On Writing: How I Do It…
I’ve always been fascinated by how authors write.
I’ve bought books by some noted authors who go into an explanation of their writing techniques and I’ve found that, for the most part, they have similarities and differences but one thing is clear: They put in the work.
As much as its presented at times as some kind of diversion, writing is hard work, at least for me, which involves considerable concentration and thought.
I’ve said this before but it bears repeating: When I set about writing a novel, it becomes something of an obsession. In quiet times, when driving, when eating, showering, you-name-it, my mind wanders upon whatever story I’m currently writing, often thinking through scenarios and bits and pieces of the book and, at times, coming up with new/interesting material to add to the whole thing.
It’s almost like going into an OCD trance, where your focus for months can be upon elements of your book.
But let’s take a step back.
How do I begin the whole process?
This is the part that truly is the hardest: Coming up with a concept you feel is worth pursuing.
It’s so easy to say this but so very hard to put into practice. At any given time I may think -when I’m not thinking about whatever novel I’m currently writing- scenarios and possibilities for future stories.
Sometimes, I did back into works I’ve done or not quite completed and revisit them and see if they’re worth giving a second look. Other times I’ll simply come up with an interesting new concept and work from there.
There are no hard and fast rules about this, other than the fact that the initial idea, however it came about, is one that I feel is worth it.
In the novel I’m currently writing, I did a little of both. The story begins with a short story I wrote quite literally many, many years ago and always felt like it would make a cool longer story.
Only problem was that at that time I had no place to go with the story.
I subsequently got involved in my Corrosive Knights series and, following finishing that off and looking around for what to follow up with, I recalled a story title I always liked but never could write a story around it. Then I recalled that original short story I always wanted to expand upon and, like magic, the gears within my head started to turn and I had an initial concept.
But, just because I had an initial concept doesn’t mean I have the whole story, start to end, planned out and ready.
I started writing and, as I did so, the story started to morph, sometimes in directions I couldn’t have anticipated.
This is part of my process of writing: After I come up with that initial set of ideas that appeal to me enough to pursue, the story inevitably goes into all kinds of new/interesting directions.
Why?
Because I can’t stand the idea of writing something that isn’t to some degree original/interesting to me as a writer.
See, this is part of what makes for a successful book in my mind: I want to be surprised and excited by new and interesting ideas. I don’t want to go through an “easy” route and write something that repeats many other stories. I want to give my readers -as much as I’m able to- something they may not have read before.
That’s not to say I’ll always succeed at doing this, but I try.
If I’m very lucky -or in a good groove- I’ll have the first full draft done in a matter of 2-4 months or so, usually the later and sometimes longer.
The first draft of my novel varies wildly but it usually represents a point where I’m comfortable enough with what I’ve written -start to end- that its time to print it out, read through it, and add notes and new material while getting rid of any extraneous material.
There have been times I’ve decided to print out a “first draft” with significant chunks of the book not yet written. Sometimes its because I’m unsure what will go into these sections and I want to get a clear look at the book “as is” to figure out what it needs. Sometimes I realize that sections of the book are out of order here and there, and this sequence should be before another.
By the time I finish the read-through and have put the material into the computer, I have what should be a book that’s closer -plot wise- to the finale. These early drafts are all about that: Getting the novel’s sequences in order and adding any new sequences that I feel should be there.
When we get to the third draft, its more of the same: Going over the book, trimming whatever fat there is, and adding or subtracting what needs this. In some instances I may realize that there are two or three separate sequences that work better if they’re merged together into one.
It’s like having Lego blocks and swapping out pieces here and there as well as sometimes moving bigger sections to other places.
This will go on and, soon, I’ll have the novel’s story pretty well “locked” down. One part will flow into the next and the next, on and on, until we reach the conclusion.
When I’ve gotten to that point, my revisions tend to move into the storytelling itself. In this part of the process, I’m interested in streamlining the writing and making sure its as sharp as possible.
The fact is that I’m an impatient reader and this informs my writing. I don’t like when novels waste page after page with what winds up being pointless dialogue or description. Sometimes it works but more often than not -for me anyway- it seems like the author is in love with their writing and can’t “trim the fat”.
While the page/word count rises from the first draft until I have the story itself “locked down”, the opposite happens when I reach this later stage of writing. I start to cut things down, making sure that I’m not repeating myself and offering the reader the essence of the story I’m trying to tell without the bloat.
And when that part is done and I find my red marker is being used very little from page to page in whatever draft I’m on, that’s when I know the book is just about ready to be released.
And that’s when the reward for all that hard work comes.
The moment I hold a fresh copy of my latest novel and flip through it.
It’s an absolutely beautiful feeling!
