Just Write Already!

There was an article from Writer’s Digest recently on finishing a book and I think it had an excellent point. The advice… WRITE FAST!

We hear all the time to turn off the self-editor, which can be really hard, but I’ve already bought into without any argument—I do enough OTHER kinds of writing to not be married to the first words I get down on some subject… get all the information there, then make it pretty, in that order.

But the point I hadn’t seen that I think is FABULOUS is that if you write FAST, you are stuck with the bare bones of the story at the end. THEN when you go in and add the muscles and tissue, it still looks like the recognizable structure. If you write SLOW than it can develop off in odd directions and not look recognizable when you get through.

Having written a couple fast and a couple slowly, I am going to fall into line and endorse this idea. I am having to loop back and re-plan and retie and re-plot in order to get Conspiracy back into line because I took to long to do it. Granted, I wrote another book, edited and polished yet another, and stopped to do that pesky query thing in there, so I wasn’t actually WRITING slowly as taking detours from writing.

Now I believe in the end all three books will be better for this loop back, rethink process I’ve got going, but it really should have been part of the rewrite, not the first draft.

My New Plan

I’ve said before that I intended to have writing months and edit/query months, and I am sticking with that, but I am adding a new rule…. ONE FREAKING PROJECT AT A TIME! That isn’t to say I am giving up my little side projects, but ONDWAY has been stressing me out, so I think I am going to drop to a less predictable cycle…write when I write, like I have with my fanfics. Because I think that has interfered with my mojo, too—having a schedule to meet.

When I get all my ducks FINALLY back into line, I will finish Conspiracy, and then I will turn to just editing until June, when, with friends, we plan to have a writing month (a sort of private NaNo—though not so private you can’t join too, if you want—it’s just not PUBLIC). I think that may just be how I do first drafts from now on… June and November, with some time in between to write the holes… We’ll see. I’m pretty open to changing things up to see what works.

And NOW an Opportunity For YOU!

Moonrat, the Blogger of Editorial Ass (who all writers should be following anyway, she is helpful, entertaining and kind), is holding a Write Your A$$ Off DAY… this weekend. She’s not rigid. Pick a day, any day (even today—sorry I didn’t tell you in time—Monday’s okay, too), and then Tuesday report back with your success.

Having a family, one of whom is recovering from pneumonia, I probably can’t dedicate ONE day, and I’m not positive I’m up to writing again yet, but I think I will TRY to give it an 8 hours over the three days shot, just to see if this is the kick in the butt I need to get going again.

So I know it’s short notice, but I encourage all of you to give it a whirl.