Talking about stories too soon

I’ve been writing long enough that my manuscripts have been written in a variety of ways — slowly, at blazing-fast speed, with critique as I went along and not critiqued until it’s finished. I think all writers have to meander through these various methods to figure out what ultimately works for them. I’ve discovered that I work best when I write the first draft as quickly as I can, then take a week or two to let it sit and simmer before I dive into revising. This method may work for some and not for others. But I was happy to hear validation from Candy Havens, who was our main speaker at our chapter’s retreat over the weekend. She’s a big proponent of getting the first draft onto paper as quickly as possible.

I like this method because I feel like I’m in the zone, that the story is flowing more naturally. I’ve tried to go slower, and while this sometimes works for some types of stories, that’s not the norm. Usually if I write slowly, I don’t have as much enthusiasm and momentum for the story and it’s easier to just not write some days.

I also think there’s some danger in talking about a story too soon. You open yourself up to comments/critiques from others who while trying to genuinely help may instead stifle your enthusiasm. I’ve had to learn over time to trust my own writer’s instinct, which is one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my career. Also, take that internal editor and smack her upside the head. We have to do everything we can not to kill the magic of our storytelling.

What methods have worked best for you? Have they changed over time? Are they different for different types of books?

This entry was posted at 12:27 pm | Print This Post