In which I talk about writing for a change

The more I read, the more I think that this writing just whatever is a good idea. Is it just me, or are more and more books being published that could use some decent editing? I've just finished a book which had a fine story, but the writing really left me cold. This is a YA book, ALA Notable and all. The story line was well thought out, but I just wanted to take a red pen to it and turn it into what it could have been just by cleaning up the approach. I feel that way a lot now when I read. It's like just getting it out is the only thing- quality is secondary.

But then, that's what NaNo is all about, isn't it? But I certainly intend, once my story is down, to take the time to craft it into a more polished thing. It won't be the way I usually do things- I usually hash out the story fairly thoroughly in my head first, so that by the time I put it down, it's more like a 3rd or 4th draft. This writing what comes to mind as it comes thing is new. I'm very ambivalent about it: on the one hand, it gets the thing done, and if it's not done, there's nothing you can do with it, no matter how good it is. On the other hand, there is definitely more work to do on it in the subsequent go-rounds.

I read a quote from Anne Rice about how, once it's down, it's perfet. Well, I hardly think that, but I do think that my initial drafts have, up to now, been close to what I wanted in the end. I don't know how I'll feel about the stuff I spew out for NaNo. I do know I'm pretty uncomfortable about the stuff I'm spewing here. But I persevere.

The problem with the "write it in your head first" plan is that my head doesn't hold all that much any more, so it really only seems to work for short stories. But I can't seem to get out of that writing mode. Hence my attempts to do NaNo this year and last. Also, hence my attempts at this blog. I really can't chew over an entire novel. I've tried. Many times. I have countless starts to novels on the computer.

I'm better at the setup/concept than the storyline. At least, I view myself that way. Which is why I am, in grand writing tradition, stealing the storyline. A pre-fab to hang my cool setup/concept on. And maybe then I won't struggle so much.

I've also noticed that I spend a lot of time hunting for the perfect idea. For instance, in my hunt for the myth I'm stealing, I read several versions of it. I keep wanting one of them to have a phrase, or concept, or something, that is the defining moment of the story. I'm not even sure what I'm looking for half the time, but I keep thinking it'll be there if only I look hard enough. Well, it's never there, and it's a great time waster and keeps me from getting down to the task of creating my own defining concept/moment/whatever it is I want. Was doing that while reading Bullfinch's Mytholgy. I kept wondering if perhaps another book would be better. It wouldn't, I know, becaue it never is. Gah. So I need to fight that tendency too.

By the way, I am going to try for morning again, but it's so difficult when I can't get up.... I'm just so tired all the time. It takes so much to drag myself to do this each evening, too, that getting that morning time seems insurmountable. But, as with this, I'll keep making the attempt. Once I break the barrier, and do this twice a day, I should be in good shape. I've got a couple of weeks yet before I have to do it in earnest.