The Flip Side to Writing

I had a really interesting conversation with a musician friend of mine a while back. I keep bombarding her with songs I like, and 99% of them time she won't enjoy them like I do. You could put it down to difference in taste—and that's definitely part of it—but she told me something once (while rejecting yet another song) that really made me stop and think.

"It's hard to enjoy music as much as I used to. Now that I'm familiar with the process and what it takes to make a song sound the way it does, it's hard not to spot mistakes or things that I don't like, which never happened before. It's harder to enjoy music now that I make it too."

Which got me to thinking about books. About books and writing.

Light Bulb

You know that little light bulb that goes off in your head? When you realize something that's really really obvious?

I had one of those the other day.

Basically, it's this:

Write what you want emphasized.

I know. I know. This is painfully, embarrassingly obvious. Right?

Well. Not necessarily.

Everybody Needs A Friend

There are a million different ways to improve your writing.

Writing (obviously).

Reading.

Reading books on how to write.

Reading articles/tips/blog posts on how to write.

Writing some more.

Reading some more.

Writing. . . .

Reading. . . .

(You get the picture.)

Living Writing. Or: In Which Writing Is Compared To Peanut Butter Yet Again

Writing has always been a very organic process to me. Many times I'll have questions spinning in my head—What will my MC do about so-and-so? What does she want to study in college? How will she react to this? What's her favorite ice cream flavor? What does she think about that?—and for some reason, no matter how much I think about it or which way I examine it, nothing seems to fit. Nothing's right.

I'll be struggling for days, trying to figure out if my character wants to study physics or marine biology or open a restaurant, and I'll come up with nothing. Nada. I’m talking crickets in my ears, people. I’ll push and push and get so frustrated at myself because How could I think I could actually write a book? I’m nowhere near as good as I thought I was. 

And then.

The Novel Bad Boy

Why are bad boys such a hit in books? Why do so many authors like writing about them? Why do so many readers love male leads who run hot and cold, treat the main character like shit and then turn around and do the most over-the-top, sappy romantic gestures? Why the Bad Boy Plague?

I recently had this discussion with another writer friend of mine. If you guys haven't heard of Ms. Hope Adon you'll DEFINITELY want to check her out because her books are going to be in bookstores near you one day in the not-too-distant future. I know it.

But I digress. So she and I were on about this whole bad-boy-love that seems to be dominating YA the past couple of years. Luckily we both have similar opinions on the matter (read: negative). So we were complaining about how unhealthy this image is for teens and I was all, "But WHY do they keep popping up in novels?" And, genius that she is, she came up with a brilliant answer:

To Plot Or Not To Plot

That is the question.

Have a story fully outlined, down to the very last scene? Or set off into the unknown, not knowing where you're headed?

Personally, I don't think there's any right or wrong way to write a story. I really don't. It's like art. No one tells a painter which corner of the canvas to start painting on, or how to use their brush. What works for one artist doesn't work for the other. And while there are certain pieces of advice that may or may not be helpful, it's up to each individual to figure out what works for them. 

Some might prefer to spend weeks or months getting down the plot, fine-tuning every single scene till it all flows perfectly. Others might prefer to start with a seed of an idea and jump in from there. Others have various combinations of the two opposites above.

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of outlining. I start off with an idea. The spark that sets off the fire in me. From there I get to the end, the main resolution--what I hope my characters will achieve, will learn, how they will grow. It's not always clear-cut from the start. It's often a vague notion. All I know is they learn something and come out a stronger person.

Music To Your Lyrics

Writing and music.

For many writers these two go hand in hand. They're like peanut butter and jelly. Peanut butter and chocolate. Peanut butter and . . . pretty much everything.

I know there are writers out there who need absolute silence to write. Sometimes I get like that too. But most of the time there's so much going on in the house that music is just the better option. I find that it can really set the tone for a specific scene or connect me back to a certain character's problems when I'm feeling stuck and don't know where to go from there. And then there's the thrill of finding a song that just. Fits. Could be a certain character or a certain scene or a certain theme; in any case, it's like it was written for your book and your book alone. And how great does that feel?

And then there's the lyrics themselves. I can't remember the number of times I've listened to a song and wished I'd come up with a certain lyric. I mean, musicians are writers. You know? They know what it's like, the immense, incredible power words hold. After all, songwriting is just another form of writing. And some of them are just. So. Good. I envy them like I envy certain writers.

Writing Vs. Editing

Writing is a process. A long-winded, exhausting, gratifying, amazing process. From idea to research to writing to editing to polishing, it really takes you on a journey. And like any journey, there are certain aspects you might like more than others.

Personally, I can't say I prefer one over the other. I guess research isn't my favorite part, though it's invaluable and I really appreciate it for how much it enriches my books.

Then there's the actual writing, getting that first draft down on paper. There's something so magical about taking a vague, nebulous idea in your head and giving it life, turning it into a story that might touch someone else. I hope my stories will one day do that to readers, give them that warm fuzzy feeling that my favorite stories give me. That would be incredible.

And then there's editing. Rewriting. Taking that rough first draft and whittling it down to the core, to what you really want to say. It's like taking a rough, unpolished gem and rubbing away all the grime till it shines. That's a whole other amazing process.

Honestly, I can't choose. I can't say I love editing more than writing, or researching less than scouring for grammatical errors. Every part is important. Every step is necessary. And I love it all.

Writing versus editing. First draft or revisions? What's your favorite part of the process? (Unless you're indecisive like me--in which case, welcome.)

Writing Is Like Brushing Your Teeth

I think the most important aspect of writing is consistency. Like with everything else in life, if you want to get better at something you have to be persistent. You have to acquire this will-not-be-put-down doggedness that forces you to commit to it--if that's what you really love (and I don't know a lot of writers who start out in hopes of getting filthy rich).

It doesn't matter how much you write. It could be 500 words a day. One page a week. A thousand words every fortnight. It could be one sentence a day. Anything. All that matters is that you figure out what works best for you, and that you stick to it.

I've found that setting manageable goals helps tremendously. That way it isn't too stressful to get to, and if I go over my daily quota I get to feel good about myself. And another thing: figure out what works best for YOU. Maybe some writers are superbeings who've figured out how to live without sleep, but for most people a steady 10,000 word/day goal isn't feasible. But that's okay. All that matters is figuring out something YOU can commit to. Writing has to become an integral part of your everyday life, just like taking a shower or brushing your teeth. You don't complain about it; you just do it.

So sit down in front of that computer or notebook, and just. Write.

It's as simple as that.