I asked for questions, and you came up with some great ones!
Laura asks: What’s been the biggest writing epiphany you’ve had that you remember?
I’ve had several along the way, but the biggest was the realization that I had to write worse to write better.
Let me explain.
I had written a couple of novels a chapter at a time, revising and revising that chapter before moving on to the next. Not only was this a slow way to get through the first draft, I didn’t really have a concept of drafting (or outlining – those were later epiphanies). But most importantly, when it came time to rewrite (or even substantially revise) those chapters, I faced it with dread. I had invested so much time in them, it was painful to make structural (and necessary) changes.
The epiphany came when I was near the end of a novel and I decided to just speed-write to the end. I didn’t want to stop to polish, revise, etc., I just wanted to get the story out. When I went back to revise those chapters, I found it easy to slash and cut, to reshape whole sections of text, because I wasn’t heavily invested in it – I had written it too quickly to get attached. I knew it was bad when I wrote it, so when I came back to re-write it was easy to tear it to pieces.
When I was done, those chapters shone brighter than the rest of the MS.
That was when I realized that by writing worse on the draft, I could write better on the revision. That is also the official day my internal editor died. I’m sure it was natural causes, but the autopsy was complicated by the lack of a body. Anyway, nobody can prove I did anything.
Question for you: When did your internal editor die? What were the circumstances of her demise? Or is she still straggling along? (I performed a service for one of my critique partners one day and shot hers. I’m also available for hire.)
p.s. check out my shiny Tweet button in the bottom corner! Click on that, and you can tweet this post with twitter’s auto-shortened links. (Yes, I’m proud of myself for figuring out how to do this. No, it’s not really hard.)
What a wise way to put it, Susan. That is so true. When we're not so attached to the work, we can have clearer eyes.
@Sheri Thanks! It seems like I'm learning new things around every corner. π
What a wonderful epiphany! And so true. I think this draft I'm working on now I'm really not fixing things up before moving. I'm making notes and moving on! Hopefully I won't care as much later when it's time to cut and slash and rewrite!
I love the RT button b/c this is a great post!
I realized that the draft was a gift of my ADHD. Not enough attention span to stop and linger. Revision is easier after the race. And I turned off the editor in word. Nosquiggle lines, no desire to perfect.
Your poor CP's internal editor. Hope she comes back when your CP needs her.
My ADHD doesn't help me! I just get distracted by the need to edit. Fortunately my internal editor knows when to keep her mouth shut . . . most of the time. Of course there're times I want her to speak up and she doesn't. π
I think my editor died on the second day of NaNoWriMo '08. He shambles along as a zombie now, resurfacing only when I need him to eat some bad exposition on my page.
jiminey…
*upturns couch cushions*
is forty cents enough money to hire you? π
I think I already answered that question.
And the authorities asked me all about it. That bright light in my face… so many questions.
I was cleared. Cleared, I tell you.
wow. Shiney tweet button… I think my inner editor officially died on my last MS. I just wanted to get it DONE, like you said, so I wrote quickly and got it all down. Then I went back and was pleased at #1-how bad it *wasn't* and #2-how it was so much easier to edit the whole thing~
Great post, Q! :o) <3
@Laura Now that I know how to use the tweet button, I'm looking for it on other's posts – like your fabulous series, for example! π
@Mary I turned off the Word autocorrect as well! Too distracting. I just have to remember to turn it back on before I send out to agents. π
@Stina My CP thanked me, so I think her internal editor is out of luck! :)Although they have a nasty tendency to come back from the dead.
@Claudie An obedient, zombie internal editor! I likes. π
@aspiring I'm cheap! In fact, I'll perform the service for free for loyal commenters (that's you!). π I've slipped a little something into your internal editor's tea. Should taste vaguely like bitter almonds, so I'm adding a little sugar as well. Problem should resolve itself shortly. Please clean up the mess afterward. π
That was my first epiphany, too! NaNoWriMo taught me that.
I locked my inner editor away in the dungeon for the month of November and I'm pretty sure she died of neglect. I thought she was still around, waiting for me to pull her back out into the light of day. But now that I stop and think about it, I haven't felt her presence in about 6 years.
Maybe that's the reason I've had such a hard time getting through the revision process all this time. I'm getting better at it though, so maybe I never really needed her after all.
@Bryan I believed you were innocent all along! But if you need a good lawyer, let me know. π
@LTM Awesome! I think we all have to learn these things for ourselves, which is why it's called craft.
@Queen Yay! NaNo is great for learning the "write fast, fix later" lesson! But you are right, that the internal editor could come in handy during revisions. But I'm convinced they can be a handicap there as well, depending on the kind of revisions. Revisions are an entirely different process than drafting, though. π
My Internal Editor still comes back to life, sometimes. But I've gotten better at shoving it back where it can't complain about my draft. π
This is so true! I love the way you put it Susan.
And that Tweet button is awesome. So pretty!
@Eagle Sounds like you've got your IE under control! π
@Matthew I like that pretty button so much – now I'm searching for it whenever I visit a blog post I really like! π
This is something I may try with my next manuscript. The one I'm working on right now is not run to edit –though I think like yours the later chapters are easier.
@Taryn Later chapters are easier in some ways (the world's already built; conflicts laid in place) and harder in others (the ending! the tying up of strings!). Endings are the bane of my existence. π
There's an award for you at our blog!
@Celery Thanks for the award! π
Ugh, my internal editor. Sometimes she forces me to rewrite lines repeatedly and pull my hair out. Not much of a way to silence her I fear, so I gotta just negotiate:)
@Lindsay Negotiating will work. I've struggled not to rewrite on a draft where I'm supposed to be substantive edits – later, my preciousssss, I would promise my IE.
That was so funny. Can you take out my internal editor? I've tried to kill her, but she won't die. Grrrr. π
@Leisha You might have one of those zombie IE's – they're exceptionally hard to kill. Best to run away and write when she's not around, then invite her in to eat the brains of your MS when it's ready for revisions. π
This huge advice. I think I've arrived at this without realizing it until now. But I'm writing to finish this book and sometimes that means writing crappy scenes to get from one spot to the next spot that I have a better picture of in my head and can therefore write better. Is that what you mean by shooting your internal editor? When she screams "stop! This is horrible!" you just give her a shove off the cliff and keep right on going? And can you really hide the evidence without getting caught ??? giggling
@Margo LOL That's EXACTLY what I mean. And truly, it's best to put her out of her misery, anyway. Best of luck in the mad dash to THE END!! π
As the CP in question, I'm still crazy grateful for the service you rendered me. (Even in the editing stages, she hasn't reappeared yet, so let's hope that stays the same for a long, long time). And I'm completely sold on the fast and furious form of drafting from here on out.
@Charity I'm glad she's yet to return! π LOL