Question: "...do you think that you can spend too much time in one day working on the same novel? I've got all this energy to write, but I'm thinking what if I get to a certain chapter and I take the story off on the wrong tangent because I didn't have that plot developing revelation in the shower three weeks from now. Will those magical unforeseen developments unfold as you write faster? Or do you have to wait for them?"
My Answer: "I think the amount of time spent writing on a novel in one day depends completely on the writer. If the story is gushing out and you're trying to get it all out and it doesn't tire you, and you can keep going, I say go ahead.
Even if the story goes off in the wrong direction, let it go. You don't want to be editing yourself , especially on a first draft, as you go along. That's what re-writing is for. And cut and pasting! Never stop yourself from writing. You may squash some amazing stuff.
Faster is not necessarily better. Learn to just go with the flow. Some days will be faster than others. Stop thinking about how fast you're writing and just write. You will re-write over and over, revise and craft later."
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Good answer!
ReplyDeleteFrom my perspective, I don't outline, so for the book to go in the "wrong" direction because I didn't develop it before writing it is a very strange notion to me. The direction the book goes in is, typically, where it was going.
I don't outline either, but I know there are writers who do....that's just too rigid for me.I like to let the writing go in whatever direction it takes...then revise later.
ReplyDeleteI think this is especially true with memoir. The characters are who they are to begin with. In fiction, they have to be constructed, so I think more careful and concentrated thought has to be given to who the writer wants them to be.
ReplyDeleteOutlines are very vague for me but I do use them. However, when characters start doing their own thing and running off in a different direction than planned, I let it happen. Usually it works out beautifully. As for spending too much time on it - is that even possible? For me, there are never enough hours in the day when I get going.
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