Back on My Game
Friday, November 13. 2009
I finally set aside my world-editing tonight, as well as my prose-editing, and returned to actual writing. One can only spend so much time thinking about plot and character motivations and setting details and sticky points of continuity. Eventually one must dive into the production of new text.
It always makes me nervous to simply start writing. I suppose it's the engineer in me. I like to have a detailed design—a complete analysis of the requirements, along with a matrix to prove to myself that what I plan to do meets all the requirements, and to define for me how I can test compliance with the requirements—before I start producing anything. This is the way complex projects are executed. That process only works to a certain extent in producing a novel.
Writing words with only a vague idea about a scene—who's in it, where they are, and the action (and themes) I want to present—always feels like working without a net. Yet, almost miraculously, decent prose does appear on the computer screen. It's only a first draft anyway; no need to get too worked up about it. But it's not easy to let go again and start writing.
I churned out 1,300 words tonight, which is great progress. Here's hoping I've primed the pump and will be able to add more and more words now, rather than being paralyzed by EES (Endless Editing Syndrome). "Just keep writing."
I finally set aside my world-editing tonight, as well as my prose-editing, and returned to actual writing. One can only spend so much time thinking about plot and character motivations and setting details and sticky points of continuity. Eventually one must dive into the production of new text.
It always makes me nervous to simply start writing. I suppose it's the engineer in me. I like to have a detailed design—a complete analysis of the requirements, along with a matrix to prove to myself that what I plan to do meets all the requirements, and to define for me how I can test compliance with the requirements—before I start producing anything. This is the way complex projects are executed. That process only works to a certain extent in producing a novel.
Writing words with only a vague idea about a scene—who's in it, where they are, and the action (and themes) I want to present—always feels like working without a net. Yet, almost miraculously, decent prose does appear on the computer screen. It's only a first draft anyway; no need to get too worked up about it. But it's not easy to let go again and start writing.
I churned out 1,300 words tonight, which is great progress. Here's hoping I've primed the pump and will be able to add more and more words now, rather than being paralyzed by EES (Endless Editing Syndrome). "Just keep writing."
It always makes me nervous to simply start writing. I suppose it's the engineer in me. I like to have a detailed design—a complete analysis of the requirements, along with a matrix to prove to myself that what I plan to do meets all the requirements, and to define for me how I can test compliance with the requirements—before I start producing anything. This is the way complex projects are executed. That process only works to a certain extent in producing a novel.
Writing words with only a vague idea about a scene—who's in it, where they are, and the action (and themes) I want to present—always feels like working without a net. Yet, almost miraculously, decent prose does appear on the computer screen. It's only a first draft anyway; no need to get too worked up about it. But it's not easy to let go again and start writing.
I churned out 1,300 words tonight, which is great progress. Here's hoping I've primed the pump and will be able to add more and more words now, rather than being paralyzed by EES (Endless Editing Syndrome). "Just keep writing."
Jimmy Anderson on :
What's the site where you're writing and others are reading, commenting, etc. ?
Brent on :
Do you mean Critters? If so, I've only ever submitted short stories there, so it's not immediately applicable to my novel writing. I am hoping to send my novel "through the queue" there once I'm done, or at least a great deal closer to done.
Critters is at critters.org. FYI, Craig apparently participates, too, though I can't recall ever seeing a story submitted by him. (Though I could have missed it, I'm on-again, off-again.)
Craig on :
Jimmy Anderson on :