my first draft. I'm just asking the question because I like imagery. I like my prose almost poetic. The fast-paced stuff doesn't interest me unless there's some other compelling draw.
Like so many things, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. But what do you think? Is story king or is there more to the story for you?
Monday, November 2, 2009
A writer's work is never done
My oh-so-perceptive writing group was right on target with the first chapter I brought for them to read last week. I probably should have waited until I was finished my draft before showing it to them. And here's why: they reminded me of how much there is to do.
It's not that they were super critical or unfair or even unbalanced. It's just that they were right. And, looking at the flaws in the first chapter, I could see how I've carried some of those faults right through the entire manuscript. We're talking serious voice issues here. It's not easy to pretend to be a fifteen-year-old boy, folks. Especially a sarcastic, funny, crass, hormonal boy with attitude.
Except for the funny part. I can do that. I'm HILARIOUS. Have you ever read my blog?
They didn't dwell so much on my other serious issue--plot. For some reason, when you write a novel, you're supposed to have stuff happen. And it's supposed to make sense. When I write, I just fly. I don't plan ahead and I don't edit until after I'm done. In some ways, that's good because it allows my thoughts to come through uninhibited. In other ways, it's a pain because my plot (and my subplots) wander all over the place. I don't focus enough on the stuff that matters, and I get too wrapped up in secondary characters.
Now it's that much harder to write, knowing I have so much to fix. Imagine you plant a field. Then a professional farmer comes along and tells you some of the rows are in the right place, but now that you've got everything planted, you've got to pull up about 3/4 of the plants, re-sod a quarter of your field, and then double the size of your field somewhere else. It's enough to make me not even want to finish planting the field.
It's not that they were super critical or unfair or even unbalanced. It's just that they were right. And, looking at the flaws in the first chapter, I could see how I've carried some of those faults right through the entire manuscript. We're talking serious voice issues here. It's not easy to pretend to be a fifteen-year-old boy, folks. Especially a sarcastic, funny, crass, hormonal boy with attitude.
Except for the funny part. I can do that. I'm HILARIOUS. Have you ever read my blog?
They didn't dwell so much on my other serious issue--plot. For some reason, when you write a novel, you're supposed to have stuff happen. And it's supposed to make sense. When I write, I just fly. I don't plan ahead and I don't edit until after I'm done. In some ways, that's good because it allows my thoughts to come through uninhibited. In other ways, it's a pain because my plot (and my subplots) wander all over the place. I don't focus enough on the stuff that matters, and I get too wrapped up in secondary characters.
Now it's that much harder to write, knowing I have so much to fix. Imagine you plant a field. Then a professional farmer comes along and tells you some of the rows are in the right place, but now that you've got everything planted, you've got to pull up about 3/4 of the plants, re-sod a quarter of your field, and then double the size of your field somewhere else. It's enough to make me not even want to finish planting the field.
No NaNoWriMo for me
If you are unfamiliar with this glorious acronym, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. In other words, it's a bunch of people who commit online to make themselves crazy with words for about thirty days. Being the kind of person I am (i.e., the kind who enjoys giving herself impossible tasks just to see if she can do them), I considered it. I have an idea for a third novel I'm excited to write. But (sigh) there are lots of reasons it just won't work this year.
I'm committed to attend our local SCBWI writer's conference, which takes place in November. I am getting close to the end of my WIP--almost 200 pages. Then there are revisions for that manuscript as well as a major overhaul of the first novel. I'm not going to get anywhere if I can't finish the projects I already have underway. Plus I have a nine-month-old. I can write eight or so pages some days, but when I do, it's a fluke. I have never been able to keep that kind of pace consistently. You could argue that it's because I haven't committed to do so. And you'd be right. But I just don't want to deal with that kind of insanity this year.
I'm committed to attend our local SCBWI writer's conference, which takes place in November. I am getting close to the end of my WIP--almost 200 pages. Then there are revisions for that manuscript as well as a major overhaul of the first novel. I'm not going to get anywhere if I can't finish the projects I already have underway. Plus I have a nine-month-old. I can write eight or so pages some days, but when I do, it's a fluke. I have never been able to keep that kind of pace consistently. You could argue that it's because I haven't committed to do so. And you'd be right. But I just don't want to deal with that kind of insanity this year.
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