Writerly Witterings May 24, 2007
Posted by Jen in : Bits and Pieces, Journal, Novel , 9commentsOoh, I’m feeling all popular today! And just a little bit important. The reason for such jollity? I have been tagged by Cally – and a writing tag, to boot! Crumbs, I have come over all ‘jolly Jilly Cooper’ for the occasion. In my usual mode of dimwittery, however, please do not be alarmed should I digress.
1. Do you outline?
Nope, not really. I have a vague idea of what’s going to happen but tend to take the organic, instinctive approach – aka making it up as I go along.
2. Do you write straight through a book, or do you sometimes tackle the scenes out of order?
Straight through. I make notes about scenes I want to include but, generally, I like the knock-on effect of events unfolding. Like domino toppling. Freefall. Parachute optional.
3. Do you prefer writing with a pen or using a computer?
Oh, Lord, my handwriting is appalling. Looks rather arty but is impossible to decipher. My scribbling would’ve been more effective than the Enigma machine, according to lovely bf. So, straight onto pc it goes. I can type 50 wpm which is a lot faster than my brain goes. Notebooks and scribbling only for poetry/notes/ideas/bits and bobs though.
4. Do you prefer writing in first person or third?
First, I think. Currently alternating as I can’t decide which works best. Not sure it matters, to be honest. I prefer to read work written in first person though. Seems cleverer, somehow! Maybe I’ll continue in first person then.
5. Do you listen to music while you write?
No, I can’t bear it. I like silence, stillness. My thoughts can be pretty riotous and that’s quite enough ta very much. Oddly, I quite like to hear the clatter of the keyboard. Audible proof that I’m writing, perhaps. I’ll sometimes pop on the music/radio that my characters are listening to though. They’re having a girlie dinner party at the mo and the main character is groaning inwardly at Katie Melua’s ‘pitiful childlike wailing’ (conservative hostess’s choice after Norah Jones). (Sorry Katie.)
6. How do you come up with the perfect names for your characters?
I make notes of names that I like, names that I loathe. I used to proofread school reports and found some amazing names. Fave: Dahlia. Chavviest: Shannelle. I had a customer once, terribly posh, whose surname was ‘Hardon’. But he was ex-army and always announced himself on the phone as ‘Major Hardon here’. Seriously. You couldn’t make it up, could you?!
Also, I can spend hours with this random name generator that gives the history and etymology on names from everywhere imaginable. A fabulous find. Was serious for a moment there. Hope you noticed.
7. When you’re writing, do you ever imagine your book as a television show or movie?
Absolutely! It always feels like quite a decadent, showy-off thing to do but I find it helps when writing dialogue in particular. I also have a soundtrack for each of my characters – the music they listen to is an important trait.
8. Have you ever had a character insist on doing something you really didn’t want him/her to do?
My characters are a willful lot! I find that they’re like rolling stones; I’ve created their general shape but they’re deciding for themselves which moss they pick up as they roll through the story. Secretly, I think that’s the best thing about writing. I love it when it all takes off of its own accord. As I’ve mentioned before, my characters have come out with lines that I’m actually stealing to use in ‘real life’. How bloomin cool is that?!?
9. Do you know how a book is going to end when you start it?
I think so. My characters might have other ideas though. Cheeky buggers.
10. Where do you write?
My study is the best place. It opens into the garden and, if I get up early enough, I can watch the sky change colour and hear the birds wake up as I tap away. I’ve tried writing on my laptop but it just seems to make me naughty. Plan: Sunday morning, laptop on sofa in sitting room, Something for the Weekend on TV. Relaxed writing. Words generally achieved? Absolutely sod all.
11. What do you do when you get writer’s block?
Writer’s block… hmmm… I just wait it out. Play out scenarios in my head until something goes ‘ping’. Reading helps. Actually, I find blogging a good kickstart. Oh, and I swear a lot, irritate lovely bf with speeches about how crap I am, demand wine and am a generally stroppy moo.
12. What size increments do you write in (either in terms of word count, or as a percentage of the book as a whole)?
I try to write at least 500 words in a go. My goes just need to be a bit more frequent! This snippet, for me, made writing a novel seem achievable:
500 words per day
= 3,500 words per week
= 14,000 words per month
Therefore
6 months to write an 85,000 word novel
13. How many different drafts did you write for your last project?
I’m hoping a second draft of the WIP will make it readable – I tend to edit as I go along. Yeah, lazy.
14. Have you ever changed a character’s name midway through a draft?
Only accidentally!
15. Do you let anyone read your book while you’re working on it, or do you wait until you’ve completed a draft before letting someone else see it?
I can’t bear the thought of it. Some of my work pals have read the first 2,500 words of the WIP but I found it mortifying. However, my boss laughed so loud in the staff room at one point, other people wanted to read it too, eeeeek!
16. What do you do to celebrate when you finish a draft?
I’ll let you know when I get there. Am hoping for a huge champagne-fuelled shopping spree. I will clearly be both rich and thin in 67,000 words time!
17. One project at a time, or multiple projects at once?
One at a time is quite enough – my temptation to tackle other things (short stories, articles, learning French, getting a new job) is generally due to procrastination.
18. Do your books grow or shrink in revision?
I plan to hack. Superfluous words suck. If in doubt, chop ‘em out!
19. Do you have any writing or critique partners?
Lovely bf is my chief critic and my sister was guinea pig when I was doing the OU Creative Writing course. Reasons: Little sis lives in Holland so cannot be wrestled during brutal honesty. Lovely bf is used to being clubbed round the head with a frying pan following ‘helpful advice’.
20. Do you prefer drafting or revising?
Revising is funky – sometimes I read a bit that I think is really good but can’t remember writing it at all. ‘How did I think of that?’ I chortle quietly, rocking in the corner… Writing can really make you go a little peculiar…
