Can You See My Spilled Guts?
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 Question of the day: I know you really struggled with the writing process for much of your third book, then the last 20K words flew out of you. Looking back, do you see any difference in the quality of writing between the hard-fought and the easy pages? I think a lot of us think we need to be inspired to write, and to have it flow cleanly, so I'd be curious to see if you noticed a difference.
This is an excellent question, and I'm not sure if I can answer it, but I'll give it a try. It was actually probably more like the last 30k words of my manuscript that I just banged out over two or three weeks or so. It was like I was possessed. One of the downsides, I've realized, of writing without any plan or outline in mind, is that when you're writing a particularly tricky manuscript - The One That I Want is almost a thriller in which all the pieces come together in the end - it's REALLY beneficial to your writing (and your mental health), to KNOW the end before you get there. Er, which I didn't. What I mean by that is that, in retrospect, I think I struggled so much on the first half of the book because I was throwing puzzle pieces in the manuscript but didn't know where or how they fit together. And just like an actual puzzle, once you see the general framework, filling in the rest is a lot easier.
So, to that end, do I see a difference in the writing? Hmmm, no, I don't think the writing is any different on the pages I shed blood for and on the pages that felt effortless. At least not in the final product - in the initial drafts, yes: because that last chunk was easier, the writing read, well, easier - it flowed better because I knew what the hell I was doing, so naturally, that led to more confident writing. But that's why I had as many drafts as necessary to get the first two-thirds right. My first draft might have been miserable, but hopefully, my sixth one was not...and if I did my job well, readers will be none the wiser that first draft sucked. :)
That said, I'll be very curious to hear what readers have to say. That's the interesting part of what happens in this process: it's very difficult - as you know - to be objective about your own work...sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Who knows if I'm being too hard on myself (probably) or if readers will indeed sense the difference between those initial chapters and the last? I'd like to think that a decent writer can mask his or her own struggle because that's sort of part of our job, no? I mean, I can share this publicly because you guys are writers and we commiserate together, but 99% of my readers won't know that this book was hard for me to write, and I'm interested to hear their take. Maybe some will indeed sense that struggle, but again, I hope - for my sake AND theirs - that with the rounds of edits I poured into it, that the finished product speaks for itself. God knows, and I think a lot of writers feel this way, that if anyone read my early drafts, I'd be forced to resign my professional author badge on the spot!
I'm also interested in hear your experience too: readers - have you ever struggled with sections of your book or entire books? If so, could anyone tell the difference? I'm truly intrigued by this question.
craftt
Reader Comments (10)
I agree in that I can't tell the difference - in terms of quality - of work that is banged out in a white heat versus painfully pulled from my brain one letter at a time. I do notice that I often forget what I write in a white heat, so sometimes when I go back I am surprised and delighted with what I find. But despite that, I am almost always more partial to the work that was labor intensive. Why? Because every word, every sentence was hard fought and hard won. It was so excruciating to get down and I am amazed when it is actually any good. But still - despite my preferences - the quality is pretty much the same.
As a writer, I think the difference is negligible, if it exists at all. I've written awesome stuff when I'm in a hurry, and when I'm slow and deliberate. I've also written crap in both situations. It's much less about the speed and much more about direction, focus, and immersion in the story. Do I have those 3 things in that moment, or not?
As a reader, there are definitely parts in some books that I struggle to get through, but of course there's no way to know if those parts correspond with what was difficult for the author to write.
I don't believe in inspiration as the key driver of success. I think it's a helpful ingredient, but like nuts in a brownie, it can only enhance, it's not really vital.
I love your answer!
If I'm really struggling with a scene, I have to re-write it a number of times, but I can't see a difference in terms of quality between that section and pages that flow cleanly. And I'm so happy about that - and glad the other writers who commented feel the same way. It means we can dispense with some of the self-doubt and just write the freaking pages!
I enjoyed your post, Allison, because this is definitely something I've wondered about. But unlike Rebecca, I have not yet learned to appreciate the words squeezed out like blood onto the page because if, ultimately, the work is the same regardless of the amount of inner turmoil, I'd much rather produce the pages effortlessly! There is a danger to words coming too easily, though. This summer, I started a project that wasn't "fully baked," trying to wing it like I've heard so many authors do. Apparently, I am not a "pantser" because although I produced 150 pages effortlessly, I felt it was basically inferior work and tossed out the whole thing. I just went back to an idea I got last January that had been marinating upstairs for about a year, and I'm so much happier with the results. I think sometimes when we think we're being inspired, it's really that our subconscious has been working on the pages all along!
Do you think your last book was more difficult than this book because you were writing a thriller, which was different than what you'd written before?
Also, you mentioned writing several drafts, did you share those rough drafts with a critique group or your editor, or just yourself?
Thanks, everyone, for typing out your thoughts. I feel like I learn a lot from you guys too!
Suzanne - great question and one worth pulling out to the main blog. So I'll post in on Thurs!
This is a great question! After many drafts, it's hard to remember what came out seamlessly and what was hard fought. The key is to make it all appear seamless, as if the book was written in one, perfect, magical sitting. Being a singer/songwriter, I can compare it to getting a song (or a vocal track) recorded on the "first take." It doesn't mean it's any better than the fifth take would have been and, truth be told, usually the fifth take is better than the first because you've worked through every nuance. As artists, we tend to want to get every little detail right - to hit all the right notes - and to make the reading experience as perfect as we can from beginning to end.
I find it takes less effort to write about the bad guys. I must be subconsciously channeling myself because it's way TOO easy to write about them!
I find that the words that come easily to me are always my favorite parts of my writing..I need inspiration before I can really be happy with what I write. When I have to sit and force myself to write, even though I know I have nothing to say, I end up writing a whole lot of nothing. I'm like Eva-I haven't learned to appreciate those hard times, yet.
For me, it's always the mid-story goblin that impedes the progress of my novel. I've given one novel up halfway because I realised I didn't plan well enough. I didn't dig hard into my character and find out what she wanted, and how she was going to get it. But once I get over, say, pg 200 or so, the ending comes so easily I'd struggle to keep up with the words coming out of me. And that's the part I love most - it's so exhilarating!