4 Truths To Remember

I wrote this for my Regional Wrimos, and thought I would share it here as well. Rules 1-3 pertain to the writing life in general, and should always be kept in mind for a First Draft. May they serve you well.

Truth #1: First drafts are NEVER perfect.

So don’t expect yours to be! All seasoned writers, especially professional ones, will attest this is a universal truth. Any who say otherwise are lying through their hats (whatever that means, but they’re still lying). This month your story will veer helplessly into gray, boring areas. The dialogue will get away from you – as will your characters. But don’t despair! Just wrangle everything as well as you can, and once you’ve got your 50,000 words nice and settled in, you can attack them in January with editing vigor and cut and add and polish them until they shine. First: get your words written. THEN worry about perfection.

Truth #2: “Writer’s Block” does not exist.

So many people talk about the horrors of “writer’s block.” I am here to tell you now: IT DOES NOT EXIST. What we call “writer’s block” is usually one of two things. (1) Merely a hitch in the story, be it an uncooperative character, a plot falling short of its mark, or general confusion as to where the darned story is going! Or (2) pure and simple laziness, which is a disease that can run rampant among aspiring and seasoned writers alike (beware!). So when you find yourself “blocking” and that horrible term pops into your head, remember: it’s all in your head. Step back – peruse your notes and read through the last few paragraphs (but don’t edit!) to see what’s hitched in your story. If you can’t find a solution, skip over the whole section and start writing another part. Maybe once you have a better idea of where the story is going, you’ll see where you went wrong and will be able to fix it later. Or evaluate your state of being – perhaps all you need is a good power nap on the couch. But don’t lie there all day – make sure you’re up and writing after a short while!

Truth #3: Writing rules are made to be broken.

There seem to be so many restrictive rules to writing that we must follow or never be accepted into the “writing community.” But think about it: if everyone followed ALL the rules of writing, would ANYONE be published? Probably not. So this month, forget all the rules! If your writing seems a little crazy, a little off the wall, don’t fret it! Remember: you can always edit it later. You never know what breaking the rules will inspire in your story! And as for grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation – if they’re bringing you down, ditch those too! You can correct your overabundant adjectives and break those run-on sentences after you’re done, so shut off your spellcheck and get typing!

Truth #4: Nano is about getting the idea down into words – and having fun!

Getting the story down is the hard part. Once it’s written, EVERY SINGLE WORD can be changed for the better – so don’t worry about getting it perfect the first time! Just enjoy the thrill of writing and have as much fun as possible. Nanowrimo is an exciting adventure – treat it as such!

Rule #1: In late, out early

"In late, out early." This is one of the most well-used and well-known writing sayings today simply because it should always be followed. (This is especially true of YA fiction and younger genres, though apparently not so much for adult fiction if most published works are any indication - but don't get me started on that.)

This saying literally means you should begin each chapter (or scene) either at the last possible moment before or right after something interesting happens - and then end the chapter/scene right after it's over. No backstory infodump, no unnecessary description, no filler. Just the best bits of the story - not much more, not much less.

Backstory is mainly for the author's information only. Plot and write whatever backstory you need to, but unless it's absolutely necessary to the story, you shouldn't use it in the book. If you do need to explain something about a character's past, or perhaps a bit of world history, mix it into another necessary scene - don't just infodump it wherever it "feels right." The same goes for description. Weave it into the narrative using the character's senses. Don't "set the scene" (start a scene with a block of description) unless the scene truly needs setting (and in most cases, it doesn't).

The only time filler is appropriate is for pace padding (so the story flows properly), and even then filler should only be necessary information to further the story. I just used a bit of filler in ID - I felt the need to expound a few paragraphs on EP and AD's history together while they were driving to NYC. When I got done, though, I felt a bit dirty for throwing in the part-flashback/part-infodump scrap of filler, and will most likely trim it down to bare facts in editing.

Every scene, paragraph, sentence, even word, should inform the reader of necessary information and move the story along. If it doesn't do this, it doesn't belong. I don't care if it's your favorite scene in which Martin goes to the Laundromat to wash his socks and runs into a batty old woman. If this old woman (or his socks) doesn't end up predicting a dastardly event in Martin's future, and instead simply annoy him, then the reader doesn't need to know about it. I don't care how many hours you put into crafting the old woman (or his socks). (But if it's already written, don't toss it! Literary Deleted Scenes now have a place: on your website.)

Now, I'm not saying that you should fret every time you begin a chapter/scene, worrying if you're starting at the right point. The First Draft is for getting down whatever flows out of you. If Martin suddenly goes to the Laundromat, let him. He may end up just washing his socks, or the batty old woman may predict his death. It isn't until later drafts that you need to worry if something furthers the story or not. Write whatever comes to you - and then prune it like a bonsai later.