Lately I’ve been inspired to think about my method of writing (such as it is). This has come partly from our intriguing new friend here at eXcessica, Mia Natasha, and partly from another good writer pal of mine, the lovely Katie Salidas.
Mia blogged last week about how she approaches writing as if it’s watercolor painting. Katie was telling me that she’s very much a “pantser”. I feel like I’m somewhere between these two methods.
For all that I’m very much at home (and in love) with words, I’m not particularly good with either process or discipline. There are external, kid-related factors, but most of the trouble is right here inside my cavernous cranium.
At times, I find that writing is like raking leaves in a hurricane. There are swarms of words rushing past me, so many that I can’t see through to the next sentence, let alone to the next chapter.
Oftentimes, especially when I’m in new territory as a writer, I feel like I’m Hansel. I’m dropping little breadcrumbs so that I can find my way back, only to find that the words have eaten them all, and I can’t even remember why the hell I’m there.
Most times, though, I find writing a story very much like painting a river. I make sure there are stepping stones all the way across, each one an important plot point. Usually I have to leap across to the next stone and then paint in the details behind me…but it’s a friggin’ river, and nothing stays where it should be! Then halfway across I realise I’ve missed a spot and have to go right back to the start. And then the new patch dries a different color so you have to repaint the whole darn river to match it…and just how the hell do you know it’s time to step across to the other side?
Oh, but once you do, and you look back on your handiwork…yeeeesssssss…
eXcessively pleasurable erotica
eXcessica
February 7th, 2010 at 8:00 am
Madness IS my method…
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11:45 am on February 7th, 2010 1
You’ve got me wanting to read your books now. I love attention to detail in a man/woman/person.
Turns out I can’t use slashes in my book. My editor says it’s not done. But that’s the way I talk.
For example I’m a writer/artist. That’s writer-slash-artist. I mean artist-slash-writer. Well here it’s novice writer-slash-media whore-slash-fucker. You get the picture.
I love your river analogy, btw!
7:37 pm on February 7th, 2010 2
It’s funny…I don’t tend to use slashes in my fiction writing, and I find it damn hard to even used colons and semi-colons. I’d rather rewrite them out of it. That’s mainly because I try to write as if I’m reading the story out.
Every little bit you reveal about yourself just intrigues me more, though, Ms. Novice writer-slash-media whore-slash-fucker… I can’t wait to read more of your stuff. (I got through the first page of your ghost story before I realised I had work to do!)
9:48 pm on February 7th, 2010 3
How long have you been writing w/o the colon family? I have recently been introduced to the dash. I find it fascinating.
10:34 pm on February 7th, 2010 4
I suppose ever since I realised that my writing style was more conversational than anything else. I don’t speak with colons a lot. I tend more to bite out small sentences or just waffle until my lungs have dissipated. Commas…now commas are my bestest buddies. Though the dash is a cool one, too.
7:43 pm on February 11th, 2010 5
I hope you’ve gotten the chance to finish reading Ghost of a Chance. The deadline for voting is tonight I think.
4:44 pm on February 12th, 2010 6
All done. Read and voted.