Adventures With Discovery Writing

George R R Martin talks about two archetypes for writers: Gardeners and Architects. The architect will plan and plot their story, knowing what happens to who from beginning to end before ever writing a single word. The gardener however will go in blind, knowing only the barest of details and discover the story as the write.

In truth, most writers sit somewhere between these two polar opposites. But the approaches are so vastly different that people usually identify with one extreme or the other.

I’ve always thought myself a gardener, although one that does a lot of thinking. I will have a good idea of the milestones of the story and the overall arcs of both character and story, but anything inbetween is up for grabs.

Falling Off The Wagon

I took a netbook with me to SFX Weekender, and despite all the fun and merriment I still managed to get a thousand words a day done whilst there. I was really proud of that, felt dedicated to my craft, a “real” writer. Then I took an 8 hour journey home, had a day of sorting out major real-life issues the following day, got good news the day after that, and suddenly… I’ve not written anything on the novel for nearly a week. I know why it happened and feel there’s good reason but still… Gah!

Persistence is so important in this industry and something every writer fails at from time to time. I used to think that because sometimes I never got round to writing every day or procrastinated, that I wasn’t a real writer. But falling off the writing wagon happens, procrastination happens. It’s picking yourself up, dusting yourself down and getting back on that proverbial horse that matters (although why you’d be on the horse if you had a wagon is beyond me!).

Anyways, I need to go write!

The Red Sands Of Gods

Gods continues to be an interesting process. If you’re not aware, this is the first book I’ve attempted to write where I’m discovering the story as I go. It’s a western fantasy with helicopters and spirit animals. There’s part of me that felt as if the ideas needed to ‘cook’ for another couple of years, but I have to say that the results so far have been interesting.

The book is going pretty well and most importantly, the voyage of discovery is entertaining me even when it takes me in directions I’d never previously thought of.

NaNo Update

Sometimes real life gets in the way.

It’s safe to say that NaNo hasn’t been going well. And yet, I guess it has. I had bold plans, grand ambitions, and then like the monster at the end of the movie that *isn’t* quite dead, work problems raised their ugly head again and sent me into a downward spiral.

There’s a lot I could write about how I’ve been feeling the last couple of weeks, but I don’t think now is the time for public discussion. But needless to say I’ve found myself withdrawn.

I don’t want you thinking that it’s bad news though. These are just rough waters before the calm, they have to be weathered. And throughout it, I have continued to write – maybe only a couple of hundred words here and there, but writing nonetheless.

And with me so preoccupied with being some place other than here, the day to day artistic insecurities have gone into the background. I often say that my writing is best when it is almost transparent to me.

Of course, entering this project having no real idea where it is going is a new experience for me, one that does not suit the daily goals of NaNo but also a project without expectations. This allows me to play. The draft is already messier than my previous novels, and a complete rewrite will be required for just about everything. The story grows and expands before my eyes and I’m still not sure what I will have at the end.

I’m excited to find out.