Looking at the New
Year
This year began with a release on January first. And I also
began the seventh book of the Moon Child series. The rough draft is going well.
I don’t know how other writer’s work though sometimes on my blog, they are able
to tell me a bit about it.
I am a draft writer and the rough draft is one only a writer
can love. I belong to a critique group and reading five to ten pages of what
one is working on aloud is done. When I read the pages of a rough draft, the
critiques come fast and furious. “There’s no emotion.” “I don’t understand the
setting.” Or “Just where are your characters.” These questions will be answered
in subsequent drafts. I have one for plot, one for setting, one for characters
and one language.
There are times when I wish I could be one of those writers
who gets everything down at once. They revise each scene as they go and don’t
continue until they are satisfied. I’ve tried this method and I found the story
never was written. I need to know the end before I can make sure the beginning
works.
I have other friends who just write scenes. They might write
a scene from the middle of the book followed by one for the opening. This would
never work for me. When they try to explain what they do I really can’t see the
purpose. From beginning to end is my way.
On my rough draft I am finally nearing the end. Then I’ll go
back and slowly add all I’ve left out. How about you? How do you craft your
stories?
My Places
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A critique group is a good start, though I learned to filter out comments that make no sense.
ReplyDeleteMostly I only have a rough idea of where the story is going. I always have my main characters worked out, and leave it to them where they want to take me. Lots of plotting doesn't work for me. I know some would-be writers who never got past the first three or so chapters because they paused to go back too often.
ReplyDeleteI outline the plot in a time sequence, referencing the 'action' scenes. In my Twisted Climb series, many of the scenes are in a dreamland.... so, I draw the dreamland scenes on paper, noting the location on the mountain they must climb (forest, waterfall, river, cabin, etc). In my first book, I knew the ending. In the sequel, I planned the ending but when it came to writing it, I totally changed it, and for the better!
ReplyDelete