Tuesday 11 January 2011

Writing, Not Writing

So I'm having a month off from fiction writing. And indeed I have written nothing but a few jotted reminders in the first couple of days after I finished the first draft. But my characters are still being very lively in my head and I don't seem able to stop getting to know them better. I guess this is a good thing, on balance. It's helping me to see aspects of the story more clearly. So I now understand, for example, that event X causes person A to have an entirely understandable sense-of-humour bypass until event Y, which helps her regain the ability to laugh at herself, and that changes her relationship with B and C because they didn't know her before event X so to begin with they thought she was a humourless git. Which all seems very logical now it's written down, but came as a proper revelation when I was idly playing with ideas in my head while my body was busy on the cross-trainer.

And next week, all other things being equal, I get to start editing. I can't wait!!!

9 comments:

Alice Turing said...

I'm impressed! I like the sound of this book already. And funnily enough I was thinking about that the other day - about how, depending on how, when, where etc you meet somebodyk... you can get a completely different view of them.

Jenny Beattie said...

That's great. I love the work that goes on in your head when you're engaged in something else. It feels a bit like magic.

Jen said...

It never fails to amaze me how the mind still has the story and characters ticking over during times of other doingness - brushing my teeth seems to be the time I do most of my thinking. Shame it only lasts a few mins at either end of the day but hey, too much thinking never did anyone any good. I think.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

I love those revelation moments and would like to say that mine come to me when I'm on the cross-trainer too, however, I'm more likely to get mine when I'm ironing. I much prefer the idea of a cross-trainer.

Sue Guiney said...

Yes, I love those "percolating" times. For me, that's when it really all comes together, and by the time it's time to actually write, I can't wait to get it out of my head (or notes) and onto the page. Very exciting.

Bluestocking Mum said...

Well done you. Yes, it's an exciting stage. Keep that notepad by the side of the bed.

Have fun!

Pat said...

I think we often do most of the work in our heads. Just don't talk to me when I have the 'glazed expression'

HelenMWalters said...

Sounds like it's all at a really exciting stage.

Kath McGurl said...

Good luck with the editing, hope it all goes well!