Watch out! I'm posting back-to-back. Crazy, I know. :)
I was working on my umpteenth revision of SECOND SOUL and realized that I have a few confessions to make.
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- I write overly wordy prose on my first draft. OKAY, Fine. I write overly wordy prose on drafts 1-3. And let me tell you, it is like slicing my arm off to delete some of it. I always know that if I am super proud of a certain bit of prose, it's cutting time.
- I'm not a fan of literary fiction. Yikes! A writer that doesn't prefer literary fiction! What has the world come to! The problem with most literary fiction is in the descriptions. I really do not need two or three paragraphs on the beauty of a tree. I get that it is lovely. I really do. But I do not need to read about it at length. At that point, I'm skimming. I prefer just enough details to convey the message/scene/setting without haulting the pacing. I find it interesting that so many experts slam physical descriptions (i.e. color of eyes, hair, etc), yet they have no issue at all with paragraphs on the green of trees. :) I digress...
- I am SOOOO afraid of ghosts and aliens and all that stuff, yet I LOVE writing about them. SECOND SOUL is filled with ghosts and possession and all sorts of freaky stuff. My current WIP (which is on hold), TWISTED ROOT, is about aliens that coexist on Earth with humans. I will not even get into the creepy stuff I have going on in that MS. Let's just say I will have nightmares for weeks after I finish it. :)
- I love adjectives and adverbs and the verb "was." Okay, I'm glad I got that off my chest. So you wanna know what I have to do? I love them so much that I cut most of them from my writing. I always find the pacing to improve when I do this, but boy am I sad when I hit delete. Check your loveliest descriptions. How many adjective weeds are in them? How many commas do you have b/c you just have to convey every single detail? Yep, I've been there and am there, daily.
- (Hoping and praying I don't piss anyone off with this one!) Do you ever have people read your work that confuse you, the writer, for the MC? I so want to say: It's fiction. :) But I don't. Instead, it makes me smile. See, I *try* to come at things/issues from different angles. I'm not sure I accomplish this, but I try. I know what my MC does not know. What fun would it be having a MC (esp. a teen) that already has all the answers? So, yeah, in SS I build Heaven as a true world, but it is nothing like what most would view it to be. And, honesty here, there's some cussing in my book and general hardness towards faith. The reason? B/C most teens don't get religion and they rarely find it interesting. Faith is not a part of SS, in the traditional sense, but I want the reader to finish my book and think "Hmm, maybe we are created for a greater purpose."
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Okay, it's slumber party time: confess something. I'll grab the popcorn.
M.B.
I think I may have found a kindred spirit in your Melissa with your confession #3. I LOVE stuff like that.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think the problem with "literary" fiction is that in some of it, nothing happens and I'm an action kind of girl.
I'm an underwriter though. I WISH I had your problem of writing too much in a draft. When I'm writing draft is like pulling teeth for words. Ha.
Hallelujah for point number 2! I'm glad I'm not alone in this. Generally, I tend to stay away from anything with an award on the cover. I usually just can't get into them (which is quite a blanket statement, I know. Like, I have definitely enjoyed some literary stuff, but none are in my top 5 reads of all time!)
ReplyDeleteAnd, I can't wait to see what you have in the pipeline for Twisted Root!! I am already very intrigued!
Your blog is adorable and your little confessional here is brilliant!!! I'm a happy new follower *waves* and already have my PJ's on with a front row seat into the world of everyone who posts!!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the scaredy cat thing! I can write them, but only because I know what's happening!!! Otherwise I'm terrified!
Ooo Karen -- do you write thrillerish stuff as well? I often wonder if it is old school as paranormal is so much the norm these days, but it is what I gravitate towards and most say write what comes to you. I bet your drafts are tightly written if you underwrite.
ReplyDeleteLaura -- Yes, I totally agree on the Lit fiction bit. It is a rareity in my library of books for sure.
Jen -- Welcome! I enjoy your blog as well!