This week: When to Worry and Draft Writing Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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For Authors Newsletter by Dawn
I am a firm believer in just letting things go and writing the first draft. Things like character arch, setting details and making sense all can be fixed in rewrites. I also think about my ideas often for years, so already have a base in my head. The question is, when do you need to worry about certain elements during the writing process. |
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When it comes to the first draft, it is okay to suck... (paraphrased from Mur Lafferty)
Many people want to write a novel or even a short story but struggle with the process because they worry about getting things just right. Even I have that struggle sometimes. Much like staring at a blank canvas and stalling because it's hard to decide what to paint, one can stare at the blanks screen and worry over picking the right first words to type. I have stalled in starting a story because it can be quite difficult finding the right way to start an item. Taking part in novel prep to get ready for November also brings up some things that writers worry about when trying to create stories or even poems. Word usage, rhyme scheme, character development... There are so many elements that go into writing that one does have reason to worry.
However, when should you worry about those things? That depends on the element, the worry and the item that you are writing but let's consider a few factors.
First Draft in a Novel
I am a firm believer that one shouldn't worry too much when writing the first draft. It's okay to suck and write terrible things because it's not supposed to stay that way. The idea behind these thoughts is that the goal is to get something written. The painting equivalent is to put down some colored gesso or just cover the canvas with paint to give a starting base point. There are even canvases that are black instead of white, which can give a different starting point. When you just go in, put the words down and get the first draft done, you achieve something. Will it need work? Yes. But you wrote something. The messy first draft can be a great exploration process. However, it can cause problems if it becomes too messy, which means you can't avoid worry entirely. You probably should still consider things like character and plot. However, whether everything is spelled right and if the comma is in the right place? That can wait.
Rewrites and Edits
This is where things get to be more structured. You have a poem, story or even a full novels length worth of writing to develop. If you do different drafts (a little less common in poetry), there are different ways to take things. You an completely change minor or even major elements of a story. Get rid of one character or introduce another. One could even change protagonists is that feels necessary. Anything can change in a rewrite or it can be simply a changing to sentence structure and flow in oder to tell a very similar, but better written story. For me, editing is the nitpicky stage where I start to look at how many times the word "just" needs deleted, when things are too passive in sentences and if I need more commas. Often it's a yes and I delete a lot of unnecessary weak words while still somehow making the draft longer. Editing can be on the tedious side, but this is where you get rid of the "suck" factor and shape the clay draft into something more presentable.
However, I will concede that while this is all fine and dandy to tell you not to worry, I can't actually make that happen. Like people telling me not to worry about financial stuff during rough health times... It's easy to say "don't worry" but it's not easy to stop worrying. So, while I can tell you that during the first draft, especially in November, you don't need to worry about things and just write. I know that most of you will probably still worry.
I hope you also write.  |
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Do you have specific drafts or stages in writing where you focus on particular story elements?
A few months ago, I wrote a newsletter about opinions in writing and forums. Here is a comment sent in over that topic:
Comment by Kenzie  :
You made some excellent points about reviews being opinions as well as factual. The weird thing is that I have had writers, many of them here for years, tell me that editing and correcting writing here just isn't worth the trouble. I wonder if there is not a tutorial about how easy it is to do a quick edit.
Thanks for the excellent job that you do creating this newsletter.
Kenzie
- Kenzie, you make a good point. I will admit that I sometimes don't go back to a scene or bit of writing unless I'm putting it into a novel. I should make the time to go back and at least do a quick edit because it doesn't take that much time. Thank you for the comment.
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For Authors: October 30, 2024 Issue [#12813]
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