New writer - BIG HEAD
Posted 6th July 2012 at 12:34 AM by I, Brian
Back in 2001 I was finishing my manuscript for my epic fantasy, that had taken 7 years of fairly solid writing and rewriting to complete. It evolved massively during that time - but at every stage, I wrote in a vaccum.
I would only look at another fantasy book to sneer at it - I wouldn't read writing books because I figured they were mostly written by armchair critics.
And I had an abominable degree of arrogant self-belief. I thought I was on a par with Shakespeare!
I was just looking through some old archived files, and this is how my synopsis started:
I even started work on the first chapter of a "How to write" book!!
The MS was rejected, and then in trying to figure out what I'd done wrong, I entered a small crit group. One of the members, who later joined chrons as littlemissattitude, pointed out - after reading the first scene of 20k words - that it was probably over written.
Well, at 700k words overall, I hadn't thought it a bit unwieldy for a first novel!!
Life took over, and I found myself unable to get into editing it.
Then last September I decided to really start pushing on rewriting the entire piece, and have managed to keep a general pace of 10-15 hours of editing/rewriting per week.
Already, it's looking as though when I finish this stage, the novel should be down to somewhere around 280k words, which is a helluva improvement.
However, I know there are further editing stages to come that will likely cut this down further to no more than 250k words.
The main forces of change have been: I've been prepared to accept I've made mistakes, and relearned a little humility. It's really important for me to get this story "out there" as it's like a demon in possession of me: it won't leave until I exorcise it with writing and publishing it.
I've also read a lot more - simply because I wanted to read fiction again, especially following any recommendations on chrons, and then pushed more into reading books I thought would be closer to my own - GRRM, Joe Abercrombie, Guy Gavriel Kay, and now some historical fiction from the mediaeval period.
I like to think my writing is a lot better, but even since last September, I've learned a lot - both from critiques on chrons, as well as now immersing myself in "how to write" books that have been recommended.
I'm now a lot more aware of structurual issues I never contemplated before - issues such as motivation and conflict I never quite grasped, but now I do. I know I'll need to go through an editing draft to tweak even just these two issues, and that's before I look to tighten up the writing, cut down more scenes to focus more on the character POV, and then address grammatical issues such as passive voice and similar.
I am now a lot more open to learning how to write, a lot more open to criticism (though it always smarts in some small way! But bring it on - it's important), and learning the intricacies of actual structure has been a real -opener on the technicalities of what's involved in writing (especially "Save the Cat" by Blake Synder, which I only read last week).
What's really good, though, is the feeling that I do genuinely know a lot more about writing. I can see the flaws in pieces posted to the Critiques board - not least my own - and and gladdened when I find resources agreeing with what I think I've already learned.
For example, I'm currently watching a series of videos online from Brandon Sanderson's lectures on writing:
http://www.youtube.com/user/WriteAbo...&view=0&page=2
I found myself taking notes from Lectures 4 and 6 (I'm just starting 8), but also noticed a couple of things he mentioned I think I'd already figured out - which I'll take as a good sign.
For example, when talking about POV use, he mentioned Frank Herbert's "Dune" as one of the best examples of Third Person Omniscient writing. Which is good because I also came to the same conclusion a few years ago, and used it as a template when I experimented with it (I'm now firmly in Third Person Limited).
I was also very satisfied to see him mention that omniscient has given over to limited over the past 20-30 years, which is something I'd noticed, too.
However, while it's great to see how much I feel I'm leanring, I still have to put it into practice. I'll be editing again in a few minutes, and will hopefully do another two hours tonight, and then take something of a break over the weekend.
I feel I've learned a lot. But that's not good enough. I have to know how to translate that learning into action.
Additionally, I have to remain open for anything important I have yet to learn.
I found myself wondering earlier that, if I put everything in practice, I could end up with a very good novel. Not because I'm Shakespeare - but because I've been willing to accept mistakes and been open to learn - and push myself on this.
However, that the leads me wondering as to whether the sequels to it will be as good. After all, if I put so much into this one, will I not fall into bad habits later?
But that's probably not a concern for now. It's too easy to rush head and think your MS is great, and worry more about agents and publishers. I'll focus more on worrying that the MS is as good as I can ever get it, and I'm still some time off before it can be completed to a level I'm happy with.
One of the things I did in 2001 was write an interview with myself. Partly because I was big-headed, but also because I wanted material to put up on the website for potential future readers to reference. In that, I've recorded a few things I otherwise forgot.
What everything overall has really taught me about writing is that it's a process whose progress is measured in years. No matter what happens, no matter if I'm accepted for publishing, I'm still years away from seeing my book on the bookshelves.
I'll no longer panic about that, though. That's just impatience, and that's not a sign of a good writer I think. I think as writers we have to hold back that part of our humanity.
What it does mean, though, is that hopefully I'll have plenty of time to get the second book in a first draft by the time of acceptance, and plenty of notes on book 3, too.
This isn't the first novel I've ever tried to write. I've had a handful of false starts and a couple of fun projects. But this one is the one I'm deadly serious about. And the more I learn about writing and publishing, the more I realise that the author's worst enemy is themselves.
Hopefully I'm through the worst, and it's all about patience now.
But, lordy, though I find my old arrogance funny, I still remember how I met other people online who felt the same way about their own works.
May we always strive to be better writers.
I would only look at another fantasy book to sneer at it - I wouldn't read writing books because I figured they were mostly written by armchair critics.
And I had an abominable degree of arrogant self-belief. I thought I was on a par with Shakespeare!
I was just looking through some old archived files, and this is how my synopsis started:
Quote:
The [series title] series is the defining moment in 21st Century English literature, a timeless masterpiece and classic that has no peer.
The MS was rejected, and then in trying to figure out what I'd done wrong, I entered a small crit group. One of the members, who later joined chrons as littlemissattitude, pointed out - after reading the first scene of 20k words - that it was probably over written.
Well, at 700k words overall, I hadn't thought it a bit unwieldy for a first novel!!
Life took over, and I found myself unable to get into editing it.
Then last September I decided to really start pushing on rewriting the entire piece, and have managed to keep a general pace of 10-15 hours of editing/rewriting per week.
Already, it's looking as though when I finish this stage, the novel should be down to somewhere around 280k words, which is a helluva improvement.
However, I know there are further editing stages to come that will likely cut this down further to no more than 250k words.
The main forces of change have been: I've been prepared to accept I've made mistakes, and relearned a little humility. It's really important for me to get this story "out there" as it's like a demon in possession of me: it won't leave until I exorcise it with writing and publishing it.
I've also read a lot more - simply because I wanted to read fiction again, especially following any recommendations on chrons, and then pushed more into reading books I thought would be closer to my own - GRRM, Joe Abercrombie, Guy Gavriel Kay, and now some historical fiction from the mediaeval period.
I like to think my writing is a lot better, but even since last September, I've learned a lot - both from critiques on chrons, as well as now immersing myself in "how to write" books that have been recommended.
I'm now a lot more aware of structurual issues I never contemplated before - issues such as motivation and conflict I never quite grasped, but now I do. I know I'll need to go through an editing draft to tweak even just these two issues, and that's before I look to tighten up the writing, cut down more scenes to focus more on the character POV, and then address grammatical issues such as passive voice and similar.
I am now a lot more open to learning how to write, a lot more open to criticism (though it always smarts in some small way! But bring it on - it's important), and learning the intricacies of actual structure has been a real -opener on the technicalities of what's involved in writing (especially "Save the Cat" by Blake Synder, which I only read last week).
What's really good, though, is the feeling that I do genuinely know a lot more about writing. I can see the flaws in pieces posted to the Critiques board - not least my own - and and gladdened when I find resources agreeing with what I think I've already learned.
For example, I'm currently watching a series of videos online from Brandon Sanderson's lectures on writing:
http://www.youtube.com/user/WriteAbo...&view=0&page=2
I found myself taking notes from Lectures 4 and 6 (I'm just starting 8), but also noticed a couple of things he mentioned I think I'd already figured out - which I'll take as a good sign.
For example, when talking about POV use, he mentioned Frank Herbert's "Dune" as one of the best examples of Third Person Omniscient writing. Which is good because I also came to the same conclusion a few years ago, and used it as a template when I experimented with it (I'm now firmly in Third Person Limited).
I was also very satisfied to see him mention that omniscient has given over to limited over the past 20-30 years, which is something I'd noticed, too.
However, while it's great to see how much I feel I'm leanring, I still have to put it into practice. I'll be editing again in a few minutes, and will hopefully do another two hours tonight, and then take something of a break over the weekend.
I feel I've learned a lot. But that's not good enough. I have to know how to translate that learning into action.
Additionally, I have to remain open for anything important I have yet to learn.
I found myself wondering earlier that, if I put everything in practice, I could end up with a very good novel. Not because I'm Shakespeare - but because I've been willing to accept mistakes and been open to learn - and push myself on this.
However, that the leads me wondering as to whether the sequels to it will be as good. After all, if I put so much into this one, will I not fall into bad habits later?
But that's probably not a concern for now. It's too easy to rush head and think your MS is great, and worry more about agents and publishers. I'll focus more on worrying that the MS is as good as I can ever get it, and I'm still some time off before it can be completed to a level I'm happy with.
One of the things I did in 2001 was write an interview with myself. Partly because I was big-headed, but also because I wanted material to put up on the website for potential future readers to reference. In that, I've recorded a few things I otherwise forgot.
What everything overall has really taught me about writing is that it's a process whose progress is measured in years. No matter what happens, no matter if I'm accepted for publishing, I'm still years away from seeing my book on the bookshelves.
I'll no longer panic about that, though. That's just impatience, and that's not a sign of a good writer I think. I think as writers we have to hold back that part of our humanity.
What it does mean, though, is that hopefully I'll have plenty of time to get the second book in a first draft by the time of acceptance, and plenty of notes on book 3, too.
This isn't the first novel I've ever tried to write. I've had a handful of false starts and a couple of fun projects. But this one is the one I'm deadly serious about. And the more I learn about writing and publishing, the more I realise that the author's worst enemy is themselves.
Hopefully I'm through the worst, and it's all about patience now.
But, lordy, though I find my old arrogance funny, I still remember how I met other people online who felt the same way about their own works.
May we always strive to be better writers.
Total Comments 6
Comments
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I think humility as a writer is the goose that lays the golden egg. Nobody likes arrogance and your post is interesting as you have realized this.
When I started writing in 2006, I honestly believed that I would get a publisher within a few months. I was sorely disappointed as I got rejected on my one and only submission.
I now read the story and flinch.
I think the secret of being commercial, is to believe you are writer but not an expert. You will always be able to improve and learn.
Good luck. Judging by your story in the writing group. I think you are on the right track!!Posted 6th July 2012 at 01:58 AM by Gary Compton
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Just remember, Brian, that you don't go too far the other way as well. Be critical of the work you write, and be objective when reading through it, but don't bring down undeserved wrath upon yourself either. Let past experience help guide you, not command you.
Now, I know that most of my stuff is unpublishable in the states the works are currently in. But I also tend to be a bit too critical of my own work, and I feel that that brings down my quality of work in the future. I guess what I'm saying is, try to find a balance between confidence and objectivity.Posted 6th July 2012 at 05:37 AM by Karn Maeshalanadae -
Wow, I love your honesty, Brian! I wish you so much luck with your work.
In my opinion, good feedback will always sting a little, but that's when you know it's worth considering - if it's made you *think* rather than shake your head thinking how they "just don't get it". You have to know which feedback to listen to, though, or else you end up trying to please everyone... (been there, done that!)
Can I ask a question, though? I've wondered this before, after hearing about your slog of word-count cutting. Have you considered writing the novel again from scratch? I'm doing that with mine. Think about it: if you've really learned anything over all those years of writing and editing, your prose will be much stronger and your story ideas much more gripping. You can plan to make the work bigger, better, etc. You can fix all those niggling little things that you've tried to patch up over the years. Most of all, your writing will shine now, and you'll surprise yourself at how much stronger your story can be.
And then you'll have the more advanced stuff to learn, once your writing is the best you can make it: pacing, characterisation, flow, readability (or "how the prose sings"), themes, etc. (I'm struggling with learning how to make my prose shine, because I hope one day not only to be a reader's writer, but a writer's writer – enough that writers can appreciate how I turn a phrase, keep it all flowing smoothly, use beautiful language rather than only what's required, etc. It's really tough, though, and right now I suck at it! I suppose that takes decades to learn...)
Anyway, I thought "editing" and "rewriting" over years and years would let me replace my story with better writing, better characters, better plot, etc., but actually, it's quite stunting once you've improved significantly (I started off 10 years ago with no grammar or punctuation skills, and didn't even know the difference between an adverb, adjective, noun, and verb - eek!).
I think you'd be surprised at what you could do with a blank page and an open mind to let new ideas come to you to make the work really sing.
Of course, that's just my opinion, so it's up to you. Good luck either way!
P.S. I'm loving the Sanderson vids! Been watching them for a couple of days, and he's hilarious. It's nice to hear how a big-timer does things.
P.P.S. - A writing book that I've loved for years is Donald Maass' "Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook". He's got newer ones out, too, which I'd like when I can afford them.
Also, "Self-Editing for Fiction Writers", by Renni Browne, talks about beats in writing, amongst other things, which is something not everyone thinks about.Posted 6th July 2012 at 06:13 PM by Leisha
Updated 6th July 2012 at 06:25 PM by Leisha -
Effectively that's what I'm doing, using the original scene and any key information as a framework to start with. More than a few scenes disappear or get completely changed that way regardless.Quote:Have you considered writing the novel again from scratch?
At least it should be a lot easier to manage after this rewrite than the behemoth it was before.
Also, "Self-Editing for Fiction Writers" arrived this morning, along with "The First Five Pages" by Noah Lukeman, which I think Anne Lyle recommended as potentially useful.Posted 6th July 2012 at 06:39 PM by I, Brian - Wow, so you're trying to chop up a Behemoth?!
Anyway, I can't wait to see what the finished novel is like. One day, when you finally finish it, you'll have to put the first chapter up for us to read - you'd be allowed a bigger post in Critiques because you're our Forum God and you do so much for us! I'm sure the novel will be great when you finally DO get it published - you've always seemed eager to learn and read up and ask advice, and you've not been afraid to spend years getting it right, which is better than some people I've met, who want instant fame and fortune (with a book?!).
So do you work from a rough plan, a full outline, or do you write on-the-fly?
Good choice on the books, too. I'd always wanted Noah's book after reading its online sample, but somehow I never actually bought it. Then again, I think I've trolled so many writers' sites over the years, I got to learn the common things that agents/editors look out for in the first few pages. After a while, all the advice starts to look the same. You probably know it, too: fast opening, proactive character/s, strong writing, no "As you know, Bob", no irrelevant scene-setting, no opening with the weather, make sure opening line hooks and leaves questions, no head-hopping, have good pacing, make sure opening paragraph gives the who and what and where, use telling instead of showing, make sure the character's predicament shows up soon or the reader gets hints of what it will be, etc.
Then again, good writers can break these if they're careful...Posted 6th July 2012 at 07:19 PM by Leisha -
An interesting post. It takes a lot of work to write a book. Unfortunately most of them never get finished. And then of course when you're done, you have to try to publish the thing...
I'm working on mine, and I feel like I'm getting better about writing, but I definitely don't think it's marvelous. I'm mainly happy right now because I worked out a fairly complicated original plot and now I'm trying to connect everything.Posted 30th July 2012 at 04:59 AM by wonkishere
