Apprentice Writer is mere pages, possibly paragraphs, away from writing 'THE END' for her first manuscript.
In theory, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel should be a tremendous incentive to working faster and faster, mowing down scene after scene now that it's clear what is supposed to happen in each (the gentle reader can tell that this is a pantser speaking).
In practice, this didn't seem to happen to AW. Is she some kind of freak?
Maybe. Or maybe, this is all the result of her specific 'Writing Process'. When AW first heard this phrase at a writer's group meeting, she was a little concerned as she had had no idea she was supposed to have acquired such a beast, much less figured out exactly what it looks like. People have different kinds, and to attempt to write outside of it apparently leads to all sorts of ailments, manuscriptally speaking. This is what AW has learned about hers:
It is very similar to how she goes about jigsaw puzzles. Pieces radiating out from the corners first, till the outside 'frame' is complete, then the most distinctive and recognizable bits for multiple small 'islands' created inside, gradually figuring out how to stitch those islands together, and the vast, uniform bits of featureless blue sky last. That's the part that takes the most time.
AW is now putting the final bits of blue sky in place. Get ready with the confetti and chocolate, everyone.
where a budding comedy writer marks milestones on the road to dropping the 'apprentice' portion of her name
Saturday, March 7, 2009
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8 comments:
Wow, congratulations! Good going!
And I enjoyed reading about your writing process. My process for one of my WIPs was somewhat similar, pieces snapping together on the outside then bits on the inside, then for me, here and there and everywhere.
Right now, I'm letting that ms simmer for a while as I look to rewriting an older ms. And for the rewrite, I'm working on an outline, LOL!
It's strangely hard to type The End. You'd think you'd be racing to do it, then you realize it's like turning a corner, and you can't see what's ahead. A little scary.
Turn the corner! Turn the corner!
Hi TL - An outline. That's far too ambitious a thought for me, at this stage of my by-the-seat-of-my-pants approach.
Hi Abby - Haha! I'm think I'm midway in the bend, which makes me happy and hopeful.
M - that's terrific!!
I have to agree both with TL (I write in chunks then piece it together)
AND with Abby re hesitating when you get there. I'm both!!
Though i've written The End on my current wip, I've not opened the champagne because I've got a huge chunk in the middle that needs rewriting (because I changed the stuff around it) and a few scene-to-scene segues to fill in.
I'm cheering you on! And I always find the finale terribly long and drawn out. It's like I return to the starting point that it should be strong and powerful and nearly perfect. Of course, that's not how it happens, and I never suffer that compulsion with the middle 90%, but I feel that pressure.
Wylie - I'm breaking out the confetti and chocolate on your behalf, anyway! Yay, past-the-first-draft-and-on-to-revisions stage!
Carrie - kind of a relief to hear that's still the case for someone with three sold MSs under her belt. Good luck with shopping Jacob.
I've never typed the end. Is that weird?
And ends are hard to actually uh... come to an end. I always stall for some reason. On every book/story I've written.
YAY! I'm so happy for you! Finish before the next meet ! You need choco for that!
Tiff - you are a role model of mine.Whatever you're doing (and it's a lot) is bearing fruit. I'm paying attention to your next steps!
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