I’ve been writing fiction steadily now for a year and a half (and sporadically for ten years before that). Here are some things I’m working on about my writing process.
- I am not a short story person. I wish I were, because I love reading short stories, but I can’t seem to write one. I have several unfinished pieces languishing in the cobwebbed hard drive. I used to be quite desperate to write one since they’re shorter than novels and, presumably, take less time. Also I thought it would be great to be published in some short story markets. Alas, after several years of trying, I’ve come to accept this about myself. I just don’t work in short form. Maybe I will learn one day.
- I have to work early in the morning, before everyone else is up. My most productive time is between 5:30 and 7am. I don’t turn on the internet. I don’t make coffee. I stumble out of bed and somehow manage to make it to my computer and I try really hard not to reread what I wrote before, and just go. I really wish I could sleep in, but after 7 D is up, the dog is up, and the day just gets filled with Stuff. I’d like to be able to phase in some productivity for longer hours, but haven’t found a great way to do that yet.
- I suck at outlining. I’ve read many craft books and many how-tos. They make it sound like very organized, almost formulaic process. Fill out the conflict box. Work on making sure your Goal-Motivation-Conflict intersect. The first 25% should be your Act 1. But I get the most ideas out when I discovery write — just follow an image or thought and explore it, sometimes feverishly, on paper. I might end up throwing away most of it. I’d like to get better and faster at outlining, and limit the discovery writing to really critical parts of the piece.
- I listen to rain and storm sounds while writing. This isn’t really something to change. Just a newly discovered technique that I LOVE.
- I like to reread my stuff, a lot. Basically I reread every night what I wrote that day — kind of like watching the dailies, I guess. But that’s dangerous. It makes me want to edit and perfect, which is the enemy of the first draft. It’s the thing that slows me down the most — the constant rereading and the tinkering. So I have to be more disciplined about just going forward without looking back!
And that’s what’s on my mind this Friday. Got some writing to do this weekend!