Morris Bobetter - IP
sl---morris-bobetter-narrative4zx.doc
In true form to my own process which even now I find I am still discovering in the midst of its stages, I had to take a break and look at the 20 pages of words I had written. I went to the notebook to figure out what the hell I was writing, and in plain English wrote the core of the story - the characters and their concerns and histories and the events that unfold - that will form the framework on which to hang all of the good literary stuff I had previously dumped into the manuscript.
This came after a few days of frustratingly rummaging through the twenty pages and writing too many questions and no answers. What is here? Was the real question. The question of specific character actions and illuminating events.
But in retrospect I realized that this happens for every story.
- First get out all the good stuff that will form the meat of the writing and the story.
- Then order and reorder until a flow emerges.
- Then stop and write a very simple one-page synopsis and outline of characters and events in loose chronology.
- Then go back in and start the most fun part - affixing all the good stuff previously written to this outline. Chucking a lot in the garbage because it no longer is necessary for the story, and adding the glue that makes everything click.
- Then and only then can I call it a loose first draft. That’s right, a FIRST draft. But oh man does it save on rewrites later.
I also realized a while ago (and forget every time I start a new story), that my fiancee actually paints and illustrates the exact same way. Dumping all the color and form onto the canvas, and then taking a step back and seeing what’s there, then diving in and teasing everything out. Interesting. No doubt this is by no means the "normal" way (and I doubt there is one since everyone works differently), but it is the way that I naturally work. From concept to formless detail to form to function. And you’re here to see it all as it happens. Don’t that just make you feel all fuzzy inside?
So, I’m now back up to the first few pages and a bunch of swamp below. But now I have my opening lines: "Time was not infinite after all. Since it couldn’t be left to nature anymore, we had to take its portioning into our own hands, and according to a rigorous set of scientific fractions and standards, weights and means, Morris Bobetter ended up with more time than he knew what to do with."
09:52 PM
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Tags: fiction, writing, swapmeet, draft, in-progress, obstruction2, obstructions
sl---endfirst-obstruction.doc
sl---endfirst-obstruction.doc
08:08 AM
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Tags: discipline, obstructions, obstruction1, draft, writing, fiction, in-progress
sl---morris-bobetter-narrativefx9.doc
sl---morris-bobetter-narrativefx9.doc
08:07 AM
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Tags: obstructions, obstruction2, fiction, writing, swapmeet, draft, in-progress, discipline
Discipline is something I lack. I have to force it upon myself since I am a very lazy person by nature. But I also know that lack of self-discipline is really the only thing that ever holds you back. If you think it's something else, you're probably wrong. Sure, there are little things like time, money, inspiration, people, drama, industry politics, equipment, etc...but those are small items which you will always get around. Self-discipline is a career maker, and its lack is a a career-destroyer (before it even starts).
<strong>Self-Reward: the old way</strong>
For the last few years my self-discipline has taken the form of a reward system of breaks. In other words, if I sit down and do some creative work for X amount of time, then I reward myself by taking a break and smoking a cigarette, or opening a beer, or checking my email, or whatever. The point was, I made arbitrary landmarks like "If I work till 8pm, then I'll go smoke a cigarette".
The problem with this system is it rewards diligence with a lack of diligence. It actually aided the self-discipline because it made the not-working portion of time the goal, when the whole point is to make the working portion the goal. Eventually you end up with all your excitement going to the next time you get to smoke that cigarette and you get a nasty smoking habit in the meantime.
Don't reward time you want to spend with time off. It is counter-productive. At least for me.
<strong>Self-Reward: the new way</strong>
To combat this, I've devised a new system of self-reward. I have a whiteboard next to my desk at home. For every complete hour that I spend with my ass in my chair writing, I mark the whiteboard with a line. That line equals $10 which I transfer from my checking account to a floating savings account (a virtual piggy bank for loose change). So, every hour I spend glued to my seat and doing my creative work, I pay myself $10. Feel free to go in half hour increments if you must.
This system pays you to keep working. And obviously its still your money, but it's "extra" money because it's not part of your checking account. It's a "feel free to spend this on whatever the hell you want because you've earned it" account, and it promotes my ass being glued to my chair.
I started last week. I have $45 now. More importantly, I'm learning not to take breaks, and to have an enormous sense of accomplishment from each hour I get to work.
09:10 AM
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Tags: on writing, on creativity, discipline, obstructions, article
Obstruction #2
sl---morris-bobetter-narrativeqmq.doc
I've restarted this story to be in line with our second obstruction, also which I give as a challenge to you readers.
<strong>Obstruction #2: unedited</strong>
This was inspired by an interview with <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=4&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTom_Robbins&ei=e3i1SPCNHJOSsQP7gJXqBg&usg=AFQjCNFLZZ7c6ZR4QB8jAX1o8uf-gPqjxQ&sig2=hjyVNAECF6k99uhmzyEczw" target="blank">Tom Robbins</a> detailing his writing process. Write your first sentence, making sure it is perfect before you place that period down. Once the period is placed, the line is done. Move on to the second line. No edits after you've gone on to the next sentence. This is basically the opposite of what they teach you as a best practice in school.
As <a href="tag/obstruction1/">before</a>, post yours as a comment or email me and I'll post it here.
09:37 PM
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Tags: obstruction2, obstructions, discipline, draft, fiction, writing, swapmeet, in-progress
Obstruction #1
sl---endfirst-obstruction6jc.doc
After watching <a href="http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Five_Obstructions/60037339?trkid=222336&lnkctr=srchrd-sr&strkid=246025898_0_0" target="blank">The Five Obstructions</a>, Marisa and I decided to give ourselves some weekly homework in the form of creative constraints. Here's my draft of the first.
I bring this challenge to you readers as well.
<strong>Obstruction #1: backwards</strong>
Start writing from the very last sentence. When you're done with that sentence, write the one before it. And so on until you decide it's complete. Our minimum was one full double-spaced page.
Post yours as a comment or email me and I'll post it here.
09:37 PM
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Tags: obstructions, discipline, draft, fiction, writing, obstruction1, in-progress
