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Rabia Gale

alchemical fantasy

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the inefficiencies of writing novels

the inefficiencies of writing novels

I’ve been thinking a lot about my novel-writing (and rewriting) process lately, and decided that it is too inefficient. It just takes me too darn long to get a novel into shape, and it is clearly my method at fault.

My current process looks something like this:

  • Get Idea. “Ooh, shiny!” *plays*
  • In the meantime, continue work on pre-Idea project.
  • Brainstorm, cluster and make notes based on Idea.
  • Get bored with pre-Idea project. Start Idea project.
  • Feel guilty about abandoning pre-Idea project (and the pre-pre-pre-Idea projects). Tinker with them for a several months.
  • Idea project calls–go back to it and write it out.
  • Get New Idea. “Oooh, glittery!” *play with it while Idea project cools*
  • *Guilt!* Return to Idea project and despair at how awful and broken it is.
  • Start work on New Idea project (first drafts are way more fun!).
  • New Idea novelty wears off. Revise Idea project.
  • Revision stalls, so go off to browse web forums or clean grout or watch paint dry.

You can see where this is going. And I didn’t even mention the Zombie Pregnancies and Life with Newborns. All in all, I’ve developed this bad habit of moving on from projects I haven’t seen through to the bitter end. Yes, some ideas should be abandoned and yes, it is good to let things sit for a bit, but when I have a big pile of unrevised drafts sitting around, it means I’m dithering.

In an effort to turn this around, I’ll be focusing on revising previous novels for the rest of this year (and into the next–this is a big project!). I’ve set revision goals for myself (Phase I to be accomplished by Christmas). If I don’t meet them something dire will happen–like my Christmas gifts being withheld or no chocolate or something equally horrific.

Okay, kidding aside, I want to give myself the chance to take something rough and bring out the diamond in it. To take a block of marble and release the wondrous creature within it. To take everyday words and turn them into something magical. To share with others what I have created.

Filed Under: guilt, writing process

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Comments

  1. LisaM says

    November 30, 2009 at 1:50 am

    Hi Rabia,
    Do you know why your process isn’t working? Is it because the story you’re attempting to tell may not be a story that you care about very much beyond the initial shiny idea?
    For me, unless I’ve got some emotional investment in it (apart from “Can I really call myself a writer if I don’t finish something and get it published?” lol), it’s difficult to make myself sit down and do what needs to be done. If I do an extensive outline, I can’t write the story ‘cos it’s like repeating myself. But if I have characters I really like, and the things that are troubling them are things that resonate with me, then I can get the story down and keep at it until it’s as good as I can get it.
    Just a thought! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Megs says

    November 30, 2009 at 10:02 am

    I’m a huge write all over the map, love too many ideas at once kind of girl, so I can empathize. One of my big problems was choosing between writing—really writing—”The Rule of Calindria” and revising “In This Wood.” In the end, I chose to write because I have really needed to get back into that. Long story.

    But even so, I’m blogging, writing poems, drabbles, and a guest blog post that is taking WAAAAAAAAAAAAY too long. Because my process is NOT content with only one iron in the fire. A sad but true condition of the overeager muse. It’s all or nothing.

    Sometimes I can’t make myself settle and so nothing gets completed, but sometimes we just have to kick our muse into shape and order it “thou shalt work on this and this alone!” It usually settles down after a bit of that.

    Reply
  3. Rabia says

    November 30, 2009 at 11:14 am

    Lisa,

    When I get into a project, I am really excited about it, but I tend to let myself get distracted too much. Often, it’s Real Life butting in, sometimes it’s because writing tends to come at the end of the day and by that time I’m so tired I just want to veg. It really is me and my laziness, and not the Idea per se. The backlog I currently have is driving me nuts and I’m unable to commit to anything new while it’s still hovering at the back of my mind. The one book I’ve been able to let go was the one I revised, polished, queried and submitted. If I do the same to the next two, I can let them go as well.

    Reply
  4. Rabia says

    November 30, 2009 at 11:16 am

    Megs,

    You and I think alike–or have the same flitter-fluttery kind of muses. 😀

    However, this process does NOT fit my need to be orderly and complete. It’s creating too much mental clutter. Once I have that out of the way, I’ll be able to go back to Kai’s book–and other stuff. 😀

    Reply
  5. Megs says

    November 30, 2009 at 12:36 pm

    You go, girl! :quietly kicking her own muse on it: 😀

    Reply
  6. LisaM says

    November 30, 2009 at 10:45 pm

    I’m not sure if this is relevant or not, but it’s an article by Julia McCutcheon on releasing and letting go …..

    http://www.juliamccutchen.com/blog/?p=351

    It’s an interesting article, but you know best where you are with things, so, as I say, it may or may not be relevant.

    Are you doing Holly’s HTRYN? Maybe that might help with the backlog.

    Reply
  7. Megs says

    November 30, 2009 at 11:57 pm

    I sprung for HTRYN. Definitely NOT good for the backlog. LOL But it might help you, Rabia. Don’t know. But this rambling little writer needs to turn in for the night, so buenas nochas! Adios!

    Reply
  8. Rabia says

    December 1, 2009 at 1:08 pm

    No, I decided to wait on signing up for HTRYN (I was awfully tempted!). I’m already in the middle of a revision using the methods from HtTS and my Right Brain and Left Brain are working well together (one is coming up with cool connections, the other is keeping track of my progress in pages revised). To stop and go back to the beginning, to digest and apply new revisions techniques, would stall me out and muddy the waters. I’m going to wait until I’m ready to revise the third novel.

    Besides, treating myself to HTRYN will be a great motivator to finish the current revision!

    Reply
  9. Megs says

    December 3, 2009 at 2:27 pm

    I’m going to have to slow down. :groans, head in hands: :looks around for things to cut out of her writing life while fighting off her clingy muse:

    Reply

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