I used to write fast. Not blazing fast, but 2000 words in a few hours wasn't out of the ordinary. 2000 words for me now... if I hit that in a day, I'm over the moon. A part of this slowness stems from the fact that I've switched how I write, going from pantsing it to editing as I go. Heavily. But there are a couple of things in particular that kill my momentum when I'm writing/editing:
1.) Boring sentences. Most books have them. I open the door. Sure, you can make that I open the door, wondering what horror next awaits or some such, but sometimes a door is just a door and your person needs to go outside without having thought tension involved. However, I don't want my person to just open the door. I want to expedite the boring to the point that it's either non-extinct or folded in well enough to disappear. Pain in the ass.
2.) Segues. Moving from one scene to the next in a fluid, logical manner, while keeping it interesting, informative. Relates to number 1 b/c lots of time my segues involve a change of scenery... damn doors.
3.) Dialogue. Used to come easily. Now I am very particular about trying to keep it concise, in voice, and informative. The biggest problem with dialogue for many, I think, is that it comes too easily and thus can allow for scene looseness, either in establishing an authentic environmental atmosphere or propelling the story in the correct direction. Figuring out how to convey the scene feeling in a believable, entertaining, and propulsive way is one of the most challenging elements in writing, IMO.
What about you? Which elements give you the most pause?
With me, it's setting. I find that in earlier drafts, my characters are just floating in space. This didn't used to bother me, but now I try to pay more attention to this as I'm drafting so I have a more concrete sense of place from the start.
ReplyDeleteDescription. Either I don't know what anything looks like (and, often, don't care), or I do know, but I don't know what's important enough to the character to mention.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, it's mostly plot hiccups. Corners I paint them into that are impossible to get out of, or motivation changes that don't make sense or aren't strong enough. Stuff like that.
Boring sentences slow me down and...i know this probably sounds weird...when things just fall into place. Yes, when the plot is outlined and the writing comes easy it will actually slow me down because I question the quality of what I'm writing. Because in my mind, apparently good shouldn't be easy.
ReplyDeleteAnna, setting's a biggie for me, though I tend to be rather minimalistic in approach, so it's more a speed bump than a wall.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya on description, Mr. Heine. I describe as little as possible. And plot corners... ha! I currently need to rework a scene in which I broke the laws of physics. c'est la vie.
Anita, when things fall into place... that is quite a great feeling, but I understand the mindset of doubt. Oh, yes I do. I put a hex on it every day, but it does not seem to be working.
Description seems to be my Achilles' heel. Fortunately I've had great critique partners and help so I'm able to insert it. Sometimes I have go back and insert it after I write. I think it was Todd Stone who said in his workshop, Novelist Bootcamp: "When you're creating, create. When you're editing, edit." Basically when you're writing, just write and edit things later. I'm taking that advice to heart on a project I'm working on :-)
ReplyDeleteTOTALLY! I was a really fast writer when I started. And I vomited sentences without even taking a peek behind. But now I also edit as I go. I add description, change sentence structures, and as you, I worry about segues (among other things). That makes me really slow now. :P
ReplyDeleteBethany,descriptions definitely a backseater for me... one of the few things I tend to not worry about (though when I do, it sucks hard).
ReplyDeleteMonica, I'm glad to know I'm not alone in my segues struggles (those are the sentences I change most, 5 - 10 times at least :)