Well. I’m jacked up on new music, thanks to you. I’ve discovered the glories of Pandora and several new artists, and I feel groovy.
Yesterday I finished some work on book one and have set the manuscript aside for a few days so I can go over it with fresh eyes before sending it back to my editor. In the meantime, I’m drafting scenes from book two. It’s a novel called Blackbird—a story told in reverse, starting with a mysterious triple murder and working back through the characters’ tangled relationships to figure out where it all went wrong. With sex, drugs and creepers as per usual. The proposal is approved, which means that I’ve written the synopsis, everyone’s on board with the premise, and I’ve been sent off to write it.
A year ago the idea of writing to a strict outline would have frightened me. I didn’t know how to think about work I had not yet written, so I scribbled all over the place and had to rebuild book one on the ashes of a lot of unusable scenes. But in recovering from that mess I’ve learned how to write chunks of work to fulfill a specific narrative purpose. I’ve been laying in words this way for the better part of a year now and I think I finally get it. As long as the characters are solid in my mind, I can make progress. Like a herd of wild turtles as my mother would say.
I’m going away for a week to take advantage of this unusual state of writerly confidence. I’ll be back when the juice runs out.
What have you learned over the past year?
I’m both fascinated and encouraged to hear about authors who usually don’t write from outlines suddenly find themselves compelled to because of their book deals. They usually start out apprehensive, but in the end, it works. I love this. It’s kind of like writing on deadline; you don’t think you’re going to ever possibly make it, but you do. You find a way to do the work.
No one finds a way to do the work better than you, Averil. You rock.
Yes, you do rock. I wish you many words and fun writing them.
Nah. Mostly I roll.
XO
“What have you learned over the past year?”
new variations on the old lessons: how to do and how to do without.
I listened to an interesting conversation on the Leonard Lopate show today. The guest is a psychoanalyst who talks about frustration and the parallel lives we imagine we could be living if only we’d done this or that differently. I think you’d enjoy it, Tetman.
http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/2013/feb/26/
Well I sure enjoyed it, WOW.
If I lived the life I thought I lost out on I’d probably be one of those cat ladies who wears purple all the time or maybe I would have been a…nah, I’m okay right where I am. Thanks A. That was a great way to start my day. As usual you are a ray on a gloomy day.
What have I learned over the past year…NOT to take myself so seriously.
thank you, averil. in the universe i inhabit, counterfactuals are meaningless; in the infinite intersecting planes of being, i have had an infinity of lives and have died an infinite number of deaths. in this plane, i have upon occasion toyed with the idea of scribbling some scrawling novel with a protagonist whose various lives branch off along the way. it’s probably already been done–in some parallel universe it certainly has–and anyway, i have other trifles with which to keep myself amused. for instance, this mug of sliver needle tea here next to my computer monitor.
I recently read an interview with Jane Smiley. My favorite of her books, A Thousand Acres, happened with a very strict outline. Her first outline, ever. It was tough for her, she kept getting off track with the story and had to delete delete delete and get back to the outline. Stick to the outline.
That book won the Pulitzer. Outlines can’t be bad. Good luck! You’re on a roll.
Is the interview included in the book you mentioned on your blog? I was thinking of picking up a copy.
Yes. WHY WE WRITE. Edited by Meredith Moran.
I write best when I have fun with it.
And if you rush a writer, you get rotten writings.
this is so true!
Have you seen the movie Memento? I think you need to. Remember when I told you you absolutely had to read Lolita? It’s like that. There is something I can’t put my finger on, and it’s been a long time since I saw that movie, yet it was really intriguing and works with time-play like you’re talking about for your next book. I haven’t thought about it in forever and when I read your post it popped into my head. Do me a favor though? Limit it to one time…
Have a great week off!
I loved that movie. It’s been a long time for me, too, I should watch it again. (Yeah, you heard me. Again!!)
You cool chick you. I remember you writing about your writing process in the past, how it was all over the shop. What a fine leap you are performing – and through your own hoop. I’m sure in a way it’s easier, but harder to keep at it without going nuts. You’ll be fine, I know you will.
As for me in this crazy year I have learned how to cut back, harness good energy, relax. I still wake up and have motorbrain in the night though. Enjoy your writing slam! Xcat
Averil, you continue to impress the hell out of me. Just wanted to say that. Have a good week.
Write on, girl. What more can I say? You rock our worlds. Thank you.
Last night I got into a fight with a basketball father, in front of my 11 year old. He was such an ass! It ended with heated words. I was smart to keep moving, otherwise it would have gotten really ugly. As we pushed past him toward our car, I said to my daughter,”You should always know that if someone is going to be an asshole to me, I’m likely going to be an asshole right back. Especially if you’re a basketball father.”
Clearly, I haven’t learned a damn thing.
Someday we will be saying, “I knew Averil back when…” Rock, roll and write, it’ll be a good week.
Ya know Mary Lynne, today I was thinking the same thing. This chick is going to make it big and we can all say we were there…here…over there…wait…where the hell are we anyway, oh cyber somewhere. Yeah, we knew her when she was cybering in Portland.
You chicks crack me up. Where exactly am I gonna go, once I’ve made it big? I’m already living large, swilling Diet A&W and fishing cracker crumbs out of my bra. What more could a girl want?
I’ve learned about the timing of submitting work, and that a novel, if it’s determined that it may be crossing over into two different genres – can potentially throw a kink into making a sale. SIGH. Actually, this is one I’m getting ready to blog about…a lament of “where in hell did I go wrong w/this?”
Funny – I don’t work by outline – but,it sounds like something “we” all might have to get used to b/c once under a publisher, they gotta know what their $ is up to – right? And I’m sure it helps layout the synopsis.
Very, very exciting, Averil. I feel vicariously confident and writerly just thinking of you. And I love that title, Blackbird. I even know how to almost play that song on the guitar. Dionne Farris sang a particularly beautiful version. Can’t wait to see what you’ll do.
Isn’t it a beautiful song? Perfect melancholy inspiration for my story.
GL with your, “…Blackbird—a story told in reverse..”
Cibo Matto – Sugar Water
Because this is from you, A, I’m going to look past the intriguing possibilities of sugar water as a beauty treatment and assume there is a double entendre in it.
XO
i know i’m late to the party, but i just want to tell you how amazing you are. this insight you’ve been so generous with, letting us share on your process–and how you’ve come to this process. it is a very giving thing to offer. thank you.
i’ve learned a lot this past year about myself, but not so much my writing. (although, i’m 100% sure it will inform it.)
Wish you much writerly inspiration! Outlining is a concept that scares that hell out of me… a lesson yet to be learned.
We sound like kindred spirits. I am finishing book one and can’t wait to start on the next. It will be so much easier with a rough outline. I felt like I was trying to deflate a life raft and put it back in the crate with this one. Man. It got so big and unwieldy. Making a storyboard really helped me.
Good luck with the progress!
Btw that girl in the photo sure knows how to take a break!
Congrats on being where you is, Miss Thang. You are still juiced, I hope, and wrestling your outline to the ground, yeah?
What have I learned in the last year? Mostly not to trust my epiphanies until they’ve stuck around at least a half a week and have survived two bubble baths.
oxo