The Crooked Path of Progress

I read something in one of my books today while I was editing that made me stop and think for a minute.  Not because it was some profound thought (I can't honestly see those in my work, if they're even there or not) but because it made me think about how it relates to a writer.

In my book I mentioned a colouring book that a child had been given a couple of years before (she likes to colour, and they travel quite a bit.  It's become something of a cherished possession.)  In the beginning of the book there were random lines strewn about the page as the child thought that she was colouring.  Soon enough she was colouring in the lines, maybe getting outside once in a while, but staying pretty close, until eventually she was getting good enough that she was starting to add just the beginnings of shading to each picture, crudely drawn in with her cheap wax crayons.

So, just like everything else in the world (or so it seems some days) I started thinking about how that might relate to a writer and what they go through as they try to get published.

Each of us starts out with a pen and paper (or computer and keyboard) and a blank page.  And when we start writing we all think that we're amazing.  That this is the best book anyone in the world has ever written.

Soon enough we see that those words that we thought were so great were really nothing more than scribbles on the page.  (I'm not saying we suck, we're just unpracticed and don't really know what we're doing)

We try again, maybe focusing more on one area or another.  Something that we've noticed we lack in the clutter of colourful lines that don't quite fit together.  Or may something that a friend as discerned, but we plunge forward, always ready to make that mark on the page that proves that we are determined to be writers.  This time we more in the lines, but the colours are all wrong.

Every time we try again, we get a little bit better, until suddenly the colours are right, and suddenly we're seeing that shading coming in.  Rather than stumbling over dialogue that makes us cringe, it flows through, and all of a sudden we're seeing foreshadowing that we didn't even know was going to be there.  And where did that subplot come from?  Wait, who are these characters, and why do they seem so real?

Slowly, oh so slowly, we learn to do the very thing that we love doing.  No longer is it nothing more than a collection of lines that amount to nothing more than a piles of colours that create utter confusion.  Now we have a beautiful masterpiece.  Something that we can proudly show the world and shout 'I did that!'

I don't know if I'm making masterpieces yet, but I certainly hope that one day I will.  That soon I will be able to point out my work and proudly explain all the shadowing, all the intricate little details that I put in there that made this more than just a coloured in picture, but rather a Mona Lisa worthy of display.

Now I must be off to do some painting -- err...writing.  Can't wait to see your masterpieces!

Plot Points, Characterization, Descriptions, Oh My!

For the last year I have been doing everything I can to improve my writing.  This included starting a critique group with a friend (that has improved my writing more than I ever imagined)  Then we added Pen duels, where I send out two prompts, and everyone picks one and writes a short story (there's always rules to follow).  When we're all done writing we get together and read them out loud then give feedback.

All of these things are awesome, of course.  Every exercise we do helps me in some way or another, and as a result I find that my first drafts are getting better and better.  The biggest problem that I seem to be having now is that getting the book to a second or even third draft is far too difficult. And I think I know the reason.

I have been spending so long working on my writing (which isn't a bad thing, by any means) that I haven't worked on my editing skills at all.

Okay, I'm not horrible at editing.  I catch most of the mistakes, but I think the biggest problem I have is that I don't know how to find everything that needs fixing.  I need to figure out how to determine exactly what needs fixing in order to have my editing go better.

My solution: Get books on editing.  No, I haven't done it yet, but it's going to happen (right as soon as I have money again, which is definitely going to be after Christmas.)  I can't wait to get my hands on one and see what other ways I can edit to make what I'm doing more effective, and hopefully to cut down on the amount of time I'm spending on it.

So, this year I have a couple of goals (why would I want free time anyway?  That's just boring...):

1) Edit 4 complete novels!! (Hence the need to cut down on the time editing)
2) Participate in April's Camp Nano session (script with friends)
3) Complete all of the exercises in 'The 3 A.M. Epiphany' (201 exercises)
4) Participate in July's Camp Nano session (novel)
5) Write at least one novel not during Nano
6) Write 300k in November (One epic fantasy novel)
7) Attend WWC in August
8) Attend SIWC in October
9) See my boyfriend at some point...

Okay, I don't know if all of these are going to happen, but let's see if I can try!  All exercises I do from 'The 3 A.M. Epiphany' will be posted.  Either on my blog, or on my website (which is another goal for this year).

Do you have any goals for this year?  What's something that you need to work on when it comes to your craft?