writing meta
Okay, so as some of you probably know, I'm in a playwriting class right now (and it is awesome), and we basically bring in scenes every class period and read them and critique them, and talk about writing processes and techniques and do some workshopping and basically it's the most fun class ever. BUT anyway, today we were talking about an article
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To begin, I can never ever start writing a story until I hear a voice. I can have a great idea, an outline, and entire plot etc, but until I hear the character speak independently from me I cannot write it. This is why I have an idea folder - great stuff that I just can't use yet because I don't have a character.
I used to not outline at all but I've found that it helps me keep the story focused and concise, so I do that now. Maybe not at the beginning, but by the time I'm to the middle of the story I have to. When I have an outline and scene list, I find I cut my editing/rewriting time just about in half. More often than not, I write more than what's needed, so the bulk of my edits come from weeding out the real story from all the junk I've loaded it with.
For me, the hardest part of editing is resetting my brain, so to speak. I "discovered" a scene a certain way, but the initial idea necessarily the BEST idea. That's both hard to admit and hard to see past. I have trouble even envisioning it going a different direction. But I've learned to just trust myself in re-envisioning it, because the second incarnation is always better, even if getting there is a struggle. I'll be honest, in TGN, I rewrote that last scene with Adam and Brad three times. I have come to love it as it is far more than the first two attempts, but it took time to get me to see it that way. I changed it because of my beta reader, who is essential to me not just because she knows my style and my goals but because she understands characters and motivations better than anyone I know, she always has perspective because it ISN'T her baby, and because she is almost always right. :)
I'm really interested in trying what Cruz suggested, writing beyond the scene. I think it would really give a writer a more intimate view of the character, of the stuff that they sometimes keep hidden even from us. Anyway, there's my $0.02.
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Oooh, that's super cool about hearing the voice of the character. That is really interesting. I think I tend to (if I'm trying to force myself to start writing a story I've been planning out) come up with scenes or situations and I just push the characters into them and feel them out that way, if that makes sense?
And I'm exactly that way with writing outlines. I usually write write write write write, and then I get hit with it like a bolt of lightning about halfway through, like oh, that's what I'm writing about, that's where this story's headed. I used to really hate outlining, but man, my LBB would NOT have been written without an outline. I had to go through that basically scene by scene, sometimes all out of order. It does help a lot to kind of edit beforehand with the outline, and it also makes it easier to rearrange scenes that way.
Hmmmm, I totally get what you mean about getting yourself locked into a certain idea of a scene. I've definitely done that before, and I keep trying to hold onto it even after I know it isn't the best way for the scene to be done. It's hard, trying to break out of that. It's actually sometime my acting teacher is coming down hard on one of the kids in my class about; he rehearses his lines the exact same way every time and then he can't give any other kind of delivery. I think I get that way with my writing a little bit too.
That's so awesome that you're really close with your beta reader like that. It's super helpful to have someone who just gets you, and understsands your style and what you're trying to accomplish. And yeah, definitely good to have someone who isn't quite so close to the piece as you are. :P
Writing beyond the scene is really tough for me, but it's something I'm going to keep practicing. I think you're right; it kind of forces you to get even more into that character's head. Because real life doesn't just stop and skip ahead to the next interesting thing, y'know? It's kind of cool to think of it that way, actually. Like it's real life and has to keep going no matter what. Hmmm, now I might be getting inspired... :P
Super cool, thanks for your thoughts!!
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