Podcast: Rough Drafts and Editing

November 24, 2008 · Posted in Podcasts, Writing · Comments Off 
Got a new podcast for you this morning. A bit of an update/clarification on what’s going on around here, and we do a bit more emphasis on the whole “Let Yourself Write Crap” mantra from the other day.

Bit of an Update/Rough Drafts and Editing (~9:00)

 

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Keeping It Rough

November 19, 2008 · Posted in Writing · 4 Comments 
I was speaking with my sister last night, first time in quite some time, and after the usual catch-up stuff she started talking about a paper she’s working on.  She’s taking masters classes in psychology, so every paper is a big deal.  This one’s got to be 10-12 pages long, and it’s due in a couple of days, so she’s stressing out (not to mention she’s got a full time job, and several other assignments due as well…).

I asked her if I could give her a bit of advice, as a writer (and damn did it feel strange — but good — saying that!), and she said sure.  So, I gave her my number one bit of advice that I know I’ve posted about here before, but it’s so important in my mind that I feel it always bears repeating:

Let yourself write crap.

Seriously, the number one stressor when you’re writing something, and I don’t care if it’s a simple letter or a blog post or a paper or a book, is that you start worrying about how it’s coming out before it’s even out.  It’s a rough draft, and at that stage, quantity is much more important than quality.  You need to have something to edit before you start worrying about editing.

If you haven’t noticed, I’m working on my follow-up novel to Like Glass right now, and the number one thing I keep telling myself when I get stalled out is “It’s okay if it’s terrible now.  No one has to see it until you’re ready for them to see it.  Just get something for them to see first before you worry about it.”

As many writers have mentioned before, self-editing is the key to that dreaded writer’s block we all know and love.  If you find yourself stopping in mid-sentence to go back and play with punctuation, or re-word something, STOP IT.  It’ll still be a problem later on, when you’ve written those glorious words “The End”.  You can spend all the time in the world editing later on, but right now you’re writing.  Multitasking is a terrible thing when it comes to trying to get something on paper or on the screen.

I’ll say it again: Let yourself write crap.  Now say it with me: Let yourself write crap.  It’s okay for me to write crap.  I can fix it later, and I don’t need to worry about it now.

Drill that into your head; use it as a mantra while you’re writing.  Record it into a file on your computer and play it on repeat while you’re sleeping.  If you have a significant other, get headphones.  Yes, it’s that important, to where you should risk strangulation in your sleep.  (Well, maybe not, as it’s difficult to write in the afterlife, although you could always go for someone who’s trying automatic writing…)

The rough draft is the most important part of your writing; it’s the thing that gets polished later on into a fine gem of art.  In the meantime though, let it be rough, let it be that ugly rock that looks like another chunk of dirt to everyone else; you know what it’ll be later.
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