Sunday, April 22, 2007

"There are no good writers, just good re-writers."

I've noticed that as I've come to accept that my first draft is going to be lousy (this realization solidified by reading author blogs in which the author talks about the first draft being not right or, in some cases, just not good), my writing goes much quicker. I've taken the pressure off myself to get it right the first time and my ability to get the words out has benefited.

I think this is important to remember, especially in dealing with new characters. I'm hoping that most of what I write will be series/trilogies -- that's the way my current works are designed. But that first book may as well be a standalone for all the background you have with the characters.

At the beginning of the book I don't know my characters. I might "know" their backgrounds and identities -- age, gender, physical appearance, a few key characteristics, what high school and college they went to -- but I don't know who they are, their personalities, how they'll really react to something. (And, of course, even things as fundamental as gender can change ten pages in!) That comes with the writing. Maybe halfway through I'll have a better grasp; maybe it'll take until the end of the first draft. And that way, once I really know the people I'm writing about, I can go back and revise the book to include and reflect my newfound understanding.

There's also a problem I would run into when I wrote fanfiction. One of the hazards of posting something online as you go along is that you can realize halfway through that a particular plot line isn't working, or that you've written yourself into a corner, or that you simply can't figure out a realistic reason for something happening. I think this is inevitable, especially if you don't outline. (I can't outline very well because the events of the book are shaped by what I write. Even if I know where I want to go, I don't generally have a clue how I'm going to get there. And sometimes I don't actually know where I want to go.) Knowing that I'm going to revise takes off the pressure to make everything work the first time.

For instance, just last night I realized that I'm probably going to write out a character who's played a minor but still significant role in what I've written so far. And for the last few weeks I've been struggling with the fact that I have a whole subplot I'm not doing much with and how to work it in. But I'll figure all those things out in the revision stage. In the meantime I'm just going to write.

3 comments:

Lisa said...

Maybe this is why I'm having trouble writing, I'm worrying too much about it.

Kelly (Lynn) Parra said...

I get to know my characters as I go too. Sometimes not until near the end of the first draft! haha. :) :)

Heather Janes said...

Lisa - Maybe it is. Try writing just to get words down. Make your first draft more about quantity than quality. Worry about the quality when it comes time to revise. :) It's working for me, at least.

Kelly - Good to know I'm not alone!