Sometimes you change your process

[ksmith]

...and sometimes your process changes, and I have no clue whether that is what is going on here or not.

I've always been a linear writer. I wrote scenes in order, beginning to middle to end. Wrote the book in order, beginning to middle to end. I had tried more than once to write scenes out of order as a way to jumpstart the daily output, or because a scene begged to be written and I didn't have the patience to write the intervening stuff before giving in to the fun. That material, for the most part, did not make it into the final book. It didn't even make it into the draft, because when I went back and wrote the stuff leading up to it, things veered from target sufficiently that the out-of-order scenes didn't fit and couldn't be made to fit with what the work had become.

So what am I doing now? I'm currently writing a scene that takes place during the last third of the book. I swear, I don't see how the book as it is planned could do without this scene--I found some interesting info about death by pressing (not a way to go) that just fits the character involved, so I'm working out the scene. After that, I will work out another pivotal scene, then another and another, until I have this array of beads that will be (hopehopehope) ready for stringing.

I'll see how far this takes me. For the time being, I'm looking at is as writing-as-painting. Instead of perfecting one portion of the canvas before moving to the next, I'm sketching the scene entire. Then I'll move to washes of color. Then the details will be filled in, more and more and more. Until it's done, or I run out of green.

8398 words so far, during this 70 days of not-yet-breaking-a-sweat. Not where I thought I'd be when I started this exercise. I think I'm going to avoid mizkit's and cmpriest's running talleys for the duration, because they have written more in the first three and a half months of the year than I usually write in nine or ten. Figuring 225 words/page, I have written about 37 pages. I pumped that out in one day during the writing of ENDGAME, but iirc I had entered the panic zone. I'm not panicked yet, though I am worried. I keep telling myself that sometime in September, I will ponder selling my soul to get April back. That's the hook under my skin that I need to feel now. But baseball's begun and the Cubs are starting out well. I'm seeing daylight where the basement is concerned. I need to get those tomato seeds started. Wiscon is next month, and I'm already looking forward to it.

On the other hand, plot matters seem to be moving along. So, we'll see.

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

With the usual caveats about different processes, etc, I've found that a big multi layered thing seems to require working all over the place, going back and forth a lot.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

There's mystery to set up, so it may be good to see where I want to end up so I know how to arrange matters.

I foresee a lot of back-and-forth. I'll see how it goes.

[msagara.livejournal.com]

I think process does change with time; mine has, although not is as big a way.

And I think that at the point in which reading metrics moves from encouragement to discouragement, it's a good time to take a break from reading metrics. I know that people often sneer at low word count per day, but 300 words a day is 109,500 words a year.

Also? A lot of writers I know tend to write with a lot more focus when they feel a deadline looming Really Close By. Which is also part of process.

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

I have written an unnatural amount in the first 3.5 months of the year and would be REALLY HAPPY to be able to stop now.

Unfortunately I've got another book due the first of June (ahahahahah *that's* not going to get turned in on time) and so as far as I can tell the first half of this year is going to involve writing significantly more than I did in the entirety of last year. Sadly, I seriously doubt the second half of this year is going to involve lying on a beach sipping mai tais and sobbing with relief at not having anything to write. :p

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I don't know how you do it. I often think that I would love to have two series going at once, but unless the day job went away--and maybe even if the day job went away--I'm not sure I'd be able to sustain the necessary pace.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I know that people often sneer at low word count per day, but 300 words a day is 109,500 words a year.

I tell myself that it's a start, and that I should pick up the pace as the summer goes by. Allowing for rewrites, I should hit about 250K words by year's end, so. I definitely need to pick up the pace.

Also? A lot of writers I know tend to write with a lot more focus when they feel a deadline looming Really Close By. Which is also part of process.

I so wanted to avoid that this time, because while I produce a lot when the deadline looms, I also feel rotten. I don't sleep particularly well. The book is on my mind no matter what else I should be doing, and other things fall by the wayside...including things that really shouldn't fall by the wayside. Then there's that unrelenting sense of panic that I swear shaves years off my lifespan.

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

Well, it helps that I *don't* have a day job, but I also (genuinely, no pity party or anything involved) don't have much of a life, and haven't for years. And I'm exhausted, at this point, and once I get through this last horrible bit I'm scaling way the hell back. I don't know how I'm going to manage it, but I'm determined. Enough's enough. *squinchy face*

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

You're not the first writer whose output rate I've envied who's said they're plain tired of the grind. Which makes me think that I really need to stick with my one book a year.

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It's at least partly a work-life balance, and mine's badly out of whack. I've accomplished what I've wanted in these last few years of utter insanity, but it's in no way worth continuing at this rate. I know Charlie Stross is in more or less the same position: he's been working like a madman, and he's got certain things to show for it, but at the same time, God, what's the point if you can't enjoy yourself too? o.O

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I don't mean to sound flip, but that's a big reason why my "goal" is to write a series or in a genre or something where one book every year or 18 months is enough. Where it hits well enough. Yes, I would like to be Thomas Harris, why do you ask? Well, maybe not that much time between books.

And seriously, I know it's a matter of luck for that to happen. And, well, writing the right sort of book. So it isn't really a goal. More a hope. But I already know what a grind did to me, and I'm seeing what it's doing to others, and enjoyment is one of those intangibles that make life worth living.

So's doing what you love, but I remember how afraid I was when I thought I'd reached the point where I didn't love it anymore.

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

Oh, no, that doesn't sound flip at all. It really doesn't. I think I'd be really pretty content, myself, with managing 2 books a year (I /do/ write fast, and I don't think 2 books would prove too onerous for me; it's the 3 & 4 a year that's killing me!), but yeah, if you could get in a situation where you /could/ put out a book a year or every 18 months and be making money and not stressing yourself, that'd be *awesome*.

*wanders around trying to imagine such a world* :)

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

*wanders around trying to imagine such a world* :)

It's almost scary to contemplate.

I'm lucky in that I will have a retirement income that could supplement the book income. But neither is quite where it needs to be for me to contemplate throwing the day job under the bus.