9.24.2007

Writing Process-Editing

I'm interested in the writing process. I think it's fascinating to delve into the creative process and to think about how ideas grow into art. And I do think that clear writing is a product of attention to revision. But we each get their differently, I think.

Meg Gardiner is blogging about the deadline for her rewrite for the next in her Evan Delaney series. It seems that she pushes through the first draft and then does a pretty substantial revision afterward. I envy this approach. It allows for a certain sense of purpose in keeping the plot first. I admire it, but I can't adhere to it.

I keep a writing journal in addition to the day's work. Usually a paragraph in length, I write it on the page following where I left off on my prose. Then, each day prior to writing a new passage, I read and revise the previous day's work (usually three to eight pages). I find this helps me keep the thread of the plot in order, and it makes, generally, for a cleaner first draft. I'm hoping to submit sample pages on novel #2 by this Christmas (December 14, hopefully), so I'm hoping this leads to a more presentable draft.

I enjoy letting it rip. I love to turn the grammar and spell checker off and let the words pile up on the page without regard to the small stuff. But I find this measured approach keeps me centered on the story and leads to more fruitful work in the interim.

So what works best for you? How much time in your daily writing routine do you devote to editing and polishing?

Join us tomorrow when we chat speculative fiction. On Wednesday we'll discuss research, with a neat link to a story on how one of Florida's finest approaches the creative process.

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