NaNo -- Interrupting your characters is rude
Monday NaNo word count = 2,484
Total NaNo word count = 31,768
Today marks two weeks that I've had my Netbook. And I have to say that I have a deep, abiding and obsessive love for the little writing dynamo. I've already used it twice while waiting in the dentist office, and once while waiting to get my hair cut. I can write ANYWHERE!
Well, almost. But not many people (at least not normal people) want to write in those "other places."
I started on Chapter 8 of Con & Conjure today and would like to finish it tomorrow. One thing I've noticed is that when I'm working this fast at such an intense level (for me, at least. Some authors knock out 3K a day as easy as sneezing) is that my writing is going off in directions that it needed to go, but I didn't plan on it going. And it's doing it FAST. I knew what I needed to have happen, but as usual, I didn't know how I was going to get there. But rather than sitting and pondering, I just turn my fingers loose on the keyboard and watch the magic happen. Character start talking, scheming, plotting -- and yes, blowing things up -- and it's my job to type fast enough to keep up.
To edit these conversations as they're taking place would be the same as walking up and interrupting two people talking to each other. It pisses them off, and gets you nothing but animosity. Belive me, you don't want your characters stalking off in a snit. If you just stand by quietly and listen to (and write down) what they're saying, you will learn all kinds of things that you didn't know, cool things that will take your plot in unexpected (and wonderful) directions.
So don't let your stodgy internal editor interrupt your characters. Put a muzzle on him, watch the magic unfold, and type as fast as you can.
Lisa
Total NaNo word count = 31,768
Today marks two weeks that I've had my Netbook. And I have to say that I have a deep, abiding and obsessive love for the little writing dynamo. I've already used it twice while waiting in the dentist office, and once while waiting to get my hair cut. I can write ANYWHERE!
Well, almost. But not many people (at least not normal people) want to write in those "other places."
I started on Chapter 8 of Con & Conjure today and would like to finish it tomorrow. One thing I've noticed is that when I'm working this fast at such an intense level (for me, at least. Some authors knock out 3K a day as easy as sneezing) is that my writing is going off in directions that it needed to go, but I didn't plan on it going. And it's doing it FAST. I knew what I needed to have happen, but as usual, I didn't know how I was going to get there. But rather than sitting and pondering, I just turn my fingers loose on the keyboard and watch the magic happen. Character start talking, scheming, plotting -- and yes, blowing things up -- and it's my job to type fast enough to keep up.
To edit these conversations as they're taking place would be the same as walking up and interrupting two people talking to each other. It pisses them off, and gets you nothing but animosity. Belive me, you don't want your characters stalking off in a snit. If you just stand by quietly and listen to (and write down) what they're saying, you will learn all kinds of things that you didn't know, cool things that will take your plot in unexpected (and wonderful) directions.
So don't let your stodgy internal editor interrupt your characters. Put a muzzle on him, watch the magic unfold, and type as fast as you can.
Lisa
posted by Lisa Shearin at
6:23 AM
5 Comments:
Congrats on reaching the general NaNo target! That's so awesome! I'm sure you'll continue to do really well. And I like the sound of characters having minds of their own - this'll be such a great book!
Thank you, Jo!
This is going to be a fun one to read. And good advice. Thanks. :)
Nice to know I'm not the only one with unruly characters! I once had a villan so secretive I didn't find out what he was up to until crunch time actually hit, and had to back-edit so it made sense. Fortunately, most of the other inner voices are more chatty than he was. They still suprise me, though.
Good luck with the keeping up!
I'm really impressed with how this is going. I'm glad to see that Monday was a particularly productive day! {BIG SMILE}
Anne Elizabeth Baldwin
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