Writing in a Time of Nothing Else to Do

Today in NEWS HISTORY: The border with Canada is being closed—mostly.

See, when the US stopped all flights to and from Europe (except, at the start, the UK and Ireland, because that strain wouldn’t affect Americans?) there was a huge uproar. It was unilateral for one, and very sudden. Now—equally suddenly and less than a week later—the border with Canada is, by decree of both the President and Prime Minister, closed to all but essential duties.

Trade is being counted as essential, and thank goodness for that.

This gets back to my earlier point about planning for after the Quarantine. Life will go one, but if we let it stop now then it’ll be harder to get it back up and running.

So, to keep myself busy, I’m turning to writing. I’m even getting back to this blog fairly regularly. And what’s the topic for today?

WRITING

Pictured: A good idea for someone 30 years older than me.

Specifically, how to start a piece (or opus , if you’re feeling fancy). See, I’d argue that some people have good ideas from time to time. I’d even argue that most people have them often. 

No, not that kind of good idea.

 
The issue is how or where to start.

“All stories start with characters.” I read that on a lesson plan once, and just about put that advice where it belongs: burning into a trash-heap of chemical weapons.

Yes, some stories start with character, but not all stories. How do I know this? Because that’s how I write. My characters ALways come last.

I start with plot. I know my start and my goal, and then I figure out how to get there. Problem solved, book written, time to get $1,000,000 dollars, right?

Wrong.

So, here’re my steps to writing a novel. Note: I have never published anything. My knowledge of writing is ad hoc at best—and partially contradictory at worst. If someone smarter than me with more experience says that I’m wrong, then brain them with that grain of salt because I’m right listen to what they have to say. Note 2: I’m a pantser. That means my first draft is my outline, which means I do more re-writes.

Step 1) Know thy strengths.

Good for life, so-so for Scrabble, bad for Life.

As far as I can tell, people tend to be stronger in one of three categories: plot, characters, or world. When you read a story, what are you drawn to? Do you fall in love with the character and write bad slash fiction where Frodo is saved by Iron Man? Do you delve into the lore of George RR Martin so deeply that he asks you to fact check him? Or do you like tinkering with the plot, reveling in tropes and coming up with twists and turns that no one sees coming?

Find your strength, and start there.

Step 2) Use your strength

Just because it's a strength doesn't mean it's easy.

Just start writing. Give me a character bio, or a historical description of the world. Write a journey where nothing matters because the characters are paper-thin. Get the words on the page—you can tinker with them later. It doesn’t have to be good (yet), but it should be something because…
 
Step 3) Add in another layer

Oooh, pretty...

My first drafts are basically plot outlines. I know the goal, I just need to fit the details in between. However, they’re really boring and unengaging [screw you, Microsoft, that’s a word] because (spoiler alert) none of my characters care about what’s going on.

So, my next step is to add character, right? Wrong. I suck at characters and dialogue, so instead I start adding in world details. I write those histories and the societies. Basically, why does the plot matter to the world and the civilizations in it?

For you, find out which of the remaining categories is easier and work with that. Rewrite your chapters, and this time focus on adding in those details. If you’re adding world, then describe what’s going on around the story and how the story impacts it. If you’re adding in character, then think about their motivations and what drives them to complete the story. If you’re adding in plot, then focus on the parts that impact and/or change the world and/or characters (believe me, the color coding was necessary).

So, you’ve rewritten everything and added in all those details. That means…

Step 4) Add in that last part.

There, a motivational cat poster. MOTIVATION ACTIVATE!!

By now, you should have enough context to fill in the gaps. For me, I’ve written my characters enough times that I can figure out their motivations and give them half-way decent dialogue. For adding in the world, look for gaps where the scenery enhances the action. For adding in the plot, look for the intersections of impact for characters and world (no color coding necessary). Please see previous section for details on what I mean by that.

Now that you’ve rewritten your work a third time, you get to…

Step 5) Rewrite until you’re happy

'Cause it's the icing on the cake!

I’m never happy with my work. That’s a lie—I love editing it to shreds. But eventually, the editing process has to stop. My current work is getting really close—and with this quarantine, I should have plenty of time—but it’s not there yet. Every time I rewrite it gets better, and every time it gets better it gets closer to being published.

And why do I want it so good?

Why, to be as amazing as possible for my kids.

This has been another Adventure in the Austentatious. If you like it, tell your friends. If you hated it, tell your enemies. And if you don’t care either way then tell everybody.

Happy Quarantine! (All images thanks to Creative Commons)