“Murder your Darlings.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Writing is easy. Really. It’s just tap tap tapping on the keyboard, or scribbling your thoughts inside a notebook, as the ideas rain around you.
At first, the random shavings of thought don’t have to make a whole lot of sense, as long as you’re getting them down. It’s the rewriting that’s really difficult.
That’s when you must murder your darlings.
It’s in the rewrite when you have to stare at your work, and get your self love and self hate to hold hands and play a bit of hopscotch. That’s when you have to decide what’s important and what needs to be dragged to the trash and wiped from the hard drive.
Right now, I’m crawling my way through a rather tedious section of the novel. It goes on and on and on some more while doing absolutely nothing to drive the story. Back in the first draft (when I had no idea where I was going, or even why I was writing) I fell in love with this middle class family.
Apparently, I also fell in love with every single movement of their day.
I especially liked this section that followed the family along as they did some shopping on the day after Christmas. Apparently, I liked it so much, I proceeded to vomit my affection all over the keyboard.
They wake up, they go shopping, they go to lunch, then they drive around for a while before finally going back home, having themselves a fashion show with their new purchases, and eating dinner. Nothing relevant happens until dinner, and if that sounds boring… well, then thanks for believing in me. The actual text reads with the amount of excitement normally found in a chess game played by mail.
Now, imagine that scene stretched to three-thousand words, and you’ll get an idea what the chapter’s like.
The funny part is, I loved the chapter before I wrote it. I loved it in my head before I fell to sleep, and I loved it the next day in black and white. But I am loathing it something fierce in the rewrite.
I read it over yesterday.
Twice.
Normally, I like to steal a glance at myself whenever I’m passing a mirror. Not yesterday, I was too ashamed.
Thirty pages and nothing happens that’s necessary for the reader to know. That’s like promising to take your kids to Disneyland but telling them you have to drive through Arizona first.
Get to the point, Writer Dad.
Okay.
The section now reads: ”They went to lunch. Later, at dinner…”
Much better, right?
Writer Dad
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I read and re-read my copy of On Writing Well quite often and I am always embarrassed afterward because I am reminded to get to the point and simplify my writing. I am a verbal vomiter and it’s hard to cut down sometimes on words that I love and I want to use them to portray an experience. Later, when I read it though, I wonder why I didn’t use one line instead of 56 of them.
Yes! I went through that all three times I edited the book (first time as a rough edit, second time to knock 15 years off the characters’ ages, third time to fix all the edit widows from the 2nd edit).
The thing that helped me most was a workshop on the Foward Motion Writers site - http://www.fmwriters.com - about synopses and query letters. In creating the two-page synopsis, I had to focus on:
* Who’s story is it? Tell just that one.
* How few names can I get away with using? As few as possible.
* So what? What are the must-read stakes of the MC not succeeding?
That really helped me on the edit because I could refer back to that and cut rigorously anything that did not fit (of course sub-plots stayed as long as they wove into the main story somehow).
(Came here from Men with Pens and I’ll be back - you have another subscriber).
Cheers,
Alex
Alex Fayles last blog post..Expanding Tastes
When I blog, I just write and post and publish it. Almost no editing is involved. I can imagine that writing a book involves a very different process.
Vereds last blog post..Oops. Outed.
Whenever I write anything, including compositions in elementary school and high school, papers in college and law school, legal briefs when I worked as a lawyer, or blog posts now that I’m a blogger, I write and write and write, and then I edit like crazy. I know that when you read the first draft you think “This is junk”, but then as you edit you realize that what you’re getting at is in there. It’s just the process. I didn’t know that you’re writing a novel, I think that’s great!
Emily@ I don’t think I ever would have started writing if it hadn’t been for On Writing. It’s a perfect memoir of the craft. I sent Mr. King a thank you when I finished my first draft.
Alex@ Thank you and it’s nice to have you. Thanks also for the link. I promise to check it out after dinner.
Vered@ Of course I’m no authority on either, but it seems like blogging is 90% in the writing, and ten percent in the edit. I’d say a novel’s about fifty-fifty.
Marelisa@ Thank you. I didn’t know until recently myself, but I am now very excited.
WD,
I’m not so sure I like the brief line. Perhaps there is a balance to be struck there. Granted, I’ve not written any long fiction that has been published, so I may be missing an important aspect of the editing process, but sometimes things happen that people can relate to even if they don’t move the story forward in a perceptible manner.
I am not suggesting that you leave the entire section as is, but perhaps there is something that can be salvaged. Then again, from the sounds of it, you may have already attempted to rework the section ad nauseum.
Whatever happens, revise with a vengeance and get it on the bookstore shelves so we can read it. Be well.
Ian
Ians last blog post..An Experiment in Modesty
To chime in similar to what Vered said - I’m a big fan of write and set it, but I’ve also (back in the day) been editor of a few school papers and had to find ways to trim it up or change words I have or haven’t liked - it’s a lot of work, tedious work.
Blogging I find is much more fluid for me, write it and let it fly. It also seems to get the most attention for my readers. My posts that people comment most on are basically brain dumps. Step by step where I’m heading in the article. Strange and different than book writing for sure…
hanks last blog post..Welcome to the Rebrand! Hanks Weekly Hangouts #41 (August 4, 2008)
oHHHHH WRITER dAD! Don’t blumpury. Just says E.
Like the way you edit. Until nothing is left. But the truth.
Ellen Wilsons last blog post..Writers’ Resources
Ian: I promise, it really had nothing to do with the story. Though, I do like the sequence by itself. I may repurpose it into a short story. It would work well in that regard.
Hank: Yeah, blogging takes very little in the editing department. As long as your thoughts are clear, it’s not to bad between initiation and blast off.
Ellen: Thanks.
Writer Dads last blog post..**Warning .. http:/ is a known spammer . delete this message
I spend about 4 hours sometimes writing a single blog post!
I love the post title and your writing voice. Its so.. natural :-0)
Shamelle
Shamelle @ TheEnhanceLife.coms last blog post..Career: 62 Tips To Make Your Job Terrific (Lessons Learned)
To edit is vital. I even like keeping my blog entry alive for a few days before publishing. I refer to this as, “stewing.”
Over time, I am able to enhance the post by adding and subtracting. Sometimes new ideas enter my head and I can make the entry that much more juicy.
Though, if you’re a truly prolific blogger, such a luxury isn’t really available. That being said, no matter how much one posts, editing is always vital to the final product. For this is where your writing is made.
Bamboo Forests last blog post..What’s The True Value of Blog Comments?
I’m one of those who edits and re-edits my blog posts. I’m usually known for brevity, and even with the interview series I’m running now (where Lorelle is providing long answers), although my words are few, I edit those, too.
Haha, I’m even editing this comment.
Barbara Swaffords last blog post..NBOTW - Reaching Out To Our Ancestors
I don’t think that many people realize how easy writing is - or, perhaps it’s the other way around: maybe TOO many people know how simple writing is, which is why we are loaded with so many blogs in the blogosphere.
But writing is NOT the same thing as sharing the written word. I spend more time editing, re-writing, reading out loud to listen for grammatical errors, checking my OWN spelling, etc…than the “original” writing itself. I’m certainly NOT the best writer around, but if I am not satified with the final product, I can’t expect anybody else to be.
Writing is like swimming - throw a baby in the water without a tube, and it will most likely drown. Wait until the “baby” has better motor skills, and teach the basics. If the child takes to the water, he can learn enough to save others.
Not to sound like “Horton,” but I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: I don’t think ANYBODY can become a geat writer without being a reader!
Excellent post!
Rita
Ritas last blog post..My Employer’s ” Olympic” Suggestion
I wish I could finish my good. Then I am certain I can could chop it up quite a bit. I am a fantastic video editor, and I’m sure that talent could stretch to writing.
Granted this is only my second visit to your blog-o-sphere, but I didn’t know you were writing a novel. Is this your first?
VERY admirable!
Shamelle: That is truly kind. Thank you.
Bamboo Forest: Yes, I have started to keep a kind of bank, filled with posts that are a few sentences. That way, I can pull one out that’s already been stewing, and fly.
Barbara: Your brevity is perfect. I’ve really enjoyed your series.
Rita: Thank you, and you are absolutely correct. I’ve been writing for a year, reading for thirty times longer than that. Not all avid readers are great writers, but I am quite sure that all great writers are avid readers.
Matthew: If you can edit yourself with a camera, you can probably do similar chopsocky on the page.
Andy: Thank you. Yes, it is my first, but far from my last. I hope to have it finished by Spring, Summer at the latest.
I’m impressed you only took one draft to find your story. My novel has taken two drafts for me to figure out what the hell I’m on about. I’ve had to murder about 3/4 of a book of darlings so far, unless I can use them in another piece.
But letting yourself write the crap is how you finish, isn’t it? If you edited and wrote at the same time (I used to do this) you never get a long piece like a novel finished because your inner perfectionist just won’t let you. So even the death of your darlings has a point.
Kelly
Kelly@SHE-POWERs last blog post..The Smiling Dog in the Mirror
If my writing weren’t verbose, it would be nothing … although I prefer the euphemism “soulful” …
Jennys last blog post..Check Your Gig Line … Again
Kelly: Sorry it took me so long; I just found the comment. Yes, I pretty much explode during the writing, then I mop in the rewrite. Otherwise, I’d never stitch a single sentence together.
Jenny: Nothing wrong with verbose…. in measure.
@WD: On Writing Well and On Writing are two different books. I’m halfway through the latter now and I love it. Haven’t read the former yet.
I really like what King said about the rewrite: the first draft is for you; you’re telling yourself the story. Rewriting is for your readers. Take out everything that gets in the way of telling them the story. Or, more succinctly put, write with the door closed, rewrite with it open.
Jonathan Vaughts last blog post..Let’s Play House
Jonathan: I totally follow that rule, but I usually have an extra step. First I write for me, then I read aloud to my wife. Reading aloud really helps me figure out what I can do better. Then I give the words a sharp edit. Though I’ve only read a few writing books, I can’t imagine anything coming close to King’s.