Someone Else's 50 Thoughts About Writing

[liralen]

They were fascinating for me. Seanan McGuire wrote 50 thoughts about writing in the midst of editing a ton of her own work. *grins* It's a short, interesting read.

Comments

[crimini.livejournal.com]

I pretty much agree with that whole list.

Biggest thing writers should keep in the back of their minds and on the wall above wherever they write:

1. The first draft of anything sucks.
2. If you want to write a book/story, you need to get your ass in a chair and write it.
3. Every writer needs an editor. Even the ones who have been doing it for a living still need an outside, unbiased eye on the newest work.
4. Read everything and pay attention to what you're reading.

And the more you do it, the better it should get--if you see no change at all, you aren't doing something you should be.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Mmm... cool to have the agreement.

I really thought a lot of the stuff she said was great, especially how growing and improving stuff can be really hard work.

And, yeah, I'm learning what a difference a good editor can make. *grins* incandescens really makes me grow in my ability to use the language... but wow, sometimes it's hard to face all the red. *laughs*

Good for me, though.

[beckyb.livejournal.com]

Use purple instead?

I tell students that I, who have been writing for years, often submit a 17th draft for publication. Which means I really don't want to read their first.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Mmmm... I *love* that last.

Yes, I should probably have them use green or purple instead... and it really does get a *lot* stronger.

[conjure-lass.livejournal.com]

I know this sounds kinda silly...but i've always hated lists like that.

I hate that anyone can sit down and write out this looong list of "this is how you should feel" and "this is how you should think" during the writing process...as if there are NEVER exceptions to the rules. As if somehow they've delved into this deeper, secret place of writing and if you don't fit into it you're somehow "not a novelist" or "not a writer".

The only thought I completely 100% agree with on there? Number 50.

*shrug* But then i'm very tempermental and hard to please. *giggle* Perhaps I am thinking too hard.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Well, she actually starts off saying no one "should" anything with this list. *laughs* That everyone works differently and has different things that work for them.

Still... hey, if lists aren't your thing then they're not. *grin*

[conjure-lass.livejournal.com]

But if that's the case then...why post them at all? I dunno...it just always feels like with stuff like that (I feel the same way about creative writing books), that somehow i'm supposed to be basking at the alter of their worldliness or something. As though somehow i'm supposed to look up to these deep, meaningful ideas about writing and the process thereof. *shrug*

*giggle* I think I just hate the idea of anyone telling me what/how to do anything. Such a rebel I am.

L

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Perhaps it's posted for those of us that *do* like lists. *laughs* And get something out of them.

[conjure-lass.livejournal.com]

I suppose. *lol* OooOooOoooo...maybe I should write my own list!

It would be SO BORING. *LOL*

[archangelbeth]

Sometimes people's creative processes mesh well with something, and it's good to hear validation! There being no one true way of writing, one needs to shop around for validation and discard the stuff that doesn't work. For instance, I have not yet been able to write fiction with an outline. An outline Kills. My. Creative. Process. Dead. Talking about what I want to write? Kills it dead.

Piers Anthony's process, Mercades Lackey's process... They're very heavily Outline Oriented. Seanan McGuire's process seems far less outline oriented, if she has outlines at all. Lois McMaster Bujold's process is sort of mini-outlining. While I have to know what my creative process is, so I can know to stay away from the things till I have some way to experiment "safely" with outlining, it can help to see what other people's processes are, and how something might help mine. Or to have mine validated!

I can get inspiration out of some people's lists. (Seanan McGuire's list is one of those.) Inspiration is a good thing!

Also, writers like feedback, validation, and getting stuff out of our heads and into other people's. It's why we write. If we didn't, our brains would get all splody.

Because I believe firmly in the art of over-sharing, I've decided to write down some of my conclusions about writing. [...] Because maybe that will get them out of my head, and allow me to get some goddamn work done. Your mileage will absolutely vary. You may look at my list and go 'wow, she's totally out of her tiny little blonde mind.' You may look at this list and go 'wow, I never thought of it that way.' And either way is totally fine. [...] [I]f we cloned my muse, the world would rapidly run out of absinthe and cherry pie.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

amen.

[conjure-lass.livejournal.com]

I've never really stopped to worry about the process upon which I build my work. I just sort of do it. Sometimes I make an outline, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I write for hours on end and get out thousands of words...sometimes I'm thrilled to get out one paragraph because it was just SO GOOD.

*taps finger to lips* I think on some level I don't like reading those lists because I feel like i'll then have to go through this long process validating my own work, my own way of doing things. It makes me feel as though somehow i'm lesser than someone else because I compare myself to them when I shouldn't. I think its a bit of insecurity in myself truthfully, but at least i'm aware of the problem.

*hee hee*

[archangelbeth]

And now you know! And, if you want, can look for stuff that validates "Every project is different" and ignore the "You Must Outline (or whatever)" crowd.

One thing that the Seanan-McGuire list has that's kind of useful to new authors, at least, is the stuff about trying to winnow out the killing criticism from the helpful criticism. That's always interesting for me, personally, because there's always a chance of a different nuance that will help me out.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that last one is a hard one for me.

All crit, even constructive, used to kill my motivation. I'm getting better at it, but still...

[archangelbeth]

*hugs* We criticize because we need the Nitpicking Essence we know how wincey a typo is? *wry smile*

I suppose playtests beat... some discouragement-from-criticism out of me. Certain kinds. Other kinds... are tough, still.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

*giggies at the crossout*

Yeah. I know how painful typos now are, I couldn't even *see* them before... but now. Yeah, those are much easier to take for me. I think it's experience and self-esteem, really. I'll get there. *grin*