by James Scott Bell
@jamesscottbell
I love this place.
Remember when sepia-tone Dorothy opens the door of her transported house, and sees a strange world of vivid colors, striking flora, and giggling Munchkins? We are not in Kansas anymore!*
What adventures await? What discoveries? And dangers! Good witches and bad witches, trees that throw their fruit, lions, tigers and bears. Oh my!
Well, that’s how I feel at the beginning of a project. I’m in a land of infinite possibilities and not wedded to any of them. I get to explore. I take a stroll down a yellow-brick road and come to a fork. “Some people do go both ways,” a friendly scarecrow tells me. Off I go one way, taking notes. I decide to go back and take another way. Takes me a millisecond to get to another setting entirely. More notes and ideas for plot, characters, twists, turns and settings.
I call this my “white hot document.” I’m recording what ifs and what nows as fast as they come to me. I don’t settle on one direction just yet.
The next day I come back for more. I annotate the notes, highlighting what still excites me, and go off again. I add more characters, scene ideas, plot possibilities. Lather, rinse, repeat.
After a week or so the story I really want to tell—or, more accurately, the story that wants me to tell it—begins to take shape.
This is the most enjoyable part of writing for me. The world is my oyster and there are pearls all around.
Now the work begins. I start to lay out my scene cards (in Scrivener), concentrating on my signpost scenes. Especially my Mirror Moment, which becomes the beam of light that helps me navigate the story from opening Disturbance, through the Doorway of No Return, to the final Transformation. I’m still having fun.
Then comes the writing, which sometimes flows (lots of fun), sometimes slogs (ack). But either way, I make sure the word quota gets done. There’s always satisfaction in that.
Finally, I get to the end. I work on this part the most, the last fifty pages. I know I’ve hit the mark when emotions kick in. Elation, deep satisfaction, sometimes laughter, sometimes tears.
Yes, I’ll admit it. I have on more than one occasion experienced the waterworks when I hit just the right note of resonance. Like when I typed the last line of Try Fear. It was the end of my Ty Buchanan legal thriller trilogy. I’ve had a consistent stream of emails asking me to continue this series, but I am loath to mess with what I consider my most perfect ending.
I set the first draft aside for a few weeks.
Then comes the first read-through, in hard copy. I don’t particularly enjoy this part, but know it’s make things better. I make my revisions, then give it to my first reader, the sainted Mrs. B.
This is the hard part! Waiting for her notes, then going through the book with her page by page. It’s like surgery. Nobody chooses surgery as a fun activity, but you take it when you know it will make you healthier. Ditto your book.
And then you’re in recovery which is, for me, the final polish. The last tinkering, usually with dialogue and scene endings.
Proof reader next. Then, finally, out the book goes to the world. This is really enjoyable as an indie, because I don’t have to wait a year for the book to hit the shelves. Thus, launch day is champagne day. I pop a bottle for my wife and me, and usually cook up a rib-eye on the barbie, to be enjoyed with a nice cabernet.
I awaken the next day, and open the door to a new world of vivid colors…
What’s your favorite part of the writing process? The least favorite? How do you treat yourself when your book is finally published?
*Bonus Note: How did The Wizard of Oz pull off the effect of Dorothy opening the door in B&W to reveal a Technicolor world? It was ingenious for the day. The entire scene was shot in color! The interior of the house was painted in sepia tones, and “Dorothy” was really Judy Garland’s stand-in, in a sepia dress, black wig, and dark makeup on the arms. Notice that she pulls the door open, revealing the colorful world, and backs out of the shot. That’s when Judy Garland moves into the scene, carrying a fake Toto. Watch:
Love the analogy.
Favorite part: the first pages, when I think I know everything (I so don’t, but don’t know it yet) and haven’t screwed anything up yet.
Least favorite: The Pit of Despair – aka, the middle.
“…haven’t screwed anything up yet.”
Ha!
Pit of Despair….for me it’s more the 30k Wall and a day or two of figuring out where to put the dynamite.
I had to watch the clip twice to catch the switch, Jim. Amazing how much Judy Garland and her stand-in looked alike.
What’s your favorite part of the writing process? The first full read-through, I think. I load it onto my Kindle and have a blast reminiscing about how I felt writing each scene. Only highlights and notes allowed during this time, no rewrites or edits yet. The second read is when the manuscript bleeds red ink.
The least favorite? That’s a tough one. If you asked a few days ago when I was setting up the Doorway of No Return — squirming in my chair to hold back my characters from jumping ahead to the payoff — I would’ve said the drafting stage. At times, it can feel downright torturous. Now that I’ve opened the Doorway of No Return, my fingers can barely keep up, words flowing like a firehose.
How do you treat yourself when your book is finally published? For Restless Mayhem (my April release), close friends treated my husband and I to a nice meal at a fancy restaurant. One rule: If we wanted a cocktail, we had to choose a drink mentioned in the book. So fun! We planned the same type of night for Tracking Mayhem (my June release) but had to reschedule for later this month.
Love your points, Sue. As a reward I used to take Mrs. B out to a nice dinner. But prices these days! Also, being a SoCal boy, I am master of the grill. So we do this at home now. Followed by a great movie, maybe a favorite film noir.
Getting that rough draft into Word is the hardest part. But then comes the part I love — editing. At that point, I have a slab of marble I can sculpt and revise into something that makes the initial work worth the effort.
I like your analogy about editing. I try to keep that in mind myself. There’s a deep satisfaction when you see things that need to be fixed, know how to fix them, and make the whole thing better as a result.
Well now you’ve done it. I’m thinking maybe I should make some time on July 4th to watch The Wizard of Oz again. It’s been a few years. I miss the routine from the olden days when they used to show it every year on TV (or maybe they still do–I haven’t had cable for ages).
What’s your favorite part of the writing process?
Brainstorming and letting all the ideas fly. Then first drafting. While yes, you can get stuck at certain points, which can be aggravating, I just feel so joyful while whipping out that first draft. Because in first draft mode I have far fewer issues with the inner critic. I’m just having a ball.
The least favorite?
Revision. Whether I plotted a book or did it seat of the pants, revision is always a must. And there are different pain levels of revision for different projects. But here’s where I have to wage war with the perfectionist in me who says “you haven’t researched enough. You haven’t revised enough, the characters aren’t deep enough” etc etc.
Everybody should reward themselves when they finish revisions to a manuscript. That’s a big deal.
I’m with you all the way, BK. And yes, having a reward at the end is a great motivator, especially if you have a deadline, self-imposed or by a publisher.
Most: the unexpected
Least: listening to Word’s Read Aloud and finding inevitable glitches.
Yes, those happy surprises are little rewards along a sometimes tortuous path!
Thanks for explaining that black-and-white to color scene in The Wizard of Oz, Jim. That was a bit of genius.
Favorite part of writing: the surprise when one of my characters does something unexpected and I feel like I’m an observer, recording what I see. A second favorite is having an idea pop into my head, and I realize that it’s the perfect way to handle a particular scene.
Least favorite part: Getting stuck when no idea pops into my head, and I just have to keep slogging through a black-and-white landscape waiting for the technicolor to turn on.
Right on, Kay. As for surprises, I know the outline of my scenes, but try to let the characters improvise inside it, and experience a fresh take when they do something unexpected.
My favorite is when I’m writing in my garden just putting down whatever, the more outrageous the better, having fun, making myself laugh or cry.
My least favorite is when I’ve gone over it so many times I’m sick of it.
I get that, Cynthia. We’ve got to watch out for perfectionism…that’s a weed in the garden!
Favorite Part of the Writing Process: Planning, outlining, and rough draft, when everything is new and ideas jump out faster than I can use them.
Least favorite: Revision, especially by the fourth or fifth time through the manuscript. Hmm. Has anyone tried AI for revision?
Celebration after publishing: When the first box of books arrive, my wife makes my favorite meal, and I sign books for her, my grandchildren, the cover designer, and the beta readers.
Have a great 4th of July!
I like the idea of a ritual signing, Steve. As for AI for editing…I do use the free version of Pro Writing Aid with individual scenes, but only for typos. I’m not sure I want a robot telling me anything except, “Okay, Jim, I will open the pod bay door.”
Great post, Jim. And I loved the bonus about the moment in “The Wizard of Oz” turned technicolor.
Most favorite: When I’ve unstuck myself by brainstorming/journaling etc and am sailing along, be it in outline, draft or revision, because I can get stuck at any point, though the 30K in draft (as you’ve noted) is often the “most stuck” I get. Lately I’ve found jumping ahead in the narrative helps as well to unstick myself, and can be a blast.
Least favorite: When I’m stuck and still trying to move forward, grinding the mental gears.
I’ve not consistently celebrated book launches as much as I should—there was that one where we had a nice meal, but I’m going to make that a regular event from now on 🙂
Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!
Good tip about jumping ahead, Dale. That often works for me. I get excited again, then can drop back and fill in the gaps to get there.
You’ll love having a regular celebration. We have to do what we can to make this trip fun.
It’s always interesting to learn the process for other writers, Jim.
I’ll be the outlier here. My least favorite part is settling on a new idea. For weeks or months, I take long walks, trying to fit mental flotsam that caught my attention into a plot plus related subplots that make sense. It’s like shoehorning a size 13 foot into a size 5 shoe.
Then something clicks into place and it’s physical sensation–Yeah! That will work! I’m still a pantser but at that point the characters can take over and lead the story.
My favorite part is revising b/c with each edit, I see the story growing stronger and more vivid. Also finding breadcrumbs in the first draft that I didn’t realize were significant until much later. My subconscious knew they would be needed and conveniently tucked them in. Thank you, hardworking subconscious.
Celebration is packaging the first print books to send to wonderful beta readers and others who helped create the book. At the post office, my favorite clerk processes the stack of padded envelopes and announces to customers passing by, “This is our famous author.” Gotta love small towns.
Echo your “gotta love small towns”, Debbie. We have a mailbox in a shipping store downtown, and they always make us feel welcome. It’s kinda like “Norm!” on Cheers.
Thanks, Debbie. It’s great to compare likes and dislikes among writers.
I’ve always wondered what it would be like living in a small town….
Come visit!
Great post, Jim! Loved the walk down memory lane with Dorothy…
Favorite: getting to know my characters. It’s like when I had my 3 children, bringing them home, counting fingers and toes, their first smile, the wonder on their faces.
My characters constantly amaze me. One popped up in my newest WIP just a couple of days ago, a donkey named Itzak, which is Hebrew for “laughter”. The MC told me that they named him Itzak because when he was a foal, he smiled all the time. I listened, then dutifully recorded it in the MS. It’ll be a “pet the dog” scene, I’m sure. And I already have a couple of ideas for Itzak down the road.
Least: reading the finished MS for the umpteenth time. 🙁
Celebrate: Getting my box of books. I take the first one out of the box. After inspection, I open it and write my name in it and place it next to my copies of my other books. 🙂
Happy Sunday, Happy Fourth to y’all!
That’s a good point, Deb. If I get to a place where I’m really stalled, I use a tip offered by the great Dwight Swain. Spend some time deepening a character–or adding one–and the excitement swiftly returns.
The best part of the writing process for me is the moment of discovery, when you see or hear something and you say to yourself ” Dang! That’s got wheels on it!” and you can’t reach for your steno pad fast enough to grab it before it flies away.
Like yesterday I was leafing through one of my all time favorite books, “In The American West” photos and brief notes by Richard Avedon, the photographer.
Now this book is precious to me because I paid seventy five bucks for it back in 1985, which was a lot of money when I was working as a mechanic and getting around on a motorcycle.
So I see this picture of a man, and it has his name and occupation, grave digger. I was stunned. It was like getting too close to an M80. I banged out two pages of what I know will be the good stuff.
I love those moments, too, Roert. Every now and then I’ll read a sentence of mine during edits and think, Man, I can really do this. Hard work has paid off…at least at this moment!.
Okay, I’m back. I had to hop over and refresh my memory of Ty Buchanan. 🙂 That was a good series!
I’ll start with the least favorite and that’s the first draft. I keep telling myself I can’t edit what I haven’t written. So I guess that means I like editing best. What I really liike best is when the solution to whatever problem I’m having pops into my head first thing in the morning.
Thanks for the good word on Ty, Patricia.
Yeah, I sometimes have to remind myself on the first draft, Don’t get it right, just get it written.
JSB: Belated congratulations on an exceptionally fine post, a standard I hope to meet one day.