Some Discussion of My Drafting Process

[cathschaffstump]

Time to confess. I am about to move out of first drafting and into second drafting.

Wait, you might say. You’re still writing the first draft of HH:PW. Ah, that I am, little buckaroos. And I still intend to have my first draft done by October 1st.

However, writing for many of us is a lot like taking a 4X4 out into the mud. You might remember doing this, back in the days of plentiful gas. I’ve actually only ever done this in my metaphorical redneck imagination, but if I *had* done it, I would’ve gotten mud everywhere. Yup, windows, doors, mud flaps…the salient point here is that writing gets messy.

So, I can write for a while, but that gets my brain clicking away on how it could be better almost immediately. Then I’ll start noticing crap, like how I really don’t know jack about wrestling maneuvers, or how I want the plot to go one way, not the way I originally thought. The characters’ voices become different than I thought, I’ll need to draw characters out in different ways than I thought, you get the idea.

So, then, I have to go back and re-frame and refocus. Then I’ll go back to that first draft, and expand, seriously expand what’s there. I’ll whack what I think sucks, and then I’ll add in those things that I wanted to after re-framing. So we’re sort of in the first and second drafts at the same time.

I know you guys do this. I know you do. Especially those of you who aren’t outliners?

So. Right now, tonight, after I’m done with my small confessional, my immediate task is to outline the labors, figuring out which ones will be wrestling labors, which ones will be zoo labors, and which ones will be Hera induced labors. Then I will weave in all the Tony/Bianca/Hannah school plots. Then the Modern Gods parts of the plot. The Hera plot points. The Leo/Diana/Polly subplots. The Tony/Bianca/Hannah subplots. And then I’ll organizing and expanding what I’ve already written, and take first cracks at what I haven’t.

So, bottom line is this: You won’t see a word count meter for a little bit. I’ll get started getting organized in Scrivener. I will continue to weigh in here. Remember, it keeps me honest.

I’m very interested in any discussion you’d like to share on your own process. To me, that’s fascinating stuff.

Off to outline in Scrivener. Woot!

Catherine

Originally published at Writer Tamago. You can comment here or there.

Comments

[pubd2b.livejournal.com]

the more i write the slower the process gets. i just cannot turn off the critic in my head long enough to get the first draft out. i think if i assuage my critic with "just let me finish this bit, then you can edit" maybe she will shut up and let me write.

[awelkin.livejournal.com]

That is a problem lots of writers have. At least I can turn the critique off long enough to get something to work with!

Catherine

[ecmyers.livejournal.com]

I know lots of writers do this, but I make a conscious effort not to (and I work without an outline).

When I know that an earlier chapter or scene isn't going to work or needs significant adjustment to match something I've just written, I make a note of it then I pretend that I've already made the change. Everything I write from the point I make that decision is based on whatever changes I plan to make later.

This is really important to me because it keeps the momentum up and ensures I do finish the first draft, rather than constantly revising as I write. It's also helpful because I might change my mind two or three more times, in which case I would find myself rewriting the opening chapters over and over again, when I could have just saved myself some trouble by waiting until I have the rest of it written and the piece as a whole worked out. If I keep writing the same scenes without forward progress, I can get frustrated or lose my enthusiasm for the whole thing, but so far with my method, I actually build up excitement about the revision by waiting until the end. The point is to keep it all as flexible as possible, so I'm not afraid to make big changes if the story calls for it. I'm not so invested in those earlier chapters yet, so I can revise them ruthlessly.

But that's what I love about this business--we all have a different approach! And admittedly, I've only written one and a half novels so far, so my process may very well change...

[cathschaffstump.livejournal.com]

That really sounds like a good way to do it, and a very wise one.

Catherine

[kurtoons.livejournal.com]

This might interest you. It touches on drafting, improv and Bizzaro-speak. Also the outfits worn by the Men's Volleyball Team, but that's beside the point.

http://www.comicmix.com/news/2008/08/13/unscripted-by-elayne-riggs/

[krysta-3.livejournal.com]

Hey there! Interesting stuff! And such a coincidence that you wrote about this (of course, this is three days after the fact, but still--I just now got around to reading it). Yesterday, I posted about my writing process on my LJ. Or at least, on how I START a story. Get an idea, etc...

Your WIP sounds awesome! I work in a middle school library, and ever since Percy Jackson came along, mythology is HUGE on every kid's must read list. I think you have a real chance of getting picked up with this!

I understand the truant counter. I'm in the process of writing a series proposal at the moment, so I'm not raking in my usual productivity of late.

Ah well. It's all part of the biz.

[cathschaffstump.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the compliment on the idea.

Actually, this isn't going to be the book that gets me picked up, although it's a great resume builder. This book is already under contract with Cats Curious Press. I was approached by sonyamsipes to write this book on the strength of some other material she had seen, and I figured it would be good to have a published book out there. I think it will be beneficial to Cat's Curious as well, because this could be very marketable for them if I do my job.

Um...however, there has already been interest in the movie rights in a couple of higher places, so it's my hope that THAT might get me representation if I haven't procured it by the time Hulk Hercules is out in September 2009.

Patience is a virtue, although there are times I could be more virtuous.

Catherine

[krysta-3.livejournal.com]

Wow! Congrats on the small press's interest in your work! It's a rare thing to hear of a publisher coming to an author on spec of a new book. You must have really knocked their socks off with that other material. Good Job!

Wow, and as to the movie rights, that's very exciting stuff. One of the ladies in my crit group has had some interest in her new suspense series--not for movie rights but as a possible tv series, sort of like "Saving Grace" (http://youtube.com/watch?v=IJHHrBy4yk8). It's amazing when an editor/publisher can see that much potential in your work.

Good luck, and keep us up on everything. I'm very excited for you!

[cathschaffstump.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Catherine