My Writing Process
About a million years ago or so, my friend and critique partner Vijaya tagged me in the Writing Process Blog Tour. I just found a large portion of this post in my "drafts"...oops!
1) What are you working on?
As usual, a few things at once. I'm revising the ol' French Revolution Circus Story, or It-Which-Shall-Not-Be-Named. Seriously, half my revising time is spent brainstorming for the PERFECT name, and I can't think of one. Titles are not my forte.
Mark and I are working together on a YA, or maybe adult, historical fiction in the vein of P. G. Wodehouse, Oscar Wilde, with some L. M. Montgomery thrown in. It's called FOOLS' GOLD, is set in 1903 Connecticut, and is told by an omniscient narrator--a task which is both fun and frightening. At one point, that narrator may jump into the mind of an armchair. But, hey, I'm all for living on the edge when it comes to writing. (Not so much in real life.)
Lastly, I'm trying to get some picture book ideas into drafts. I NEED TO PRACTICE THIS, BECAUSE THEY ARE TERRIBLE. I truly admire you writers of gorgeous picture books.
2) How does your work differ from others of its genre?
Well, I wrote it. I always have a hard time answering this question, because I think there's too much focus on originality and not enough on quality. A story is most successful if it is universal; that's why stories have the power to bind the world together when everything else threatens to tear us apart.
3) Why do you write what you do?
I have five children (one isn't born yet, but he/she definitely counts in the responsibility and motivation department). I am teaching them third and first grade and kindergarten at home. As you can imagine, I don't have a ton of free time. So I only write stories that I love so much that I can't leave them alone.
Madeleine L'Engle said that she wrote children's books because she wasn't smart enough to tell the difference between books for adults and books for children. I often feel that way. I write stories, and their audience generally becomes clear later.
4) How does your writing process work?
With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row.
Well, the pretty maids are true. All four of my pretty maids are part of my writing process, because writing is part of my life and they are a much bigger part. That used to mean that I got up between 5:30 and 6 a.m. to write. Now my littlest maid gets up around then. So I am simply trying to stretch out the cracks of the day to get writing done. For example, right now my oldest is working on a math lesson, my second is reading, my third is coloring, and my fourth is napping--on my left arm. So I am writing one-handed. That happens a lot.
These past few years, first drafts happen in bits and pieces. I try not to outline at first, but until I have the luxury of long chunks of writing time, I just can't stay sane without something, however vague, to guide the path. Maybe it's more of a treasure map than an outline.
Second drafts are my favorite. I love going through all that raw material and polishing it all up. I outline extensively and in a very OCD manner at this point. Have you read Cheryl Klein's Second Sight? I couldn't do without it for second drafts.
Then my critique partners get to tell me how awful the shininess is in actuality. So third and fourth and usually fifth drafts happen.
And...that's all, I suppose. All and nothing, as every writer knows that "process" is as complicated as the way you live your very life. But that's all that these five kids will give me time for right now. The math lesson is done, and we're onto making some paper airplanes inspired by Leonardo DaVinci!
1) What are you working on?
As usual, a few things at once. I'm revising the ol' French Revolution Circus Story, or It-Which-Shall-Not-Be-Named. Seriously, half my revising time is spent brainstorming for the PERFECT name, and I can't think of one. Titles are not my forte.
Mark and I are working together on a YA, or maybe adult, historical fiction in the vein of P. G. Wodehouse, Oscar Wilde, with some L. M. Montgomery thrown in. It's called FOOLS' GOLD, is set in 1903 Connecticut, and is told by an omniscient narrator--a task which is both fun and frightening. At one point, that narrator may jump into the mind of an armchair. But, hey, I'm all for living on the edge when it comes to writing. (Not so much in real life.)
Lastly, I'm trying to get some picture book ideas into drafts. I NEED TO PRACTICE THIS, BECAUSE THEY ARE TERRIBLE. I truly admire you writers of gorgeous picture books.
2) How does your work differ from others of its genre?
Well, I wrote it. I always have a hard time answering this question, because I think there's too much focus on originality and not enough on quality. A story is most successful if it is universal; that's why stories have the power to bind the world together when everything else threatens to tear us apart.
3) Why do you write what you do?
I have five children (one isn't born yet, but he/she definitely counts in the responsibility and motivation department). I am teaching them third and first grade and kindergarten at home. As you can imagine, I don't have a ton of free time. So I only write stories that I love so much that I can't leave them alone.
Madeleine L'Engle said that she wrote children's books because she wasn't smart enough to tell the difference between books for adults and books for children. I often feel that way. I write stories, and their audience generally becomes clear later.
4) How does your writing process work?
With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row.
These past few years, first drafts happen in bits and pieces. I try not to outline at first, but until I have the luxury of long chunks of writing time, I just can't stay sane without something, however vague, to guide the path. Maybe it's more of a treasure map than an outline.
Second drafts are my favorite. I love going through all that raw material and polishing it all up. I outline extensively and in a very OCD manner at this point. Have you read Cheryl Klein's Second Sight? I couldn't do without it for second drafts.
Then my critique partners get to tell me how awful the shininess is in actuality. So third and fourth and usually fifth drafts happen.
And...that's all, I suppose. All and nothing, as every writer knows that "process" is as complicated as the way you live your very life. But that's all that these five kids will give me time for right now. The math lesson is done, and we're onto making some paper airplanes inspired by Leonardo DaVinci!
Stretching out cracks in the day! What a perfect description of what it feels like to write when so many other things are going on! :)
ReplyDeleteI think I stole it from Eileen Spinelli, at least the "cracks in the day" part. She managed to be a very successful writer even when her own five children were little, so she's one of my heroes. Of course she also has--like I do--a very talented and supportive writer husband to help her along the way!
DeleteFaith, reading your blog is the next best thing to being able to sit and chat with you. As I can't do the latter, I'll have to settle ;) But seriously, I love reading about your writing and family happenings!
ReplyDeleteI hope we can have a sit-down chat sometime soon! I don't suppose I'll be doing very much traveling this summer, what with the baby due August 11, but we just MIGHT make it out to Cleveland in April for my godson's First Communion. Cleveland's not TOO far, right?
DeleteThe Spinellis are my heroes too, Faith. Cirque is a fabulous title. It just needs to go out. Seriously. And I love that you and Mark are collaborating. First drafts are hard ... I wish they'd come out easier. But this stands out -- with limited time, you work on the most important things. Thank you for this.
ReplyDeleteThanks for tagging me, Vijaya, and sorry for taking so long to get to it!!
DeleteI'm also a huge fan of the Spinellis. They're the sweetest people you'll ever meet.
ReplyDeleteTitles are not my forte either, Faith. I'm revising a YA novel which I've been calling Untitled for so long, I actually have begun to think of that as the title. Enjoyed hearing about your process and I admire you for sticking with it. When I had babies I tended to push aside the writing.