By Brenda W Hargroves
Everyone has their aha moments. Today, I would like to share mine about 1) writing the first draft; 2) the “info dump” trap; 3) making investments in your writing and 4) the investment that has benefited me the most.
Your first draft, or is it? So far, the most eye-opening lesson I’ve learned about writing a novel is that your first go-around is not your draft. It is merely an idea, which you must then develop into a draft. And with each pass-through, even your draft will likely end up a completely different story. Truly, that is the art of creativity which keeps a writer painfully enduring the process of making hundreds of edits.
My first article about the writer’s journey cites two readers’ responses to the question – when are you done editing? I later received another answer. “Editing is finished when they tear the blood-stained manuscript out of your hands as you scream, one more pass, I need to make one more pass!” I can so relate.
What to do about those darlings? Back story often contains your darlings – things you want the reader to know about your character’s personality or background information (“info dump” as referred to by the industry). I faced this dilemma. A beta reader suggested I downplay my main character’s past relationships. On the other hand, a potential agent expressed interest because she could relate to the character’s relationship experiences.
A famous William Faulkner rule states: “In writing, you must kill all your darlings.” This and other rules are often followed by the disclaimer – Sometimes breaking the rules is OK. After all, Katherine Hepburn said, “If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.”
Let’s face it, sometimes you just don’t want those darlings to die. So, what do you do?
Figure out a way to make them relevant. It’s tricky, but it can be done. Here are two examples of how to discreetly include “info dump” you simply can’t let go of.
Fit it into the story. How can you make your character’s lifelong struggle with her weight matter to the plot?
Slip it into your dialogue. Readers get bored with run-on narrative. I know I do. You can often interject darlings into a character’s conversation or passing thought.
You can’t do it all for free. No, but you can get quite a bit done before plopping down your credit card. Every webinar facilitator points out (I paraphrase), “I admit, you could probably learn the techniques or tips we discussed today by yourself. But it will likely take a lot longer than if you invest in your success by purchasing our product. XXX provides a method to successfully reach your goal and avoid costly, time-consuming mistakes. And after all, time is of the essence!”
Whenever my writing buddy/social media mentor cannot readily answer my question, she always falls back on the line, “You have the time to do the research.” It took me a while to learn to appreciate her answer. It’s true. For all intents and purposes, I am retired. I’m not trying to develop or nurture a career to support me or my family. I can afford to take the time to listen to as many no-fee master classes, read as many articles and sit in on as many free webinars as I choose. The key is to recognize there are some tasks you simply don’t want to do or don’t do well enough to meet your objectives. You may need tools, software or specific services in order to achieve the desired results. That’s when it’s time to pony up and make a financial investment.
Tip of the day: When you’re stuck, you can’t beat Google. It has often taken me directly to instructions on my website that answer a question or resolve a site management issue.
You shouldn’t try to do it by yourself. – Again, I must emphasize that the one expense I’ve found most valuable was membership in a writer’s group. Your tribe will encourage you not to procrastinate. Members will enthusiastically answer questions about writing and the publishing industry. They also provide simple, sometimes not-so-simple, ideas and suggestions to improve your writing in ways you never thought of. They proofread and edit with you. And most important, they make writing a much less lonely road to travel.
I’m sure I’ll come up with more stellar observations about the writing process during my journey. For now, please feel free to share an ‘aha moment’ in the comment section. I’d love to hear from you.
Write on!
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