My muse is my best friend at the moment. I've been really pleased how much progress I'm making on my new novel. I typed like a demon today and have reached 20,000 words. Recently I was questioning my drafting process. I write everything in my notepad and then I type it out. I wondered if I was making twice the work for myself, but today as I typed my hand written notes I noticed I was able to expand on these same notes and fill in all those missing pieces - everything just seemed to fall into place. Although I do have a laptop, so no excuse of where I can type, I find it comforting the old fashioned way - pen and paper.
I always find it interesting learning about how other writers go about their process of writing. I wonder if there ever has been a writer that writes from the beginning all the way to the end? When I started this novel I intended to start at Chapter One and let it unfold from there. Chapter by chapter. Sounds good in theory. But it doesn't seem to work that way, well not for me anyway. Already I've drafted a few chapters that will appear towards the end of the novel. After all these years I accept that the chapters in between haven't presented themselves yet, because whatever I need to hear or see or even realise hasn't happened yet.
Writing is a beautiful thing. It keeps my head in a good place and it gives me a sense of who I am. That is important to me. I woke up early this morning and I had a full writing day. The satisfaction I feel right now is priceless. My day flew by and in this moment I feel content just being me, a writer.
Keep writing....
I love your post today, Diane (not that I don't love it at other times!). Well done on completing so much. Very interesting about writing with pen and paper. I love my weekly hand writing half hour in the cafe, but normally I type straight to screen.
ReplyDeleteI've never even attempted to write a novel other than from start to finish, though I have heard of other writers who write random chapters. Think I like a chronological approach!
Hello Rosemary - always can count on you to stop by my blog and leave a comment. Thank you. Believe me I am trying and aiming for the chronological approach. Today I am going to read through the chapters I have so far and see where that takes me for the next chapter. The best part is I am having so much fun :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Diane. Good post. Don't try aiming for chronological if it doesn't suit you. Do it your own way and enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteYou're doing really well, so don't worry about writing in chronological order. If what you are doing now works for you then go with it.
ReplyDeleteI'm a chronological order at the computer writer, with one or two scenes from later in the story written down with a pen on paper as they occur to me.
Hi Lynne. I will be taking your advice. Great advice too - takes the pressure off me. Thank you very much.
ReplyDeleteHi Carol. Thanks for your comment. That does sound the way to go for me. I've been doing the same by getting the chronological chapters all down on the computer and writing future scenes down in my note pad (it's not like I'm focusing on later in my novel, the ideas are just coming and I don't want to forget them). I'm starting to learn to believe in myself and the process of writing sorting itself all out in the end... important to get those notes down as they come.
ReplyDeleteI type everything straight onto the computer as I have such terrible handwriting when I write quickly that I can't read it back later.
ReplyDeleteMy aim is to do the first draft straight through from beginning to end and I mostly do that, even if some scenes are just a few words. The order of events often changes in the first edit though and I add and delete scenes as I go.
Hi Diane. Well done on what you have done so far. Keep going with it. You are doing a great job. Remember to keep it fun and enjoyable. :-)
ReplyDeletePatsy - thanks for sharing. I am always interested to know how others go about their writing.
ReplyDeleteGavin - thank you for your encouraging comments.