You are reading: Vol 2 Issue 2: July 2003
In this issue:
Upcoming Books
General News
Carolyn's Projects
Questions and Answers
Tips for Writers
End Notes
The Spare, Leisure Books. The manuscript, tentatively titled, by the way, was delivered to Leisure on July 1. Provided they don't hate it, it should be out in early 2004. I'll keep you posted about confirmed release dates.
Read Chapter 1 of The Spare.
It's been a while since my last newsletter because I've been busy with The Spare, school, and family. But, now that The Spare is done, I've updated my website with lots of new material. Check it out! I'll be at the RWA conference in New York the week of July 15.
I've decided that my next project will be The List, about a man who makes a list of his requirements for a wife and then discovers love has something else in mind for him. I've been working on ideas for Devon and Emily from Lord Ruin, too. And, I have a notion about a contemporary, I'd like to do. Stay tuned.
What's the most Frustrating Thing About Writing?
Not being able to get my vision of the story transferred from my head to the page. Inevitably, what I end up with is not what I started out thinking about. I hate that.
What's the Best Thing about Writing?
Reading through a scene and being swept away. There's no better feeling in the world than reading words that take on a life of their own. Most of the time I think, wow, I can't believe I actually wrote that. It makes the frustration worthwhile.
Ask Carolyn a question. She promises a personal reply. Suggestions about what you'd like to see in the newsletter would be greatly appreciated.
Being an Efficient Writer
Lately, I've been thinking and hearing a lot about the process of writing novels. I was at a local RWA chapter meeting at which the published authors were asked to stand up and speak about their work and what they wanted to improve. Every single one (except yours truly, who went dead last and decided to leave that part out or else I would have said that, too) said they wished they had a better, faster process that meant they spent less time re-writing. Many felt they spent too much time writing (and re-writing) the beginning.
What I found most interesting about the comments was that these successful writers obviously had a process that worked. They're published! Indeed, many are multi-published, with 10 and more books to their names; some are even lucky enough not to need a day job. So, there I was thinking to myself, "It ain't broken, so what's to fix?" Of course, they're not just writers but professionals who will make more money, presumably, the more and faster they can write.
If I correctly recall from a recent RWA interview of Jennifer Crusie, when she's stumped, she doesn't plow on, but stops and takes a nap, allowing her subconscious to solve the issue. Catherine Coulter (who spoke at a recent meeting of my local RWA chapter) says she does not write synopses or outlines. She writes for 3 hours day, beginning with a review and edit of the previous day's work, and that when she starts she doesn't know where she'll end up.
Is it possible efficient writing (which I define here as a story that takes few, if any sidetrips to material that gets deleted later) is not effective writing? I'm sure there are others like the late Rex Stout, who write just one draft, but most writers I know bemoan the false starts, the backtracking and the rewriting. Is is possible those side trips are necessary? Certainly, successful writers learn from those "failures" and learn how to move on to a solution or better choice. But, in my heart, I don't believe inefficient writing means poor quality. Nor does efficient writing guarantee quality.
Every writer must discover his or her own style of working. People need varying levels of structure. The structure I need is not necessarily the structure you need. Do whatever puts your butt in the chair writing. If that means you need a detailed outline, then do one (or try it and see if it works for you). Maybe you do best with notes on paper and then can just let 'er rip at the computer. Try it. See if it works for you.
Here's what I suspect: writing a story is an art and art calls for subtlely and finesse. Society today tends to sneer at intuition. In the West, we're educated to believe in the rational and logical, yet in life, people often act irrationally and llogically. While a writing process probably should contain some level of structure (like sitting down to write often enough to actually finish something) writers also need to listen to instinct in order to arrive at inspiration. Apply too much rationality and logic and you've killed the breath of life in the story.
Visit Carolyn's Workshop for more tips on writing.
Last Romance Novel read: Scandalous Again by Christina Dodd (Week including July 4)
Last non-romance Novel read: Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (Week of June 30), Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison
Carolyn Jewel
P.O. Box 750431
Petaluma CA 94975-0431
Last Updated: 7.4.2003