Or stop being precious with your words
I’ve heard a lot of things in my time as a writer from other writers. I’ve even heard myself say a lot of things.
And when I say “things”, I’m trying not to say “stupid stuff”. One very cringy memory I have is from a writing class in college. (I had a slightly inflated head about writing because I thought I had just sold my first novel. Turned out that the publishing company was a hack, though I didn’t know it then) and when he asked what were some things we needed in order to write I said, like a dope, “Gummy bears.”
Gah. Still makes me cringe. Mostly because I can look back and shake my head at the ego without being able to warn my old self about what was coming down the pipeline: no sales, a poorly printed book and crushed dreams.
But I’m not writing this so that you can feel sorry for me and hopefully I’m not giving you a poor impression of me, either! What I want to talk about is when an author is wrong.
Wrong, you say? How can an artist ever be wrong?
A few weeks back I was brainstorming with an author who had written themself into a corner. We realized what needed to change to get out of the corner, but this writer sighed and said, “Yeah, but I have a rule of not going back and changing the beginning. You can get stuck there, you know.”
Well, okay. Yes, you can. But when it needs to change, it needs to change.
But I’ve been there. I’ve had some strange ideas in my writing career.
1. I needed to work only on the first chapter or part until it was perfect, then write the rest.
2. The scenes that created an emotional reaction in me obviously need to be there. No questions.
3. The characters come to me as fully realized people, already developed.
4. The plot will happen as I go.
5. I can stick things into the plot when needed to make it keep going forward.
6. Readers want a lot of description, so they know where the characters are.
7. If the beginning isn’t working, just add a different one.
8. The natural ending will come…naturally.
I’m sure I could come up with more if I gave myself more time.
I heard a well-established writer who has made a full career of writing say this, “Don’t be precious with your writing.”
This goes along the lines of what I learned with my first book when I was told to cut 30,000 words. EEK!
We have to stop clutching our writing to our chest. There are some truths we need to understand in order to do this:
1. You’re a talented writer. Period.
2. You can get the story right if you give yourself a chance.
3. The right words will come.
4. When you let go, it’s freeing.
5. Deleting the wrong words allows space for the right words.
6. You might not figure something out until almost the end of the story, even if you’re a plotter. Which may mean you have to go back and fix the beginning.
7. Doing the work is worth it. When it comes to selling the story to readers, you’ll know it’s the best it can be.
I want to encourage you ESPECIALLY to remember numbers 1 and 2 and, well, remember all of them. Despite writing being your natural talent, there are still some things we have to learn about storytelling. Sometimes we have to throw the precious chapters into the volcano in order for the PERFECT chapters for the story.
Sometimes that means tossing the beginning and rewriting it. Sometimes it means changing the ending. Sometimes it means getting rid of a character.
Whatever it is, it’s worth it for the story.
And remember, whatever you get rid of for one story, you may be able to use for another!