I want to embark on a new project. I have a novel about a young woman in mind. I have a working title. I have an idea and in my usual impatient way I want to know all about it before I’ve begun. As always I’m in danger of thinking the story, of writing it in my head before I get to the paper. But I know from experience that allowing the story to emerge on paper through the writing will mean it will be a different story, infinitely richer, fresher and more exciting.
Things come to us when we write that don’t come to us when we think, words or phrases slip out that become somehow significant, new characters appear, new dilemmas – suddenly a line will take us by surprise and we’ll think, I didn’t know that, and it will change everything. That is the magic of writing.
I learned this in writing my short stories. It was something I was aware of before but in writing a number of stories I got to practice it more. My method was this: have an idea, have a character and a setting in mind, make them wait, do not plan what is going to happen to them, let them just rest in your head, search for a beginning, a line to get you started, one line will do – then at a time you’ve chosen take your notebook and pen write down your first line and GO. Do not stop, do not even collect £200 when you pass GO again, just keep writing oblivious of anything else or what is going down on the page – worry about that later. Try not to stop even if you feel stuck, write on, write anything as this is often the time when something new will arrive to surprise you. Trust what emerges. First writing is invariably the most original and creative which is why I like to use a notebook before I think of putting anything onto the computer.
As far as thinking’s concerned that can come later when you have the bones of the story – when you come to add to it: thicken its threads, solve its problems, make it work, edit it, that’s when thinking is important. Now all I need do is follow my own advice!
The young woman in my story has grown up with this painting
Wonderful advice as always Avril. It’s been a long while since I have been here but I am just as happy to read your words as ever. I have buckled down to compiling 26 poems for a collection to be submitted to a writing contest. I am loving the process of choosing, revising, discarding and coordinating according to a theme. More and more ideas evolve as I press forward. Writing is a magical process as you say. I can’t imagine how someone who has not experienced it for themselves can understand and accept the truth of it.
Hi Ann – how lovely to hear from you! Such a happy surprise to open up and see your thoughtful comments. It’s wonderful that you are putting a collection of your poems together – how exciting. I wish you good luck in the contest but know that often the real reward comes in the process which you describe so well of choosing, revising etc. It really does honour what we do.
I do hope we’ll have the opportunity to read at least some if not all of the collection. I see you are posting again on your blog – so I’m off there now to take a look. A x
I often think of the zeitgeist of my novel first, and this is usually coloured by music. For example, much of my current novel will be set in a room, two characters talking across a table. For me, these conversations have always sounded contrapuntal- Bach’s, The Art of Fugue, perhaps. And for the chapters that render a specific point in history, there is Stravinsky, Le Sacre du Printemps, for sure.
Yes, I think this helps – I tend to do it too but not so much with music but certainly with mood helped by season and setting and always for me with colour. Each book is a different colour.
Your ideas about writing are all of as piece. Not frontiers or boundaries. Your posts a;ways generate such interesting and thoughtful replies. Sign of a good teacher,