Boring shit about writing

[talktooloose]

As minisinoo pointed out recently, writers love to talk about their process but no one is really very interested.

As I get into the second half of my novel (which, hopefully, is actually the second 40%) I have forced myself to do more planning than I did in the first half. To this end, I wrote a planning doc this weekend. The first part of the process was PAINFUL! I wrote headings for each character arc and each relationship arc and then filled in all the details I had in my head and made up new details for areas I was missing.

I hated this process and spent half of the time surfing LJ and porn. I'm not sure exactly why I hated it, but it seemed monstrous, diminishing, stultifying.

However, the second half was tremendous fun. I laid out a grid and began slotting plot into chapters. Suddenly, shapes and structures starting suggesting themselves to me and the world of surprise, which I love when I'm actually writing, suddenly opened up. I realized that a certain chapter would suddenly be from an odd perspective. I realized that a quiet concert scene would offset the saddest of moments.

I love structure and the mechanics of storytelling. Love it, love it. It is the mood and dynamic that makes the world come to life; not the bald list of events.

I can't wait to write the rest of this book.

Comments

[nat-dimension.livejournal.com]

On the contrary: I find descriptions of your writing experience very interesting. It's always fascinating to see the mechanics behind what I only experience in its finished form. That, and the fact that it reminds me of the reading experience in the works.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Okay then!

[strumquill.livejournal.com]

I wrote a treatment for my novel about three years ago. I have already deviated from it quite a bit. But not totally. I guideline is good to have. For me there is nothing more profound than having ideas come to me on the bus. Having said that, i has taking me 8 months to write just three chapters. Most of my best writing is only in fits and bursts.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

I've begun reading your book. I like the journalist characters a lot, though the guitar sex was very... stimulating...

[strumquill.livejournal.com]

Is that stimulating in a positive way? I was thinking of dropping it because it seemed too over the top - almost ridiculous :)

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

It was ridiculous and over the top, but sexy in a fucked-up way. I'm not sure whether you should cut it (you can keep it and make your doujinshi of your own novel). I haven't read enough yet to get the coherence of the novel and make a judgement about that.

[lux-apollo.livejournal.com]

I really need to force myself to start doing that again. I had what I wanted for the first 20 chapters plotted out before things started to grow beyond their size...

You know i enjoy reading about your process. It gives me ideas of things to try to work on mine, smooth out the rough edges and drag the muse back in when she goes out flirting with those *other* guys.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

The process is incredibly important, I'm realizing. Now that I have clearer structure ahead of me, important character details and relationship details are becoming obvious. It's astonishing how much of a character arc is time dependent. As an example, I'm suddenly understanding Bobby's character post-X2 and how it interacts with Scott's grieving character because I know just how many chapters I have to develop the tension.

Rather than reigning in the muse, I feel I'm putting a corral around her in which she can perform the most astonishing jumps.

[briseur.livejournal.com]

I find it fun to watch you hone your craft. You write about it in terms I can understand, and are reasonably concise. It's usually the excruciating detail that makes writing about writing fall down.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

"This morning, I spent three hours staring into my cooling cup of coffee, watching the cream curdle along with the last vestiges of my once-vaunted creativity. I answered a request for clarification from yet another misguided graduate student and then began to obsess on the bottle of bourbon I 'hid' from myself late last night. Will this day never end?"

[snowmit.livejournal.com]

"You look like hell," he said, sidling into the desk next to mine. "Another attempt at healthy living?"

"Shut up," I said.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Shot from the health cannon into a freakin' brick wall.

[briseur.livejournal.com]

Will your cuteness never diminish?

[snowmit.livejournal.com]

I'm the opposite.

I can write outlines for days. Days! But then the filling in the detail ends up with a lot of stuff that looks like:
(@*#*()#@)(* EDIT HERE LATER, DESCRIPTION OF FEET

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

It's not so much outline vs structure as world-building vs storytelling. I seem to work best when I have enough detail to visualize structure. Then, with structure in place, detail floods in. More detail floods in when writing.

When I saw I had email from you, I hoped it would be you saying that you wanted to see Ani with me. Although I'm not sure that two boys are allowed to accompany each other to an Ani show.

[briseur.livejournal.com]

I think they'd be greeted more lovingly than a boy there with his gf