Tips from a writing pantser
Timothy Hallinan
Friday, September 30, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Started a Journal
So
Posted a couple of items in the private journal. As expected, I felt sohh much more relaxed. I ENJOYED the act of writing again. And I liked the sound of the voice coming out. A stronger more chatty voice. I don't sound like a constipated English professor.
That's what drives me nuts when I try to write fiction. It's flat and unemotional. So far, I haven't been able to get inside the head of a character. And I've seen this failing in most of the stories I've critted for other beginner writers. Beginner writers insert long detailed descriptions on the weather, a description of a building. There's too much focus on the minor stuff happening around the emotional drama.
In published stories I enjoy, I notice the witing focus is locked on the reader having an emotional engagement with a character. Physical descriptions are shown in a beautiful shorthand. Just one telling detail is needed.
I've been going back to fiction I admire. For a third, fourth, fifth reading. Thinking about why it works so beautifully for me. Why did I have such a strong emotional response ?
I'm going to experiment with very short sentences. I've been reading stories with simple wording and short punchy sentences on Strangehorizons. I love the energy, the momentum in this kind of robust writing. And I want to try it out as a way of moving forward and getting unblocked. I still get bogged down in sentence revision. Fussing about whether to use a comma or semi-comma. I'm thinking there's less opportunity to fuss with bite sized sentences.
Posted a couple of items in the private journal. As expected, I felt sohh much more relaxed. I ENJOYED the act of writing again. And I liked the sound of the voice coming out. A stronger more chatty voice. I don't sound like a constipated English professor.
That's what drives me nuts when I try to write fiction. It's flat and unemotional. So far, I haven't been able to get inside the head of a character. And I've seen this failing in most of the stories I've critted for other beginner writers. Beginner writers insert long detailed descriptions on the weather, a description of a building. There's too much focus on the minor stuff happening around the emotional drama.
In published stories I enjoy, I notice the witing focus is locked on the reader having an emotional engagement with a character. Physical descriptions are shown in a beautiful shorthand. Just one telling detail is needed.
I've been going back to fiction I admire. For a third, fourth, fifth reading. Thinking about why it works so beautifully for me. Why did I have such a strong emotional response ?
I'm going to experiment with very short sentences. I've been reading stories with simple wording and short punchy sentences on Strangehorizons. I love the energy, the momentum in this kind of robust writing. And I want to try it out as a way of moving forward and getting unblocked. I still get bogged down in sentence revision. Fussing about whether to use a comma or semi-comma. I'm thinking there's less opportunity to fuss with bite sized sentences.
Monday, September 12, 2011
I write with glacial slowness
I love the expression 'glacial slowness'. Could be my Epitaph. 'H moved through life with glacial slowness.'
I like to think long and hard about the best way to do some-thing. I like to analyse and assess. Then go over all the pros and cons carefully again. Things go missing while I'm still thinking about the best way to put them to use.
Meanwhile there are people who write two thousand words a day. And they also tweet, face-book, blog, work 8 hours a day, have an active social life, raise kids, pets, garden, clean the house, exercise, and keep up a couple of other hobbies. I'd struggle to keep up ONE of those tasks on a regular basis.
As for producing two thousand words a day ? Just the thought, and I feel panic rising.
I like to think long and hard about the best way to do some-thing. I like to analyse and assess. Then go over all the pros and cons carefully again. Things go missing while I'm still thinking about the best way to put them to use.
Meanwhile there are people who write two thousand words a day. And they also tweet, face-book, blog, work 8 hours a day, have an active social life, raise kids, pets, garden, clean the house, exercise, and keep up a couple of other hobbies. I'd struggle to keep up ONE of those tasks on a regular basis.
As for producing two thousand words a day ? Just the thought, and I feel panic rising.
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