I love all of these. I always really struggle with reading messy drafts for the first time, especially ones that are so far from some vision I had. I find it helps to try and imagine I’m reading a friend’s story, and to commit to a certain amount of time (like an hour or two) re-reading or editing, so that even if I get stuck or skip around I can feel like I’ve done some work for the day.
I swim laps in the morning. When I have a thorny writing problem to solve, I let it loose in my brain. By the time I’ve finished swimming, I’ve discovered a solution, or maybe a path toward a solution. I think it’s the repetitive strokes and rhythmic breathing.
I have two techniques to face the messy pile. They are not genius but they work for me. One is to write down the main question each chapter then each scene is asking. If I can’t come up with a question it means the piece needs attention. I might set it aside for now in my extras file. And see how the flow works without it. The second is using a storyboard like filmmakers use to check the sequencing. I start with the end and work backward. Usually one or both of these helps me gain some needed overview and feel less overwhelmed.
I like to look for any questions in my manuscript(especially if there are two or more in a row). I often find I am talking to myself more than the reader. I can either delete or amplify what the question is addressing in scene.
This is so useful: thank you. The letter identifying the through-lines is where I’m at. Knowing what to call it helps keep me from more writing ABOUT the novel to procrastinate writing the actual scenes.
I recently chopped 25 chapters from my memoir that I spent a year and a half writing. Some of those chapters will survive as a braided narrative of present, flashback, present, flashback. The ones I trashed will turn up somewhere else maybe as a fiction short story. I feel liberated from all that baggage.
I'm working on revisions, so my recent "success" is tossing out a long chapter. I knew the chapter had to go, but there were parts I liked, so it took me a while to admit to myself that I didn't need it (and could save the good ideas from it). I'm working hard to fill the hole it left behind, and the story isn't better yet because of the cut, but I'm comforting myself that it will be.
It is work to rewrite, but it is rewarding work. And speaking for us editors, we can always tell when the work has been done. And so can agents and acquisition editors...and eventually so can readers.
I love this so much! I have one complete manuscript I want to start querying at some point, but it's not quite ready yet. And I have two-thirds of a second manuscript that I need to wrangle and get back into. Your words are inspiring! Successful writing to all!
I love how you note that our brains keep working on a problem once we're aware of it, even though we aren't actively wrestling with it on the page. I'm letting the short story I'm working on take a little nap while I take a walk and do some other stuff. I'll see where that goes. Hope your week will be wonderful, Jami.
Sometimes if I’m stuck on a particular problem in my writing I let myself *and* the story take a little nap, and sometimes I even awaken with a solution.
I love hearing about the process. And as it happens, the novel I've been querying has been coming back from agents who requested the entire MS that "they just didn't love it, couldn't quite connect," etc etc. But I can tell I'm getting close to getting it right--and these questions are *perfect* for tackling a revision-but-I-thought-it-was-maybe-finished. PERFECT. Like, I'm off to write to myself right now. Thank you
Thank you so much, Jami, for revealing your process. I’m heartened. I’ve picked up a novel that I had shelved 10 years ago. I wasn’t sober when I was writing it, and my memory was shit. The more chapters I wrote, the harder time I had keeping track of my own details. I was also new to all of this. My protagonist was sanctimonious and unaware (as I was at the time).
If all first novels are in some way autobiographical, the self I am revealing has changed radically. So the through lines have evolved, the characterization is more complex. After revising, reworking plot and character, researching details of place and time for several weeks, I realized last night I have a half a fucking novel. Most of it is solid.
I’m still working out some changes in the narrative arc, feeling my way through. I don’t wait to revise until I have a giant chunk of text written. But I have to have forward momentum. I am at the point now: needing to start weaving the next part of the tale in earnest. Thank you for reminding me I’m not alone, cuz sometimes sitting in that front room with the door closed most of the day, I feel very alone.
I love all of these. I always really struggle with reading messy drafts for the first time, especially ones that are so far from some vision I had. I find it helps to try and imagine I’m reading a friend’s story, and to commit to a certain amount of time (like an hour or two) re-reading or editing, so that even if I get stuck or skip around I can feel like I’ve done some work for the day.
I swim laps in the morning. When I have a thorny writing problem to solve, I let it loose in my brain. By the time I’ve finished swimming, I’ve discovered a solution, or maybe a path toward a solution. I think it’s the repetitive strokes and rhythmic breathing.
I have two techniques to face the messy pile. They are not genius but they work for me. One is to write down the main question each chapter then each scene is asking. If I can’t come up with a question it means the piece needs attention. I might set it aside for now in my extras file. And see how the flow works without it. The second is using a storyboard like filmmakers use to check the sequencing. I start with the end and work backward. Usually one or both of these helps me gain some needed overview and feel less overwhelmed.
I love the idea of writing down the question, that's great! Thank you Mary!
I like to look for any questions in my manuscript(especially if there are two or more in a row). I often find I am talking to myself more than the reader. I can either delete or amplify what the question is addressing in scene.
This is so useful: thank you. The letter identifying the through-lines is where I’m at. Knowing what to call it helps keep me from more writing ABOUT the novel to procrastinate writing the actual scenes.
I recently chopped 25 chapters from my memoir that I spent a year and a half writing. Some of those chapters will survive as a braided narrative of present, flashback, present, flashback. The ones I trashed will turn up somewhere else maybe as a fiction short story. I feel liberated from all that baggage.
I'm working on revisions, so my recent "success" is tossing out a long chapter. I knew the chapter had to go, but there were parts I liked, so it took me a while to admit to myself that I didn't need it (and could save the good ideas from it). I'm working hard to fill the hole it left behind, and the story isn't better yet because of the cut, but I'm comforting myself that it will be.
It is work to rewrite, but it is rewarding work. And speaking for us editors, we can always tell when the work has been done. And so can agents and acquisition editors...and eventually so can readers.
I love this so much! I have one complete manuscript I want to start querying at some point, but it's not quite ready yet. And I have two-thirds of a second manuscript that I need to wrangle and get back into. Your words are inspiring! Successful writing to all!
I love how you note that our brains keep working on a problem once we're aware of it, even though we aren't actively wrestling with it on the page. I'm letting the short story I'm working on take a little nap while I take a walk and do some other stuff. I'll see where that goes. Hope your week will be wonderful, Jami.
Sometimes if I’m stuck on a particular problem in my writing I let myself *and* the story take a little nap, and sometimes I even awaken with a solution.
I love hearing about the process. And as it happens, the novel I've been querying has been coming back from agents who requested the entire MS that "they just didn't love it, couldn't quite connect," etc etc. But I can tell I'm getting close to getting it right--and these questions are *perfect* for tackling a revision-but-I-thought-it-was-maybe-finished. PERFECT. Like, I'm off to write to myself right now. Thank you
Thank you so much, Jami, for revealing your process. I’m heartened. I’ve picked up a novel that I had shelved 10 years ago. I wasn’t sober when I was writing it, and my memory was shit. The more chapters I wrote, the harder time I had keeping track of my own details. I was also new to all of this. My protagonist was sanctimonious and unaware (as I was at the time).
If all first novels are in some way autobiographical, the self I am revealing has changed radically. So the through lines have evolved, the characterization is more complex. After revising, reworking plot and character, researching details of place and time for several weeks, I realized last night I have a half a fucking novel. Most of it is solid.
I’m still working out some changes in the narrative arc, feeling my way through. I don’t wait to revise until I have a giant chunk of text written. But I have to have forward momentum. I am at the point now: needing to start weaving the next part of the tale in earnest. Thank you for reminding me I’m not alone, cuz sometimes sitting in that front room with the door closed most of the day, I feel very alone.