Monday, September 13, 2010

Playing to Your Strengths


First drafts are tricky beasts. They always take longer than I think, and they're always rougher than I want. Every writer seems to attack them in their own way, but the biggest lesson seems to be: no matter how you do it, just finish the gosh-darned thing. Write it in a way that's easiest for you.

For me, it's dialogue. As a result, parts of any of my first drafts read almost like a play. That's fine. All the details get added in future drafts. After all, I want my manuscript to be a lush portrait of the events, not a black and white sketch.

Since I write mysteries, I have to know my plot before I begin. I know who died and why. I know who did it. I know most of my sub-plots. You'd think I'd be fine, wouldn't you? HA! I'm always amazed at how the story winds off in unexpected directions or how characters show colours I wasn't expecting.

Perhaps other writers, far more talented than I, can write better first drafts. I'll stick to what works for me. After all, in that marathon of writing the first draft, it's crossing the finish line that counts, not how pretty you looked getting there.

Now, if someone could just tell me how do get these characters to shut-up....

16 comments:

  1. Elspeth - Oh, but I would say that dialogue's essential. It's such an important part of how we get to know characters. Besides, I don't think there is only one "right" way to write a first draft, or to focus when one's starting out. For folks like you who are gifted at dialogue, it's that. For other people, it's something else. For me, I start out with the mystery itself. I like that "intellectual" part of it, and that's my background, so I go with it. The other stuff comes later, but I wish it didn't sometimes...

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  2. Margot; I certainly didn't mean to imply that my way is the way to go - simply to just write the way it's easiest for each of us. I can understand completely that for you, it's the puzzle. I'd have no idea how to write that first. I'll stick with dialogue!

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  3. I like this, Elspeth! I think I throw a lot of dialogue in the first draft too. However, even though I'm writing some mysteries I still don't know the plot - I didn't even know who did it originally with my second one. All I knew was I had a dead guy in a garden! I totally agree that the first draft needs to get done! I am sure mine looks like a dog's breakfast at that point but that is what 2nd, 3r, and 85th drafts are for!

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  4. Jan; I adore you all the time, but even more now because of that 85th draft comment.

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  5. My first drafts are always far from perfect. I need those 85 drafts and even then I think I can make it better.

    CD

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  6. Clarissa; I know exactly what you mean. I'm glad I'm not alone!

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  7. First drafts ARE beasts! I enjoy writing dialogue and my drafts tend to go back and forth with conversation, sometimes I'm not sure who's saying what! But I write better that way. I did try my hand at screenplay writing. Definitely NOT for me, but I found it an excellent way to spit out a quick, skeletal first draft!

    Jen

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  8. I have no help for you with getting characters to shut up. ( and don't you just hate it when the dead ones keep talking?)
    I'm the opposite - I have to remember to put dialogue in.

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  9. Jen; That sounds like a marvelous idea - I may employ it for the next project!

    Laura; Lucklly, my victim has stayed quiet - but he does have a habit of reminding me of things he needs to say or do before he meets his fate. I hate a very hard time convincing him he had to die! Actually, I confess, I was the one who had a hard time - I loved him.

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  10. My first drafts are godawful. And my characters are all chatterboxes. Even the dead ones talk to me. I need help.

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  11. Carol; I'd advise drinking wine, except I've found it makes them chat more. They're very indiscreet.

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  12. Such good advice. Play to your strengths in that first draft, and then add what's missing later. I like this.

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  13. I certainly don’t write a good first draft, or second or third, etc., but I feel it’s the final product that counts!)

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  14. Elspeth, has any writer ever got her character to shut up, unless the character chose to do so? As long as the dialogue is fun to read, how does it matter how much of it there is?

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  15. I LOVE putting my characters in a room and letting them talk. I write romantic suspense, which for me is a mystery, but I've written books where I didn't know who the bad guy was, who the victim was, or why he was dead until over halfway through the book. It still works for me. Terry
    Terry's Place
    Romance with a Twist--of Mystery

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  16. "First drafts are tricky beasts. They always take longer than I think, and they're always rougher than I want." Yes. I so agree.

    We have to find our own way, right? It's about what gets the work done, and it's often different between one writer and the next.

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