Ian Dawson's Blog - Posts Tagged "novel-drafting-process"
The Road to Midnight House: An Author’s Journey – Part Three
Last week, I talked about my seemingly haphazard writing process. While I admit that this is how I generally operate, that is only in the beginning. When it comes to the actual task of writing, I take the job very seriously. It may take some time for me to sit down in front of the computer and begin the process, but I know – especially when it comes to my novels – that I am writing as professional as possible.
During the initial phases, it’s okay to be a little loose with your grammar, spelling, syntax, etc. But once you get past the rough/first draft phase, it’s time to hunker down and do the needed work to produce a professional product.
Let’s talk about the drafting process.
Don’t Try and Dodge the (First) Draft!
Rough drafts and first drafts are always pretty rough reads. But that’s a good thing. Why? Because you are now able to visually read your story on the page and see exactly what works, what doesn’t, where to add, where to cut, and where things actually work the first time.
You can’t edit what hasn’t been written, and this is now your chance to read through the draft and notate where things need to be changed, added, etc.
With Midnight House, this was my tactic. And the first draft was short, character arcs didn’t finish, the current opening didn’t exist, and there were missing elements that I knew had to be added ASAP.
And all of this takes time. And it should take time. It’s all part of the process.
I also tend to write multiple drafts of chapters/scenes then merge the strongest parts of these versions together. This, of course, can cause continuity issues if things aren’t fixed during the revision process. If Character A drives a Ford Mustang at the beginning of the story, you want to make sure they don’t suddenly drive a Dodge Charger later on because you wrote them driving a different car in a previous draft.
The urge will be strong to stop reading and start rewriting as you go, but be strong and keep reading and making notes about what you want to fix. That way, you have a clear picture of the entire story as it’s currently assembled.
Once you’ve done this, you can now take that trusty editing sledgehammer and demolish the pieces of your draft don’t work and rebuild them with stronger, more effective structures.
If at First You Don’t Succeed…
Writing a novel, a play, a screenplay, or a poem takes time. It takes patience. You won’t nail it 100% after your first rewrite, second, or even your sixth. With your story now fleshed out and in a tangible, malleable space, your creative brain is now firing on all cylinders 24/7, fixing plot holes, revising dialogue, enhancing description, and making you a better writer.
Once I’m into a story, I keep it top of mind. I work through the narrative in my head, figuring out issues and potential story problems. Figuring out new twists and ideas to enhance the suspense, the excitement, the humor. I have actually been on a walk at work and realized a significant plot hole existed and rushed back inside to email myself a potential fix to the problem.
Make sure that when you do begin a new draft, you date the draft in the filename to know that you’re working on the most current version. I didn’t do this on The Field, and it was a headache trying to track down the most recent version. Don’t be like me. Do something like The Field_DraftThree_02062018. Then each day you revise, you Save As… and change the date.
Take Your Time, and Take Some Time
As you complete each draft, give yourself some breathing room away from your story. Don’t worry; your brain won’t let you forget about it. This gives you some distance and objectivity regarding your story and will help you make harder decisions easier when editing. Sometimes it can be hard to let go of a favorite line of dialogue or a chapter that you love, even if it’s not working in a newer draft.
Giving yourself a week or two between rewrites can help refresh your mind and allow your brain to subconsciously identify story issues in the previous draft. Again, I’ve had this happen where I’m taking a break between drafts and realize that a chapter falls flat and needs to be cut.
Keeps notes on any changes, cuts, or additions you want to make, but don’t go back to start a new draft until you feel you have to dive back in.
The Writer Wears Many Hats
Once you are secure in what you have written and have a strong story containing all you want the reader to experience, it’s time to think like an editor. Yes, you want to pass your manuscript off to someone you trust to edit and give feedback, but you should be the first person who takes the initial pass as the manuscript’s editor.
You know what you want to say. You know what story you want to tell. The tone. The themes. The characters and their characterizations. Who better to go through and ensure that all of those things are 100% how they are intended to be? You are that person.
This is a systematic process. Take it one sentence at a time. Set small daily goals at first. Read through. Does everything in this paragraph make sense? Does it serve a purpose in the story? Does it deliver information about character or plot? Does each chapter move the story forward? Are there moments where things lag? Why? What’s the problem? How can it be fixed? Can that section be cut to tighten things up?
Remember, you are Editor now, not Writer. Your role here is to make sure things are clear for the reader as you want them to be. If you feel new content needs to be added, make a note of it and keep going.
I would like to also note that during this stage, cutting stuff is fine. Adding new stuff should wait until after this editing process is complete. That way, you know if what you think you need to add is redundant or even necessary as you progress through the story.
Midnight House has many characters involved in a lot of activities, so this was a great process to use multiple times to focus on each character. This ensured that their arcs were solid, that their interactions with other characters and story arcs worked, and continuity in their characterizations and dialogue (especially if parts of merged drafts were used) were consistent.
You’ve done it! Your hard work has paid off, and you now have a solid manuscript with a great story and characters. Congratulations!
Now it’s time to give your story to a new set of trusted eyes and get their feedback, input, and editing suggestions.
Next week, we’ll talk about getting feedback, finalizing your manuscript, and getting it ready to publish. See you next week!
During the initial phases, it’s okay to be a little loose with your grammar, spelling, syntax, etc. But once you get past the rough/first draft phase, it’s time to hunker down and do the needed work to produce a professional product.
Let’s talk about the drafting process.
Don’t Try and Dodge the (First) Draft!
Rough drafts and first drafts are always pretty rough reads. But that’s a good thing. Why? Because you are now able to visually read your story on the page and see exactly what works, what doesn’t, where to add, where to cut, and where things actually work the first time.
You can’t edit what hasn’t been written, and this is now your chance to read through the draft and notate where things need to be changed, added, etc.
With Midnight House, this was my tactic. And the first draft was short, character arcs didn’t finish, the current opening didn’t exist, and there were missing elements that I knew had to be added ASAP.
And all of this takes time. And it should take time. It’s all part of the process.
I also tend to write multiple drafts of chapters/scenes then merge the strongest parts of these versions together. This, of course, can cause continuity issues if things aren’t fixed during the revision process. If Character A drives a Ford Mustang at the beginning of the story, you want to make sure they don’t suddenly drive a Dodge Charger later on because you wrote them driving a different car in a previous draft.
The urge will be strong to stop reading and start rewriting as you go, but be strong and keep reading and making notes about what you want to fix. That way, you have a clear picture of the entire story as it’s currently assembled.
Once you’ve done this, you can now take that trusty editing sledgehammer and demolish the pieces of your draft don’t work and rebuild them with stronger, more effective structures.
If at First You Don’t Succeed…
Writing a novel, a play, a screenplay, or a poem takes time. It takes patience. You won’t nail it 100% after your first rewrite, second, or even your sixth. With your story now fleshed out and in a tangible, malleable space, your creative brain is now firing on all cylinders 24/7, fixing plot holes, revising dialogue, enhancing description, and making you a better writer.
Once I’m into a story, I keep it top of mind. I work through the narrative in my head, figuring out issues and potential story problems. Figuring out new twists and ideas to enhance the suspense, the excitement, the humor. I have actually been on a walk at work and realized a significant plot hole existed and rushed back inside to email myself a potential fix to the problem.
Make sure that when you do begin a new draft, you date the draft in the filename to know that you’re working on the most current version. I didn’t do this on The Field, and it was a headache trying to track down the most recent version. Don’t be like me. Do something like The Field_DraftThree_02062018. Then each day you revise, you Save As… and change the date.
Take Your Time, and Take Some Time
As you complete each draft, give yourself some breathing room away from your story. Don’t worry; your brain won’t let you forget about it. This gives you some distance and objectivity regarding your story and will help you make harder decisions easier when editing. Sometimes it can be hard to let go of a favorite line of dialogue or a chapter that you love, even if it’s not working in a newer draft.
Giving yourself a week or two between rewrites can help refresh your mind and allow your brain to subconsciously identify story issues in the previous draft. Again, I’ve had this happen where I’m taking a break between drafts and realize that a chapter falls flat and needs to be cut.
Keeps notes on any changes, cuts, or additions you want to make, but don’t go back to start a new draft until you feel you have to dive back in.
The Writer Wears Many Hats
Once you are secure in what you have written and have a strong story containing all you want the reader to experience, it’s time to think like an editor. Yes, you want to pass your manuscript off to someone you trust to edit and give feedback, but you should be the first person who takes the initial pass as the manuscript’s editor.
You know what you want to say. You know what story you want to tell. The tone. The themes. The characters and their characterizations. Who better to go through and ensure that all of those things are 100% how they are intended to be? You are that person.
This is a systematic process. Take it one sentence at a time. Set small daily goals at first. Read through. Does everything in this paragraph make sense? Does it serve a purpose in the story? Does it deliver information about character or plot? Does each chapter move the story forward? Are there moments where things lag? Why? What’s the problem? How can it be fixed? Can that section be cut to tighten things up?
Remember, you are Editor now, not Writer. Your role here is to make sure things are clear for the reader as you want them to be. If you feel new content needs to be added, make a note of it and keep going.
I would like to also note that during this stage, cutting stuff is fine. Adding new stuff should wait until after this editing process is complete. That way, you know if what you think you need to add is redundant or even necessary as you progress through the story.
Midnight House has many characters involved in a lot of activities, so this was a great process to use multiple times to focus on each character. This ensured that their arcs were solid, that their interactions with other characters and story arcs worked, and continuity in their characterizations and dialogue (especially if parts of merged drafts were used) were consistent.
You’ve done it! Your hard work has paid off, and you now have a solid manuscript with a great story and characters. Congratulations!
Now it’s time to give your story to a new set of trusted eyes and get their feedback, input, and editing suggestions.
Next week, we’ll talk about getting feedback, finalizing your manuscript, and getting it ready to publish. See you next week!
Writing Tip of the Week: Story Continuity
Writing a novel can be an intense creative process. There are dozens of technical elements an author has to focus on at one time. At the same time, they have to make sure they’re crafting an engaging and entertaining story. Continuity is a major aspect that all writers should be aware of and consider as they work toward a final draft.
Making sure your novel’s story retains continuity throughout is a crucial component to focus on when working toward your final draft.
Keep The Story Flowing And Reader Engaged
Once the reader starts the story, there should be no point where they stop and question if repeated information is consistent. Suppose the main character drives a black Dodge Challenger. Fifty pages later, they drive a blue Dodge Charger. This would make the reader pause, go back, and see if there’s an error. If there is, they have now been taken out of the story. Oh, they may keep reading, but now they’re on the lookout for more continuity issues, and that is work they shouldn’t be doing.
A reader’s job is to read the book. It’s the author’s job to ensure that is all they have to do.
You Are The First Line Of Continuity Defense
I’m the first to admit that I am notorious for writing out of sequence, writing multiple versions of chapters, and experimenting with different ways to tell the story. These are all fine, but it’s important to have the story’s facts correct throughout when it comes to putting the story together.
Obviously, your story will change, as will your characters as the story moves forward. However, aspects of the characters, the locations, and the items used by the characters have consistency. It’s important for you as an author to keep track of these things and make the needed revisions during a Continuity Pass during your final drafting phase.
I would also ask your Beta Reader to check for continuity issues. A fresh set of eyes can definitely help spot these errors so they can be fixed.
Keep A Cheat Sheet
To keep things easy, create a cheat sheet that lists your main characters and key aspects about them (age, style of dress, personality, eye color, hair color, etc.). Have it handy when you’re writing. If they drive, have the make, model, and color of their cars available. Any basic factual information about the setting, locations, and basic geography of the area can also help. This will help you keep these things consistent and avoid the lengthy process of changing them later once they are in the novel.
Change Is Fine, But Make The Changes Consistent
As you draft your story, nothing is really set in stone. This also means the info on your cheat sheet. If you decide to make changes to a character, a location, or some other story aspect, make sure those changes are reflected in your cheat sheet for future reference. You should also make the changes throughout the manuscript right away for assurance purposes.
You can do a word search in your writing program to find the item you want to change, or you can do a find and replace to do it automatically. Even if you use this method, still read through the manuscript to ensure the changes exist and make sense.
Where Are Your Characters?
It’s important to keep tabs on where characters are, where they aren’t, and how long it would take them to get from point A to point B. If you have a character leave the room in one draft of a chapter, then merge it with another draft, make sure that character is still absent all the way through. I’ve done this where I merge drafts, and characters who are absent at the beginning are mysteriously present later on.
It’s also important to keep track of who knows what and when they know it. If a character is talking about an event they weren’t around for, how do they know about it? Who told them? This can also happen when multiple versions of the same chapter exist. Just make sure to create a continuity that won’t confuse the reader.
Big Picture To Small Picture
While it’s good to go into the story with an outline and cheat sheet, getting the story out and on the page is a priority. You can’t revise and edit what doesn’t exist, which is why you want to start with the big, broad strokes and get into the smaller stuff as you fine-tune future drafts.
As you write, you may change a character, a location, or story element. All fine. But make sure you notate the change, so you know to check for continuity issues later on.
This is important since once the book is in the reader’s hands…
Details Count
While a reader probably won’t fact-check the hourly wage of a baker during the Renaissance, they will notice if a character’s eye color changes or if they suddenly have an umbrella with them for no reason during a freak storm. If a character’s clothing is referenced during a chapter, make sure that any mentions of their clothing are consistent (if she walks in wearing heels, make sure she’s not wearing flats a few pages later).
I believe a continuity pass should come toward the end of the drafting phase because it can become a distraction from what you really need to do: write the story. If you want to get into the detailed minutiae, save it for once the story is solid, and you’ve reached the end. Then you can dig in and make sure everything else has the continuity to keep the reader reading.
What glaring errors have taken you out of a novel, a movie, or a TV show? Leave a comment and let me know!
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you in two weeks!
Making sure your novel’s story retains continuity throughout is a crucial component to focus on when working toward your final draft.
Keep The Story Flowing And Reader Engaged
Once the reader starts the story, there should be no point where they stop and question if repeated information is consistent. Suppose the main character drives a black Dodge Challenger. Fifty pages later, they drive a blue Dodge Charger. This would make the reader pause, go back, and see if there’s an error. If there is, they have now been taken out of the story. Oh, they may keep reading, but now they’re on the lookout for more continuity issues, and that is work they shouldn’t be doing.
A reader’s job is to read the book. It’s the author’s job to ensure that is all they have to do.
You Are The First Line Of Continuity Defense
I’m the first to admit that I am notorious for writing out of sequence, writing multiple versions of chapters, and experimenting with different ways to tell the story. These are all fine, but it’s important to have the story’s facts correct throughout when it comes to putting the story together.
Obviously, your story will change, as will your characters as the story moves forward. However, aspects of the characters, the locations, and the items used by the characters have consistency. It’s important for you as an author to keep track of these things and make the needed revisions during a Continuity Pass during your final drafting phase.
I would also ask your Beta Reader to check for continuity issues. A fresh set of eyes can definitely help spot these errors so they can be fixed.
Keep A Cheat Sheet
To keep things easy, create a cheat sheet that lists your main characters and key aspects about them (age, style of dress, personality, eye color, hair color, etc.). Have it handy when you’re writing. If they drive, have the make, model, and color of their cars available. Any basic factual information about the setting, locations, and basic geography of the area can also help. This will help you keep these things consistent and avoid the lengthy process of changing them later once they are in the novel.
Change Is Fine, But Make The Changes Consistent
As you draft your story, nothing is really set in stone. This also means the info on your cheat sheet. If you decide to make changes to a character, a location, or some other story aspect, make sure those changes are reflected in your cheat sheet for future reference. You should also make the changes throughout the manuscript right away for assurance purposes.
You can do a word search in your writing program to find the item you want to change, or you can do a find and replace to do it automatically. Even if you use this method, still read through the manuscript to ensure the changes exist and make sense.
Where Are Your Characters?
It’s important to keep tabs on where characters are, where they aren’t, and how long it would take them to get from point A to point B. If you have a character leave the room in one draft of a chapter, then merge it with another draft, make sure that character is still absent all the way through. I’ve done this where I merge drafts, and characters who are absent at the beginning are mysteriously present later on.
It’s also important to keep track of who knows what and when they know it. If a character is talking about an event they weren’t around for, how do they know about it? Who told them? This can also happen when multiple versions of the same chapter exist. Just make sure to create a continuity that won’t confuse the reader.
Big Picture To Small Picture
While it’s good to go into the story with an outline and cheat sheet, getting the story out and on the page is a priority. You can’t revise and edit what doesn’t exist, which is why you want to start with the big, broad strokes and get into the smaller stuff as you fine-tune future drafts.
As you write, you may change a character, a location, or story element. All fine. But make sure you notate the change, so you know to check for continuity issues later on.
This is important since once the book is in the reader’s hands…
Details Count
While a reader probably won’t fact-check the hourly wage of a baker during the Renaissance, they will notice if a character’s eye color changes or if they suddenly have an umbrella with them for no reason during a freak storm. If a character’s clothing is referenced during a chapter, make sure that any mentions of their clothing are consistent (if she walks in wearing heels, make sure she’s not wearing flats a few pages later).
I believe a continuity pass should come toward the end of the drafting phase because it can become a distraction from what you really need to do: write the story. If you want to get into the detailed minutiae, save it for once the story is solid, and you’ve reached the end. Then you can dig in and make sure everything else has the continuity to keep the reader reading.
What glaring errors have taken you out of a novel, a movie, or a TV show? Leave a comment and let me know!
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you in two weeks!
The Self-Aware Writer - Self-Awareness & The Drafting Process
Last time, we talked about utilizing self-awareness as a writer when crafting an outline for your story. Today, we’ll discuss the best way to use self-awareness during the drafting process.
Let’s get started.
Drafting, Drafting, Drafting
Many writers are intimidated by the drafting phase of the writing process. Taking an idea that has been fleshed out into bullet points in an outline is one thing, but to actually WRITE chapters and a coherent narrative that’s tens of thousands of words? Madness!
No matter your feelings on the subject, writing that first draft is an essential step in getting to the final draft, but this is another case where you want to put your self-awareness tool to the side and let the creativity flow with as much passion and uncensored glory as you wish.
Hey, it’s a rough/first draft. It’s for your eyes only. No one will see this version, so why not take the brakes off and let your imagination run wild. Stick with the outline you’ve crafted, but if a character or story point takes you somewhere new and more compelling, go there.
Give yourself the freedom to play, to explore, to run free. This is the time to do it.
I’ve been working through an outline before and realized that I hadn’t given my subplots much consideration, so I’ve taken some time to explore their characters and situations. It helped strengthen the overall story and enhanced the main character’s arc. If I hadn’t deviated from what I had outlined, I never would have discovered these new aspects.
Once you’ve played around and written THE END on your rough/first draft, it’s time for the kid to take a nap and the self-aware writer to take over.
Revising with Self-Awareness
Now is the time to take a step back and look at your draft as both author and reader. This is when any sense of “I’m an artist, and everything I write is gold” must be locked away so common sense can take the helm.
After all, you want to make sure as you make revisions that the story makes sense; the characters grow and change; that dialogue is realistic for the story you’re telling; that descriptions paint and clear picture for the reader; and that your main story and subplots have a clear beginning, middle, and end.
This can be a lengthy process that shouldn’t be taken lightly. This is where the story really begins to take shape. It’s where themes are solidified. It’s where you can fix the story’s pacing, cut aspects that don’t work, and add things that will improve the reader’s experience.
Part of being a self-aware writer is knowing when to cut things – even if you love them – to improve the story. Realizing that maybe a plot point that worked in the outline causes the story’s momentum to fizzle once it’s fleshed out in chapter form. Your self-awareness enables you to detect these issues and fix them.
Again, this is a process that is rewarding once you have crafted a story and characters that are exactly what you intended when you set out to write this book.
Next Time…
You’ve done it. You’ve revised, cut, added, moved around, and re-chaptered your story. You’re on your ninth or tenth draft and feel pretty good. It’s time to edit; self-awareness can help you with that, too!
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
Let’s get started.
Drafting, Drafting, Drafting
Many writers are intimidated by the drafting phase of the writing process. Taking an idea that has been fleshed out into bullet points in an outline is one thing, but to actually WRITE chapters and a coherent narrative that’s tens of thousands of words? Madness!
No matter your feelings on the subject, writing that first draft is an essential step in getting to the final draft, but this is another case where you want to put your self-awareness tool to the side and let the creativity flow with as much passion and uncensored glory as you wish.
Hey, it’s a rough/first draft. It’s for your eyes only. No one will see this version, so why not take the brakes off and let your imagination run wild. Stick with the outline you’ve crafted, but if a character or story point takes you somewhere new and more compelling, go there.
Give yourself the freedom to play, to explore, to run free. This is the time to do it.
I’ve been working through an outline before and realized that I hadn’t given my subplots much consideration, so I’ve taken some time to explore their characters and situations. It helped strengthen the overall story and enhanced the main character’s arc. If I hadn’t deviated from what I had outlined, I never would have discovered these new aspects.
Once you’ve played around and written THE END on your rough/first draft, it’s time for the kid to take a nap and the self-aware writer to take over.
Revising with Self-Awareness
Now is the time to take a step back and look at your draft as both author and reader. This is when any sense of “I’m an artist, and everything I write is gold” must be locked away so common sense can take the helm.
After all, you want to make sure as you make revisions that the story makes sense; the characters grow and change; that dialogue is realistic for the story you’re telling; that descriptions paint and clear picture for the reader; and that your main story and subplots have a clear beginning, middle, and end.
This can be a lengthy process that shouldn’t be taken lightly. This is where the story really begins to take shape. It’s where themes are solidified. It’s where you can fix the story’s pacing, cut aspects that don’t work, and add things that will improve the reader’s experience.
Part of being a self-aware writer is knowing when to cut things – even if you love them – to improve the story. Realizing that maybe a plot point that worked in the outline causes the story’s momentum to fizzle once it’s fleshed out in chapter form. Your self-awareness enables you to detect these issues and fix them.
Again, this is a process that is rewarding once you have crafted a story and characters that are exactly what you intended when you set out to write this book.
Next Time…
You’ve done it. You’ve revised, cut, added, moved around, and re-chaptered your story. You’re on your ninth or tenth draft and feel pretty good. It’s time to edit; self-awareness can help you with that, too!
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
Writing Tip of the Week: Chapter Experimentation
Writing a novel can sometimes feel like constructing a 50,000-piece puzzle. All the elements are laid out before you, but the challenge to assemble and finish it can seem like a monumental task. Even when you think pieces are coming together, you can quickly realize that a cluster of pieces doesn’t fit how you thought they would.
You might come across this problem while writing. You’re working on a chapter, but something isn’t working. The pieces of your chapter aren’t melding together the way you want them to.
Today, we’ll discuss this problem, how to work through it, and ways to help improve the chapter and get you moving forward.
Let’s talk about it!
What’s the Point?
When you realize a chapter has a problem, take a step back and ask yourself what the intent of the chapter is. Does the chapter introduce or add to a current conflict or storyline? Does it enhance the reader’s knowledge about the characters? Does the chapter set up or pay off story elements? Is the reader learning anything new that will help them understand the characters or conflict?
Knowing why a chapter is in your story will also help you decide if it’s necessary. If you can’t answer the basics as to why the chapter is needed, then you may want to consider cutting it. This is especially true if the chapter adds nothing to the story, doesn’t move the plot or characters forward, and doesn’t enhance the conflict.
Yes, cutting whole chapters that you may have worked hard to finish can be a challenge. But if they don’t add to your story, they aren’t worth keeping in the book.
Switching Characters
Let’s say that the chapter adds to the conflict and gives the reader some insight into the main character, but the chapter is flat and uninteresting. It might be time to recast the chapter.
Who is currently with your main character? Is it someone who adds life to the chapter? Who else is available in your cast of characters that can help elevate your main character, the conflict, and help move the story forward?
The trick is to find the right combination of characters to pair together that will help keep the momentum going. Maybe they have a run-in with the antagonist. Perhaps the person they are with challenges the main character about their views or opinions, leading to external and internal conflict for the hero.
The trick to this is twofold:
1) There needs to be a logic behind why these characters are together.
2) Once you’ve locked them into this chapter, you must ensure their pairing isn’t forgotten. Whatever happens in this chapter isn’t happening in a vacuum, which means you’ll have to decide if this interaction between your chosen characters changes their relationship and how it will impact the story going forward.
Experiment with swapping out different characters and seeing which works best for the chapter.
Changing the Location
Once you decide on the characters, look at the setting. Are they at home? Are they at the grocery store? Are they on a walk down a quiet pathway in the forest? Choosing a better location for a chapter to take place can also give you more insight into your characters and provide possibilities for smaller conflicts.
Ideally, you want to pick a location that logically works within the confines of your story. Experiment with different locations and see what works best to keep the storyline moving forward and keep readers engaged.
What are They Doing?
If your characters are human, standing in the middle of a location and speaking to each other would be pretty dull. They should be actively doing something while the chapter unfolds. Even if the activity doesn’t have any bearing on the overarching conflict, you can use the setting and what can be done at the setting to your advantage by giving the characters something to do.
You could have them playing a board game together if they are at home. If they are out and about, maybe playing pool, at the batting cages, or any other location where interaction is necessary. You can even play against this by having them in a library arguing while trying to stay quiet.
It’s important to give readers characters who act human and do realistic things. Even if they are bad at the activity, it’s better than just standing and talking to each other.
What’s Next?
As I said before, this chapter doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Your characters came from one place and will head off to another once this chapter – or series of chapters – is over. If this chapter changes things going forward in the story for the positive, that’s great. It’s okay to rework your story to make it better.
Final Thoughts
I’ve found myself doing this exercise more than once to get the characters, setting, and activity just right for the story's sake. Yes, it can be cumbersome and frustrating at times, and sometimes, after all that work, you’ll decide the chapter isn’t needed. But that’s all part of the writing process. Embrace its chaos and challenges.
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
You might come across this problem while writing. You’re working on a chapter, but something isn’t working. The pieces of your chapter aren’t melding together the way you want them to.
Today, we’ll discuss this problem, how to work through it, and ways to help improve the chapter and get you moving forward.
Let’s talk about it!
What’s the Point?
When you realize a chapter has a problem, take a step back and ask yourself what the intent of the chapter is. Does the chapter introduce or add to a current conflict or storyline? Does it enhance the reader’s knowledge about the characters? Does the chapter set up or pay off story elements? Is the reader learning anything new that will help them understand the characters or conflict?
Knowing why a chapter is in your story will also help you decide if it’s necessary. If you can’t answer the basics as to why the chapter is needed, then you may want to consider cutting it. This is especially true if the chapter adds nothing to the story, doesn’t move the plot or characters forward, and doesn’t enhance the conflict.
Yes, cutting whole chapters that you may have worked hard to finish can be a challenge. But if they don’t add to your story, they aren’t worth keeping in the book.
Switching Characters
Let’s say that the chapter adds to the conflict and gives the reader some insight into the main character, but the chapter is flat and uninteresting. It might be time to recast the chapter.
Who is currently with your main character? Is it someone who adds life to the chapter? Who else is available in your cast of characters that can help elevate your main character, the conflict, and help move the story forward?
The trick is to find the right combination of characters to pair together that will help keep the momentum going. Maybe they have a run-in with the antagonist. Perhaps the person they are with challenges the main character about their views or opinions, leading to external and internal conflict for the hero.
The trick to this is twofold:
1) There needs to be a logic behind why these characters are together.
2) Once you’ve locked them into this chapter, you must ensure their pairing isn’t forgotten. Whatever happens in this chapter isn’t happening in a vacuum, which means you’ll have to decide if this interaction between your chosen characters changes their relationship and how it will impact the story going forward.
Experiment with swapping out different characters and seeing which works best for the chapter.
Changing the Location
Once you decide on the characters, look at the setting. Are they at home? Are they at the grocery store? Are they on a walk down a quiet pathway in the forest? Choosing a better location for a chapter to take place can also give you more insight into your characters and provide possibilities for smaller conflicts.
Ideally, you want to pick a location that logically works within the confines of your story. Experiment with different locations and see what works best to keep the storyline moving forward and keep readers engaged.
What are They Doing?
If your characters are human, standing in the middle of a location and speaking to each other would be pretty dull. They should be actively doing something while the chapter unfolds. Even if the activity doesn’t have any bearing on the overarching conflict, you can use the setting and what can be done at the setting to your advantage by giving the characters something to do.
You could have them playing a board game together if they are at home. If they are out and about, maybe playing pool, at the batting cages, or any other location where interaction is necessary. You can even play against this by having them in a library arguing while trying to stay quiet.
It’s important to give readers characters who act human and do realistic things. Even if they are bad at the activity, it’s better than just standing and talking to each other.
What’s Next?
As I said before, this chapter doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Your characters came from one place and will head off to another once this chapter – or series of chapters – is over. If this chapter changes things going forward in the story for the positive, that’s great. It’s okay to rework your story to make it better.
Final Thoughts
I’ve found myself doing this exercise more than once to get the characters, setting, and activity just right for the story's sake. Yes, it can be cumbersome and frustrating at times, and sometimes, after all that work, you’ll decide the chapter isn’t needed. But that’s all part of the writing process. Embrace its chaos and challenges.
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
Writing Tip of the Week: Those Early Drafts – For Your Eyes Only
While it may be the title of a James Bond film from the Roger Moore era, ensuring you are the only person who sees your first couple of drafts is essential to the writing process. This is the time in a story’s life cycle when ideas, plot threads, characters, and dialogue are still in their developmental stages, which means they will evolve and change over time to be better than they are at the start.
For this reason, keeping these early incarnations of your work under wraps can help ensure you keep writing and finish the draft so you can begin the editing process.
What a Mess!
When working on a draft, I do my best to keep moving forward and not go back to make any changes. If I have ideas for changes I’d like to make to chapters, sequences, or dialogue, I’ll make a note of it and keep moving my way to the end of the draft.
This means that there will inevitably be plot holes, lackluster dialogue, weak description, and other horribly written elements. But here’s the big thing to remember even if what you’ve written is garbage: it’s written.
Now you can take that mess of a draft, start for Chapter One, and begin making it better. This is why keeping these early drafts to yourself is critical; prying eyes also have unwanted opinions, and those are best left silenced during this phase of any writing project.
Organized Chaos
As you edit, revise, and improve your story, you’ll notice where elements work and where things that sounded good in your outline no longer make any sense entirely written out. You’ll have to make changes and alter story beats to make things flow, but that’s all part of the process.
At this point, your manuscript is in a state of organized chaos since you now have a completed draft of your story, but it still has a way to go until it’s ready for another reader’s eyes and opinions. You now have a literal work-in-progress that now has the potential to become even better than you initially planned since everything is out of your head and in front of you to fix and polish.
When Should Others Get Involved?
Once you come to a point in the writing process where everything has come together and the story and all its elements flow for you as you read through, it may be time to let another person have a look and offer their insights. You may have minor tweaks or polishes that still need to be done, but having this second set of eyes can now help you see things that may be missing or need improvement.
Make sure this person has an opinion you trust and value, someone who will provide constructive criticism and help improve the work. Even at this phase, you may feel the project isn’t 100% ready, but having this new viewpoint will help you continue the process to make it the best it can be.
Final Thoughts
The early drafting phases can be chaotic, so it’s crucial to keep these versions to yourself until you’ve revised to the point that a trusted reader can be looped in to provide feedback that will strengthen what you’ve produced.
Your manuscript should remain a classified document until you’re ready to disclose its contents to anyone other than yourself.
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
For this reason, keeping these early incarnations of your work under wraps can help ensure you keep writing and finish the draft so you can begin the editing process.
What a Mess!
When working on a draft, I do my best to keep moving forward and not go back to make any changes. If I have ideas for changes I’d like to make to chapters, sequences, or dialogue, I’ll make a note of it and keep moving my way to the end of the draft.
This means that there will inevitably be plot holes, lackluster dialogue, weak description, and other horribly written elements. But here’s the big thing to remember even if what you’ve written is garbage: it’s written.
Now you can take that mess of a draft, start for Chapter One, and begin making it better. This is why keeping these early drafts to yourself is critical; prying eyes also have unwanted opinions, and those are best left silenced during this phase of any writing project.
Organized Chaos
As you edit, revise, and improve your story, you’ll notice where elements work and where things that sounded good in your outline no longer make any sense entirely written out. You’ll have to make changes and alter story beats to make things flow, but that’s all part of the process.
At this point, your manuscript is in a state of organized chaos since you now have a completed draft of your story, but it still has a way to go until it’s ready for another reader’s eyes and opinions. You now have a literal work-in-progress that now has the potential to become even better than you initially planned since everything is out of your head and in front of you to fix and polish.
When Should Others Get Involved?
Once you come to a point in the writing process where everything has come together and the story and all its elements flow for you as you read through, it may be time to let another person have a look and offer their insights. You may have minor tweaks or polishes that still need to be done, but having this second set of eyes can now help you see things that may be missing or need improvement.
Make sure this person has an opinion you trust and value, someone who will provide constructive criticism and help improve the work. Even at this phase, you may feel the project isn’t 100% ready, but having this new viewpoint will help you continue the process to make it the best it can be.
Final Thoughts
The early drafting phases can be chaotic, so it’s crucial to keep these versions to yourself until you’ve revised to the point that a trusted reader can be looped in to provide feedback that will strengthen what you’ve produced.
Your manuscript should remain a classified document until you’re ready to disclose its contents to anyone other than yourself.
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
Writing Tip of the Week: Write Badly with Pride
As media consumers, we are presented with the best possible versions of products sold in stores, online, and in movie theaters. This “final product” can lead some to believe that what they’re seeing was indeed lightning in a bottle, that the project from idea to distribution was a seamless process for all involved.
And that would be 100% incorrect.
Screenplays, TV scripts, novels, short films, poetry, and all other forms of written media never start as the final version. Everyone starts from the same place: nothing. The key is to craft nothing into something that can become a final product, but you can’t do that if you haven’t written anything.
This is where writing badly with pride comes into play.
Why Write Badly?
First, you must accept that whatever you initially put down on the page will not be your best work. It just won’t be, and that’s okay. It’s essential to have it down on the page so it can be reworked, tweaked, and edited later to make it the best it can be.
When I write drafts, the first iteration of anything written is garbage. But, since the basic idea is out of my head and there’s a visual representation on my computer or paper, my mind can now work on the chapter or scene and improve it.
Even if you’re tempted to go back and change things, force yourself to keep moving forward in this poorly written draft and work to get to the end. The last thing you want to do is get into a cycle of write-rewrite-edit-rewrite-rework-rewrite-tweak, only to be on page ten six months later.
Once you have a draft that’s 10% good, your eventual goal is to work on it and help it evolve into the 100% version you’ve brainstormed and dreamed about. But if you overthink and aim for perfection from page one of your rough draft, getting to that final page and The End will be a challenge.
Why Write Badly with Pride?
You’re a writer. Writers write. Whether it’s good, bad, or mediocre, taking pride in your work and having the confidence to get it out on the page by any means necessary should be your top priority. This means no matter how poor the rough draft’s quality is, you should be confident enough in yourself as a writer to know that you will make it better over time.
It’s what all writers have to do. It’s part of the job.
Yes, even a screenplay that wins an Academy Award or a novel that becomes a New York Times bestseller had to be thrown out onto the page in some haphazard form before getting to its final form.
A Cure for Writer’s Block?
Writing badly with pride is an excellent way to destroy writer’s block from its foundation. There’s no fear of writing something that isn’t great since that’s no longer the point! Your goal is to write anything in any form so you can fix it later.
It shouldn’t be like building a house where getting it right the first time is ideal. With writing, you can always go back and revise, which means getting the ideas out on the page in whatever form is a great way to go from garbage to gold.
Final Thoughts
My screenwriting professor, Eric Edson, wrote “Write Badly with Pride” on the whiteboard on the first day of his class, and I’ve never forgotten it. It should be the motto of all writers, whether they are starting out or are pros. I encourage everyone to type the motto in big, bold letters, print it out, and hang it above their writing space.
Write Badly with Pride, and I’ll see you next time!
And that would be 100% incorrect.
Screenplays, TV scripts, novels, short films, poetry, and all other forms of written media never start as the final version. Everyone starts from the same place: nothing. The key is to craft nothing into something that can become a final product, but you can’t do that if you haven’t written anything.
This is where writing badly with pride comes into play.
Why Write Badly?
First, you must accept that whatever you initially put down on the page will not be your best work. It just won’t be, and that’s okay. It’s essential to have it down on the page so it can be reworked, tweaked, and edited later to make it the best it can be.
When I write drafts, the first iteration of anything written is garbage. But, since the basic idea is out of my head and there’s a visual representation on my computer or paper, my mind can now work on the chapter or scene and improve it.
Even if you’re tempted to go back and change things, force yourself to keep moving forward in this poorly written draft and work to get to the end. The last thing you want to do is get into a cycle of write-rewrite-edit-rewrite-rework-rewrite-tweak, only to be on page ten six months later.
Once you have a draft that’s 10% good, your eventual goal is to work on it and help it evolve into the 100% version you’ve brainstormed and dreamed about. But if you overthink and aim for perfection from page one of your rough draft, getting to that final page and The End will be a challenge.
Why Write Badly with Pride?
You’re a writer. Writers write. Whether it’s good, bad, or mediocre, taking pride in your work and having the confidence to get it out on the page by any means necessary should be your top priority. This means no matter how poor the rough draft’s quality is, you should be confident enough in yourself as a writer to know that you will make it better over time.
It’s what all writers have to do. It’s part of the job.
Yes, even a screenplay that wins an Academy Award or a novel that becomes a New York Times bestseller had to be thrown out onto the page in some haphazard form before getting to its final form.
A Cure for Writer’s Block?
Writing badly with pride is an excellent way to destroy writer’s block from its foundation. There’s no fear of writing something that isn’t great since that’s no longer the point! Your goal is to write anything in any form so you can fix it later.
It shouldn’t be like building a house where getting it right the first time is ideal. With writing, you can always go back and revise, which means getting the ideas out on the page in whatever form is a great way to go from garbage to gold.
Final Thoughts
My screenwriting professor, Eric Edson, wrote “Write Badly with Pride” on the whiteboard on the first day of his class, and I’ve never forgotten it. It should be the motto of all writers, whether they are starting out or are pros. I encourage everyone to type the motto in big, bold letters, print it out, and hang it above their writing space.
Write Badly with Pride, and I’ll see you next time!
