Terry Pratchett: "Telling Yourself a Story"

"The first draft is just you telling yourself a story."

~Terry Pratchett

    I love the way this author puts it: telling yourself a story. It has a nostalgic feel about it; an almost musical tone, smooth and eloquent.
    And quite true. It sounds like a perfectly accurate way to summarize the experience of writing first drafts. Because for a lot of writers, it's the draft that no one else sees. It's the rough draft, the document where the bare bones of the story is placed just to see how it all fits together. In many different ways and by very different people, the first draft has been described as the one where we writers just write like crazy, shoveling in the main plot points without worrying about impressing others with quality (no wonder the concept of burning the first draft once the second one is complete is such a common writer's joke). The first draft is definitely something that can be exclusively for the person writing it.
    And the first draft isn't like hearing just any old story; it's the story we're creating, taking special time to build up. And that draft is full of so many firsts! It's the first time we actually flesh out the story, it's the first draft where we get to hear the characters speaking to each other, the first time we can see exactly how they act, and it's our first opportunity to find plot twists that didn't pop up in the plotting stage. With all these new discoveries and moments where we just have to make certain things up as we go along, writing the first draft is just like hearing a story for the first time, as told by oneself.
    It's definitely one of the most exciting and sentimental parts of writing a story; and Pratchett's quote here captures that concept fantastically, don't you think? Have you ever heard his quote before?

One Step at a Time

Monitoring one's story's progress can be kind of like reading
a book and glancing at the edges to see what "percentage" of the pages
are left to read--only writing takes longer than reading.

    Waiting a very long time for a good book to be completed and ready to read can be very, very, very boring--especially when it's one's own book! In that situation, a writer gets to watch each tiny step forward, but also have an idea of how much more still needs to be done.
    Writing projects can be like that quite a lot, can't they?  Especially when it's a project as long as a novel. Writing is time-consuming; writing a chapter could take over an hour, and some scenes take numerous re-writes in order for that part of the story to turn out right. With a certain time requirement for writing just one part of the story, and other activities in life to pay attention to, the writing process can end up being taking little steps day by day for a long, long time. Compared to the plotting stage of writing, where one could have the whole story down within a week, it's like a snail's pace. And thinking about how many more chapters/scenes--and days--have to go by before one finally has their beautiful manuscript completed can really stink.
    But having a positive mindset about it can make things better--a lot better. It can even make the long wait pleasant.
    When one can end their day knowing that they've got one more chapter completed, they can think about how they're one step closer to the end than they were yesterday; and that tomorrow, they'll be yet another step closer, or even two! And when thinking about the big picture, counting all the hours it'll be taking to finish the first (or second, or third) draft can give an encouraging idea of how much time and attention is being given to this story, of how much more quality there's going to be in the end.
    So while going one step at a time might be slow, thinking about the positive factors of it can make the wait more tolerable, right? What do you think?

Anne Lamott: "Until They've Done It"

 

"Very few writers really know what they are doing until they've done it."

~Anne Lamott

    This quote is funny! And also very inspirational; a good phrase to remember when one's feeling doubts about a project. And personally, I think this marvelous quote can be applied to every part of the writing process, not just one.
    During the plotting of a story, a writer thinks up the basic ideas and tries to graph it all out, either in their mind or on paper. During this period, some ideas can sound too crazy or too random to work well, and it can be difficult every now and then to finding ways to connect two events in the story together ("now how does the main character get from their epiphany to the climax scene?"). There could be a whole lot of plot holes and unknown factors in this planning stage, like what a character is actually like when they're written, and this could make the story seem skeletal. But this is okay, because the plotting stage isn't the final result, but the launching pad for the next steps, the time to go crazy with "what ifs."
    Then there's the first draft stage of writing. While writing this draft, it can seem like everything's a mess in comparison to how beautiful it was while imagining it; but fortunately this isn't a disaster because the first draft is supposed to be that way! It's the draft meant for walking the grounds of the story for the first time, getting an insider's view of who the characters actually are, what the scenery is like, and which actions work well in the story. It's the discovery draft, and discovery expeditions can come across a couple unexpected finds before reaching what they were seeking in the first place.
    After the first draft is done, the rewrites (or the editing stage) can happen. And this might be even more difficult than the first draft, because now a writer has the task of bringing change to factors in the story that need improvement without changing things that were actually done well. But throughout this whole stage of the process, the question of "Which changes are the right ones?" is always there, and very pressing because no one wants to accidentally get rid of something good. Making those decisions can seem blind sometimes (a really frightening thought), but the revision stage is more than just taking things out; it's putting more things in, making additions. It's as much as a creative process as plotting the story and writing the first draft was, and this means that new awesome things can be created in the revisions.
    So in every area of writing, this quote by Anne Lamott can be applied and used to give encouragement. Do you agree? :)

Hesitation

    Wow. Starting a new story is difficult.
    I'm doing that now, preparing to begin a new story before editing my previous one. I've been preparing for a long, long, long . . . long time. And admittedly, lately, I haven't been doing any research--I've just been hesitating.
    I have pretty much all the notes I need for a basic rough draft. My schedule has settled down enough for me to carve out time to write. I even have a little outline for the first few chapters. By all logical reasoning, I should be ready to start writing the story.
    Yet weeks have passed, and I still haven't started.
    Procrastination? Definitely, but I think there's something else to it too. An expectation I've held in my mind as an excuse for not beginning.
    On more than one occasion when I might have had the time to write, I thought: This isn't the right time to do this correctly. No, the ideal hour (two hours, actually, or three) to sit down, open up a new document, and begin the wonderful journey of a new story has to be perfect. The weather has to be exactly right, the mood has to be exactly right, I have to not be hungry at all, I have to have something nice to drink . . . everything must be perfect, because I cannot bear to write something I expect to be great and have it coming out not great. I must do all these things, and then everything I write in that first chapter will come out easily and perfectly.
    Yeah, that'll happen. I really need to get rid of all these excuses and just start writing, even if it doesn't come out as flawlessly as I picture it in my mind. Honestly, I'm pretty sure first drafts are never as good as the story is in one's mind. They only become so eloquent and beautiful after editing, revisions, and lots of time spent in diligent work.
    I'm going to try to be diligent like that and just start writing. No expectations of perfection, no excuses.
    Do you ever have trouble like this when starting a new story? Is the hesitation from procrastination, fear, doubt about whether or not the story is the right one to write? What do you do to overcome it?

E. B. White: Mask and Unveiling



Realizing new things about characters and the story as you
write it is like watching clouds part between a ray of sun. :)



 

"Writing is both mask and unveiling."

~E.B. White

    This quote even sounds awesome!
    And it's so cool because it's true. You know what I mean?
    As a writer, even when a basic plot's already been laid out, writing the first draft of a story is like embarking on an unknown adventure. Here's where the characters are headed, but what's the journey like? Who are the characters, really? How do they interact with the other characters? And do they actually do what they're "supposed to," as written in the plotline, or do they surprise us all and do something completely unplanned? These questions are some that we consider and find the answers to as we write down the story for the first time, as we grope around in the first go.
    Another way this quote can be looked at is the very fun writer role of masking and unmasking things in the story. Writing up characters in a way that doesn't hint what they'll do later. Foreshadowing events the reader will (hopefully!) be clueless to until the awesome unveiling moment occurs. It's basic criteria for mystery novels, but it can also be done in other stories. I for one find it really awesome do prepare those sort of surprises. Don't you agree?
    Do you like this quote?

 

Drawing A Cover for Your Story In Progress

    At least one of my writer friends and myself have done this before, sketching out covers for the novels we've written. My friend's end result is an impressive piece of art, and my own . . . well, they're not as impressive. But they're not too shabby either.
   And you know, I think designing a cover for a story in progress really helps the writing process. Whether you sketch with pencils, go full-out with colored pencils and pen, do some techy wonders with a computer program, or take actual pictures and add captions to them, it's useful.

This is a cover I sketched out on my computer
via Paint for a story I was writing a couple years ago.
 As you can see, I am not one of the talented people
who can use a computer to make great art!
(By the way, the reason they have no pupils is because
they're supposed to be identical and I thought trying
to make the pupils align perfectly would be impossible.
Sorry if it looks creepy!)

    For one, creativity is being put to work. Thinking about which color schemes look better and what formats are cooler tap into the right side of the brain.
    Secondly, it can help you realize what sort of image represents the tone and the gist of the story. Should the protagonist be on the cover, or their trusty tool? Should the villain be on there too? And a background shot of the story setting? Which location in the setting? What kind of image would properly invite a potential reader into the story?
    Thirdly, it can aid in visualization of your character. It lets a person see what their character descriptions actually make the character look like. Maybe so-and-so's eyes should be almond-shaped instead of bouncy ball round. Wow, her hair looks really nice long instead of short. Green would probably be a better color for his eyes. Yes! Finally got the smile on this character's face just right!  Etcetera.
    Plus, having an image of what your story could become, published with an official cover, can be really encouraging and motivating! Can you see it now? Pinned to the corkboard or whiteboard or wall, your novel's front cover with your character (or whatever the focus element is) shining in color, with the title displayed in large letters above and your own name printed in smaller lettering below. A beautiful display of the work you're working hard on. Something you're working towards. Almost like a writing target to shoot for.
    So in conclusion: designing a front cover for the story you're working on (at least in my opinion) is useful and fun.
    What do you think? Have you ever designed a cover for your story? Have you drawn it out, computerized it, taken pictures, or is it still in written form?

Darcy Pattison On First Drafts And Those That Follow

 

"The function of the first draft is to help you figure out your story. The function of every draft after that is to figure out the most dramatic way to tell that story."

~Darcy Pattison

   

Charlotte Woods On Sacrifice

 

"The first thing is to really commit and be serious about it. You have to say 'no' to other things."

~Charlotte Woods

    Agh, one of the difficult parts in a writer's life. Sacrifice.
    Time is short--especially when you go to school and/or have a job, so every hour is precious. Great writing takes time, so often a writer has to give other fun things up so they can use that time. Sometimes it's something small, like putting off a chore, and other times it's something more difficult to give up, like watching the season finale of an awesome series, or sleeping in on a rare day off.
    It's not fun, giving those things up. But when it's done and the time is invested in writing, it really shows in the final product. Don't you agree?

NaNoWriMo Begins!

    Two days ago, National Novel Writing Month officially began.
    NaNoWriMo. A month where the eager, determined writer writes like crazy to complete their first draft. Some writers spend long hours of their day writing for this--especially when they have Thanksgiving Break. Others just do a little bit every day and accumulate their word count goal gradually. But the goal for everyone remains the same: to finish that first draft by the end of the month.
    It's a considerably short deadline. Finishing a manuscript in a month is no easy feat! Writing challenges like this can be really difficult, but they're also fun, and they help people grow as writers.
    Deadlines tend to give extra incentive to finish the first draft. Whether it be a personal goal or something assigned by a publisher, typically a writer has strong determination to not miss that deadline. There's more on the line with a race against time. More reason to work harder.
    Is anyone out there doing NaNoWriMo this year? Does anyone have other personally set deadlines for their writing?

Voices Of Doubt

    On at least one occasion, I've abandoned stories I was writing because of a thought. A couple words in my mind that convinced me to give up on something I was once really, really excited about; on a project that could have had major potential.
    The thought that caused me to quit?  These words: this just isn't working out.
    Those words, that whisper of doubt led to other thoughts. That the story was cliché, that the plot was dry, that the characters were boring, and that the story was unfixable. Those little thoughts that nagged at me, making the project seem more and more useless, quenching my desire to write the story until I gave up on it completely.
    The voices of doubt. Every writer hears them, right? Every writer has gone through something like this in the process of writing--including professional writers who, once they ignored the doubts and kept writing, eventually produced masterpieces that readers adore.
    Don't listen to the voices of doubt! Nothing you write will be useless. Even if you never get that particular story published, you can still have improved writing skills through the process of completing it.
    Keep on writing! Don't give up! :D

Letting An Idea Sit

    It's awesome when you come up with an idea for a new story. And sometimes it's a chain reaction: you get an idea for a character, then a setting, then other characters, then a villain, then a story plot (or in completely different order). And when those ideas do strike, the characters seem awesome, the plot sounds easy to write about, and you may want to start writing the first draft immediately.
    Although, you might want to wait a few days or so first. Let the idea sit in your mind for a while.
    Doing so can give the idea some time to mature a bit, time to solidify the characters and the plot in your mind. You may also come up with some crucial details to add to the story, saving serious re-writing time. Also, in waiting a little while, when the initial excitement fades a bit, it can be a lot easier to focus on writing one chapter at a time (you know, instead of trying to write your way through a hurricane of what-ifs that pop up whenever you think of the story).
    How long do you usually wait before beginning a first draft?