My stories really do feel to me like they have their own life, and I am just barely in control. If I have any say over the world whatsoever, it's more of a minor Greek goddess sort of thing that one of the big brand-name Gods.
Right now, the story just flows. I am working on a rough draft for a YA novel, and every time I sit down at my computer, Deirdra comes to life and keeps doing interesting, sometimes-dumb and sometimes-wise things and driving my story along.
Right now I am completely bestotted with this character and this story.
I know this can't last and the story will eventually turn nasty and uncooperative, and I will sit here and bang at my keyboard and then go back and erase the last 120 words I slowly eked out and write them again.
But when it's good? It's so good.
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4 comments:
I feel the need to point out that the time tagging is apparently off on my blog. Because there is no way I'd actually publish something before 8am on a Sunday. I'm dedicated to my craft, but not an early-morning kind of dedicated.
I sometimes do that. My stories sometimes speak for themselves, really. It gets annoying, but when you write them, they silence themselves. They're like little children, really.
Oh! You're writing a YA novel? I used to write a lot of different stories jumping from one to the other and I always thought that I would never get one done. They always seem horrible a few months later.
But since then, I have just (about a month and a half ago) come up with a different story that is ALIVE to me. My characters just go ahead and act (so-to-speak) and I just finished my first draft with 40,000 words in it.
The key is, don't ever erase stuff you write. Period. Keep it, and move on. I had to deal with that last year before I did NaNo. But in November I was forced not to, and now it's just a habit.
What I sugest is for you to use Write or Die (http://lab.drwicked.com/writeordie.html)
But don't ever give up! You CAN finish this novel if you only set your mind on it. I KNOW for certain that my novel will be ready for publication by next winter. That gives me time to go through all the drafts, edit, delete, add, edit, delete, add, etc...
~Philipa McMorrow
I know what you mean. I think you just have to plug. Let they characters have their way in the first draft of a novel. I can speak from experience as I have never got that far. Its just a hunch i plan on trying out someday.
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