Orson Welles said that for every film he set out to make, he always made a plan. He always ended up having to discard the plan because of circumstances, but he always made it.
I think he was onto something, as usual.
In the comments to this post on Tamara Paulin's blog, we were all pledging our fealty to the idea of not rewriting while we're writing the first draft. Then Sonje Jones said, "Here’s where we differ. I will revise my first draft as I’m writing it."
Tamara's response was: "Sonje: Stop it! Stop revising while drafting. Notes only. (Unless it’s working, in which case keep doing it.)"
Which pretty much says it all about rules for writing (it also made me laugh out loud twice, when I read it at night and again in the morning). As I've said before, I think there's only one real rule, the one I learned from my father: "Write well."
I had a plan for the draft I'm writing now. I was going to write an entirely new draft, from scratch, since I was making major changes, and then compare it to the first draft.
That plan lasted for two chapters. The third chapter was turning out rather skimpy, until I realized that most of what belonged in there I had already written. So, I dumped my plan, and started scavenging the first draft for the things I needed.
Always make a plan, but don't get too attached to it. Never follow a plan or a rule if it starts to interfere with the main rule (above).
You absolutely, positively MUST have an outline before you begin writing. Without one, what will you have to rebel against and toss aside with wild abandon? 🙂
I think I need to work a bit on the “wild abandon” part.
I remember once I took a bus from Ohio to New York. That was about 12 hours, but it was a through coach from LA so some people had been on the bus for a few days. The nice girl I was sitting with told me that at night the guys in the back rolled their empty beer bottles up and down the aisle.
Anyway, one guy was going from LA to somewhere in New Jersey for some sort of family thing, but at one point he stood up and held his bus ticket over his head and said, “To hell with New Jersey. I’m going to New York City!” and then he ripped up his ticket.
That’s how to discard a plan.
I think the only rule I’ve been able to stick with over the years is to just “keep writing,” lol. There are days I write crap and then have to go back and rewrite, and there are days where it just seems to come out right the first time.
Plans do help keep you on track, though. <_< Most times.
Oh I never got too attached. Too many better ideas come about along the way! At least for me, all those unexpected surprises are a big part of the thrill of writing.
But yes, I need a plan, if only to distract my mind from the terror of a blank screen 😉
Tiyana, yes, that’s the most important rule. As my mother always says, put your ass in the chair and do the work. She’s an art historian, and apparently one thing that the best painters have in common is their discipline.
Theresa, I’m not that uncomfortable with a blank screen (or a blank piece of paper), but I always start with the same (ever-expanding) group of characters, so I’m not starting with nothing. Someday, when I don’t have anything else to do, maybe I’ll write a story with brand new characters. Or maybe not. 🙂
Attached? How can I get attached when I can’t figure out what works in the first place?
To “write well” is easier said than done but worth the sweat and devotion of putting the words on the page. Thanks for the suggestions!
Averil: I’m attached to my characters, that’s about it. What I do with them varies depending on my mood and my immediate goals. Mystery stories, post-apocalyptic fiction, dystopia, romance, humor, experimental writing, I’m always willing to change if something seems like a good idea.
Tara: Welcome aboard. I agree that “write well” is not easy to do, but all the more reason to focus on that goal and not be distracted by the others. Any other rule, you can always find a great writer who ignored it on a regular basis.