Writing Update

I've been following my own advice of late (see tips number #1 and #29 from previous post) and have been getting immersed in a new project. It's still in the embryonic stages, but I'm feeling enthused about writing in a way I haven't for a little while now. That can only be good.

I'm still shopping my completed novel around, though much more selectively these days. And I'm holding out quite a bit of hope for my most recent queries.

But more importantly, of late I've been reflecting on how much I've learned about writing these past two years. And already I'm seeing the benefits of this, significantly, with how quickly my current project is flowing from my brain (heart, soul, the universe etc. insert wherever it is you think stories come from) and onto the page/screen.

Following the writing process I outlined in my last post, along with drawing on everything I've read--'how to ...' books as well as many novels and short stories--has really helped to illuminate what previously seemed like a process akin to alchemy.

I hope your writing progress is going along swimmingly as well.

Let me know about your challenges and successes.

It’s All Down To Luck: But What’s Luck?

Over the years I’ve heard many people attribute the achievements of others to 'luck'. Often with a note of jealousy or resentment in their voice.

I once knew a man, who used to work as a buyer for a large department store. He told the story of a new buyer who had accidentally placed a pre-winter sized (very large) order for umbrellas with an overseas supplier in the spring, and for several weeks after was a laughing stock in the buyers' department. Not to mention in danger of losing his job.

That was, until the summer turned out to be one of the stormiest and wettest on record. And cargo ships delivering subsequent orders to other Sydney stores were delayed by the weather.

When the buyer later received an award for his his 'astute insight into the market', a colleague commented that it was all down to luck. His boss, overhearing the remark, replied, "Give me a lucky buyer any day."

This is one example of luck. But more often I think it works slightly differently. Typically, I believe 'luck' is derived from a combination of factors, which we help determine or create.

I came across this post on Writer Unboxed and it got me thinking about a quote I read recently. (If you follow me on Twitter, or read this blog regularly, you’ll know I'm fond of quotes.)

I’ll apologise in advance because I can’t remember where I saw this, and therefore I can’t attribute it. I’m not even sure exactly how it went, but the gist of it was something like this: “Luck is the coming together of preparation and opportunity.”

On reflection, what I took away from this quote and reading the post, was that preparation (on a material, physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual level) combined with a willingness to try new things, even if they frighten us (especially if they frighten us), is key to getting 'luck' on our side and achieving anything we personally consider worthwhile in life.

So all the best of luck.

And, keep writing!

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Some Days Writing is A bit Like this...

"He sat at the typewriter, tears streaming down his face and falling onto the paper; feverishly trying to expel the emotions and somehow bring them out onto the page, so that he might examine them objectively, just as one might have a diseased organ removed and inspect it afterwards wondering how such a thing could have come from them."--J.C.

Novel and Short Story First Drafts

Hemingway said (and I’m paraphrasing here too), that all first drafts are shit. And I have to say that’s been my experience with all my first drafts. (And with a good number of second and third drafts as well.)

I think one of the keys to successfully completing a first draft is to try to get it down in as short a time as possible.

Stephen King makes an analogy in his book, On Writing, between a writer penning the first draft of story and a paleontologist excavating a dinosaur skeleton.

He says it’s unlikely the entire beast will be exhumed in tact and in one piece, but once the bones begin to emerge from the earth, the more swiftly and carefully you work, the better the chances.

‘Swiftly’ is pretty straightforward, but ‘carefully’ needs further excavating.

I think in this case ‘carefully’ should read ‘carefree’—because the less inhibited you are when you are writing a draft, the easier it will flow. In other words turn off your editor during this part of the process and just let your ideas pour out onto the page.

Some writers plan scene by scene before they commence a draft, in effect mapping out their story with a series of sentences, each briefly describing each scene of each act (of which there are normally three), from the orientation through to the climax and denouement.

Some also write out detailed character descriptions before they start on the first draft.

As with everything else to do with writing, there’s no one way of doing anything. There’s just the way that works best for you.

And for me I find it works best when I just start to write…a few pages of story with some dialogue and other bits and pieces thrown in as they come.

I try to write the story from start to finish as it occurs to me.

And as I’m writing I add in sections to what I’ve already written, like extra pieces of railway track to a miniature train set.

And hopefully at the end it bears some resemblance to the skeleton of a story.

Keep writing!

Ways Around Writer's Block

This last week or so I have found myself struggling to find the motivation to work on my latest project. It is not often that I’ve struggled with writer’s block in the past, so I’m not exactly sure how to address it. Writing this post is one strategy—at least I’m writing, even if I’m not working on my novel.

Schools of thought on the topic of writer’s block seem to differ. Some say you need to push through it; sit down at your desk at the same time everyday and try to squeeze out a thought. While others suggest leaving your writing aside and doing something else for a while, until you naturally feel the time is right to return to your project and carry on. I don’t know what I think. Having tried both of these approaches I’m still not sure.

At least I know I’m not alone. I read that Henry Miller had periods of time when he struggled to write a sentence and that when his partner came home at the end of the day they both pretended he’d been working productively all day. Even though he was sure they both knew he’d barely marked the paper.

Those times when I have felt blocked I’ve searched the net for inspiring quotes or reread favorite novel passages.  If you have any thoughts or strategies you would like to share please do.

Otherwise, keep writing!   

Fiction Writing: Plotting Versus Pants-ing

When it comes to writing novels, according to what I’ve read, and from what I've gathered from my own experience, there are essentially two approaches: the first is to plot your novel from the get go, i.e. create a plot overview, indicating the three acts and the chapters and scenes that will compromise them; the second is to write intuitively, by the seat of your pants as it were.

This is not to say that you can’t do both, but I think writers tend to do more of one than the other. I would say I fall into the second camp. Or at least I always had. With the short stories and novels I’ve previously written I usually had no idea where they were going from one writing session to the next. This has not really been a problem, except that I’ve had to make sure I have a pen and note book handy on the bedside table to make the connections between strands of character development and plot, when they come to me at two o’clock in the morning. As a matter of fact this approach worked very well with Leaving Town because of the nature (stream of consciousness) and genre (literary) of the novel.

However, I am now almost thirty thousand words into the first draft of a thriller (my first) and I’m sensing I’m rapidly wearing out the seat of my pants. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure if I don’t do some overview plotting soon my boxers are going to be on public display.

As what I’ve written previously have tended to be more literary stories, I’m now realizing that genre affects the approach you take to the work, or at least determines which approach is more likely to bring results (completion) in a reasonable time frame.

So whether you are a plotter, or a seat-of-your-pants-writer, I wish you luck. And suggest that at some point, particularly if you experiment with other genres, you might need to play for the other team. Even if it’s just off the bench (for the unsure this is football parlance, as in Barcelona FC, for a short period of time.)

Keep writing.

Fiction Writer's Doubts

I recently had a conversation with a writer friend, who is working on his second novel. His first, a YA novel, was published a couple of years ago and has done well. Both in terms of sales and critical appraisals. He was very honest and told me he was losing confidence in his ability to complete his next book. And, he wondered, if the first one had been just a ‘fluke’.

I reminded him of what he’d achieved with his previous effort and tried to encourage him. Ultimately I’m sure he’ll get past this patch and write another great book. But what struck me was the crushing self doubt he was feeling.  

Even though I’ve read about ‘second book syndrome’ I'd thought that sort of doubt in your ability to 'just finish the thing...' was an affliction of the yet-to-be-published-debut-novelist (i.e. me), and that when you'd had some success in terms of getting a book out there, a lot of that doubt would lift like morning mist.

But not so.

Maybe self doubt goes hand in hand with writing. With any thing that involves putting yourself out there. And maybe that’s a part of what makes it so hard, and ultimately, so rewarding.

And maybe, it’s out of that conflict between self doubt and self belief that the whispers of creativity come.

Maybe.

Keep writing.

Why Blog When I Could Write Short Stories or Novels?

One of the reasons I was reluctant to start a blog, was that I thought, it's taken me this long (never mind exactly how long) to get serious about my writing, and, if I divert my energy into something else now, like a blog, I may find myself naval gazing online, instead of working on my manuscript.

But at this point I think setting up this blog about my journey as a writer, and hopefully helping you a little bit with yours, has had the opposite effect. And, I feel as if I'm actually taking another step in convincing myself that I'm serious about this path I have chosen. I think putting our goals and dreams out there, where they can be buffeted and damaged, is the only way (we and) they build strength, resilience and momentum.

I have a friend who at the age of seventy six recently got her first piece published—she's thrilled and now thinking about starting work on her first novel. Seeing her writing in print for the first time has given her the confidence to move forward.

And moving forward only takes little steps. One after another.

Keep writing.

Fiction Writer's First Post

Hello!

And welcome. This is my first post. On this, my first blog. Which I’ve set up to chronicle my journey as a writer.

Already, over the course of the last two years (the period of time of time its taken me to complete my first novel—I’ve attempted three, but only one is at the point where it’s ready for submission), I've learnt a lot: from ways of improving and developing my writing, to information on finding and approaching literary agents, and writing an effective synopsis.

My other motivation for setting up this blog is to provide information and encouragement (two necessities for an emerging writer, along with discipline, commitment and self belief) to others who also dream of sharing their stories with the world. In future, I plan to add links to sites I've found helpful, share quotes I've found inspiring, and give updates on my own writing progress.

And I’ll try to share something useful (that I’ve found useful anyway) each post.

The first nugget of wisdom is to write as often as you can, preferably everyday. Even if you just keep a diary, as I did for many years, at least you’re building up those writing muscles. After all, you wouldn’t get off the couch after years of imitating a sloth and attempt to run a marathon, which is the sporting equivalent of writing a novel.  

Keep writing.

Cheers,

J.C.