Yay for your WIP! The joy of writing is, for me at least, the unexpected turns a character takes, the paths they lead us down. And yes, those cut/slash piles sometimes contain little gems that we can use later on. Another brilliant write, Martine!
I like this. I write without a plot, and look for it as I go along. I let the dialogue move the story a lot of times simply because I don't know where it's going. I just hold on and hope it makes sense. But I also love the beauty, and resonance, of words. I seldom know how a story is going to end until I'm almost there. Usually, it's a small hint that I grab and tell myself: This'll work. It's the creating and crafting of it I enjoy. I don't spend two years writing and rewriting, but I can understand how someone would. The story I'm working on now I've been dawdling with. But that's because I have the time. I know how I want it to end though, and that's a luxury I don't often have this early in the story.
I also like to challenge myself-not so much intellectually (I'm not that smart)-but maybe from a female POV, or a young kid who stumbles across something, or framing it so that it's one person telling another person about someone else. This latest one is being told in three different times, 1938, 1947, and 1956. I think, for myself, I need to do that so I don't get bored with the story. And when I try to plot it out in advance? What a mess! The most I do, is make notes at the bottom of the page reminding me not to forget this or that.
The more I write about this, the more people I meet who have the same approach to storytelling. The most plotting I've ever done is write a few pages on the bones of a story (book, never for a short), and then I feel free to scatter said bones!
Loved this! I’ve found writing to be an exciting and enjoyable experience, and it’s obvious that you feel the same. The stereotypical idea of the suffering artist for whom writing words is akin to ripping out vital organs and bleeding all over the page is entirely alien to me. Now, cannibalizing from works on the cutting room floor
Sometimes I write knowing where it’ll end. But part of the fun is the detour to a completely different and unexpected ending. It’s always the characters choosing, not the author. I reckon.
I was listening to a presentation once where a woman explained her process. She had a spreadsheet where every element of the story was detailed down to the number of pages. That's pure horror to me, I'd rather write computer code!
Yay for your WIP! The joy of writing is, for me at least, the unexpected turns a character takes, the paths they lead us down. And yes, those cut/slash piles sometimes contain little gems that we can use later on. Another brilliant write, Martine!
Thank you! I just read yours, beautiful piece, Rebecca.
I like this. I write without a plot, and look for it as I go along. I let the dialogue move the story a lot of times simply because I don't know where it's going. I just hold on and hope it makes sense. But I also love the beauty, and resonance, of words. I seldom know how a story is going to end until I'm almost there. Usually, it's a small hint that I grab and tell myself: This'll work. It's the creating and crafting of it I enjoy. I don't spend two years writing and rewriting, but I can understand how someone would. The story I'm working on now I've been dawdling with. But that's because I have the time. I know how I want it to end though, and that's a luxury I don't often have this early in the story.
I also like to challenge myself-not so much intellectually (I'm not that smart)-but maybe from a female POV, or a young kid who stumbles across something, or framing it so that it's one person telling another person about someone else. This latest one is being told in three different times, 1938, 1947, and 1956. I think, for myself, I need to do that so I don't get bored with the story. And when I try to plot it out in advance? What a mess! The most I do, is make notes at the bottom of the page reminding me not to forget this or that.
The more I write about this, the more people I meet who have the same approach to storytelling. The most plotting I've ever done is write a few pages on the bones of a story (book, never for a short), and then I feel free to scatter said bones!
Loved this! I’ve found writing to be an exciting and enjoyable experience, and it’s obvious that you feel the same. The stereotypical idea of the suffering artist for whom writing words is akin to ripping out vital organs and bleeding all over the page is entirely alien to me. Now, cannibalizing from works on the cutting room floor
Thank you, Douglas, when I read your books I feel the fun you're having!
is just part of the fun!
(Sorry about the two-part response--my fat fingers hit the wrong spot on my phone screen!)
Sometimes I write knowing where it’ll end. But part of the fun is the detour to a completely different and unexpected ending. It’s always the characters choosing, not the author. I reckon.
I was listening to a presentation once where a woman explained her process. She had a spreadsheet where every element of the story was detailed down to the number of pages. That's pure horror to me, I'd rather write computer code!
Spreadsheets send me to the liquor store.
Very interesting text. Thanks for sharing. I also feel like writing is some form of adduction!