The return of The Notepad
I've been doing a brief session every night (no more than half an hour) with me and my notepad sitting in the "video gaming chair" in my office. For those of you unfamiliar with video gaming chairs, they're for playing video games in front of the TV. Mine is like a bean bag with a high back. Very comfy; uber cool -- and best of all, incredibly conducive to creative thought, at least for me. It's my "no-pressure creative place."
I've discovered that when I'm starting a book, I have to give my brain time to get back up to writing speed after a month or so of doing nothing but editing. Thanks to my plot synopsis, I know how Con & Conjure starts, but I don't necessarily know what the repercussions of my characters' actions will be. Let me explain.
I can know in my gut what's supposed to happen in a chapter, but when my characters get loose, new avenues of action open up. I can't just flip a coin and pick a road. I have to know how the actions of the first chapter lead to a second chapter, and how characters and scenes build on each other to get me to my next major plot point. And as all you writers know, forcing characters do something they don't want to do is the writer equivalent of shooting yourself in the foot. It'll throw you off schedule, and potentially screw up a section of the book.
I typically start my notepad work by stating the problem/situation. For example, Raine is confronted with a potentially explosive situation. And in this instance the explosion is literal and large. Raine has to have a reason for reacting the way she does, and naturally Raine trying to do the right thing gets her into the worst kind of trouble.
For me, that kind of brain work is best done on a notepad. I feel more free to explore my thoughts on paper than a computer, and for some reason, the ideas come a lot faster, usually complete with dialogue. Once I'm sufficiently jump-started, I move over to my desk and computer and get to work in earnest.
Come back tomorrow and I'll tell you about my contest for The Trouble with Demons swag prizes.
Lisa
I've discovered that when I'm starting a book, I have to give my brain time to get back up to writing speed after a month or so of doing nothing but editing. Thanks to my plot synopsis, I know how Con & Conjure starts, but I don't necessarily know what the repercussions of my characters' actions will be. Let me explain.
I can know in my gut what's supposed to happen in a chapter, but when my characters get loose, new avenues of action open up. I can't just flip a coin and pick a road. I have to know how the actions of the first chapter lead to a second chapter, and how characters and scenes build on each other to get me to my next major plot point. And as all you writers know, forcing characters do something they don't want to do is the writer equivalent of shooting yourself in the foot. It'll throw you off schedule, and potentially screw up a section of the book.
I typically start my notepad work by stating the problem/situation. For example, Raine is confronted with a potentially explosive situation. And in this instance the explosion is literal and large. Raine has to have a reason for reacting the way she does, and naturally Raine trying to do the right thing gets her into the worst kind of trouble.
For me, that kind of brain work is best done on a notepad. I feel more free to explore my thoughts on paper than a computer, and for some reason, the ideas come a lot faster, usually complete with dialogue. Once I'm sufficiently jump-started, I move over to my desk and computer and get to work in earnest.
Come back tomorrow and I'll tell you about my contest for The Trouble with Demons swag prizes.
Lisa
Labels: writing tips
posted by Lisa Shearin at
6:26 AM
8 Comments:
I always seem to work better with pen and paper when planning things - whatever it is - than I am on computer. It sounds odd, but I can word my thoughts better with a pen than with a keyboard. It's like the pen is an extention of my brain, so the thoughts just flow out, where as I actually have to think aout wording to type. My head works weirdly :)
Ohh, looking forward to the contest!
I work better with pen and paper, too. I can't write my drafts on the computer, only do editing and polishing.
I also know what you mean about the notebook. Whenever I get to a spot I'm having trouble with or am not quite sure which way to take the story or whatever, I just write out a journal-style entry exploring all the possibilities. It works really well for me.
Explosions! Fun.
I prefer typing to writing longhand because when I type, I can actually read what I said. Also, it seems more `real' to me.
If I'm trying to trick my brain into being less critical, I'll sometimes noodle around in long-hand. If I'm REALLY stuck, I sometimes spend a day or so drawing, just to do something creative in a different medium. It actually does help.
It takes the pressure off to work longhand on a notepad. As I tell my hubby "I'm scribbling." For some reason it gives my creativity more freedom. And it's a great way for me to kick off a new chapter.
I normally write the whole first draft longhand, then copy it into the computer. I like that method because 1) it forces me to revise when I copy it, and 2) my computer is a desktop, so this is the easiest way to get a "change of scenery." I find moving somewhere else quite conducive to writing, for some reason. {Smile}
Hi Anne Elizabeth,
When I first started writing, I'd write my entire manuscript long-hand and then copy (while editing) onto my typewriter. Yep, I used what felt like a 50-lb. Royal manual typewriter -- twas the days before computers.
And a change of scenery while writing (esp. when you hit a tough patch) is incredibly helpful
Lisa
I have to write out the whole thing longhand before I even go near the computer, or I fall into the trap of editing before the story's finished and stall. On the other hand, as I actually write faster than I type, this isn't so much of an issue as it could be...
I'm going to be trying a different way to write Con & Conjure -- I'll tell you all about it on Monday. ; )
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