[ z ē ' n ĭ t h ] -noun 1. an arch wherethrough gleams that untraveled world…
The Novelist’s Deflowering: Introduction
I’ve been dropping hints at this for a while, but I might as well come clean and spill the honest truth. At the end of 2008 I started imagining a novel. This isn’t really that extraordinary considering I did and still do imagine novels all the time, but for some reason this particular novel stuck with me. In early 2009 I wrote the first two chapters. After that, life got in the way, as it so often does. At the end of 2009 I finally graduated from college—something that had been hanging over my head for a while, an axe constantly sharpened by my parents. At the turn of 2010 I told myself that it was time to write the damned thing, so on January 9th I sat down and started writing.
The Road Ahead
Because I’m actively writing again, I’m noticing a great deal about the craft—mostly little things. I feel that as a reader of fiction and nonfiction (and poetry, of course) there is an exponential wealth of knowledge to be gained, but unfortunately that can only take you so far. I’ve realized that once you start writing on a regular basis you become hyper aware of all the nuances that go into writing, especially if you read someone else’s work while you’re in the middle of a project of your own. If you don’t, something is wrong.
I thought it would be a good idea to start a place where I can talk about this sort of thing. This is a temporary series of articles detailing my adventures through my first novel. A lot of what follows you probably already know, but hopefully the parts that you or the parts that you’ve overlooked will make up for it. It’s silly to think there’s nothing left to learn. I’m learning every day. I look forward to opening up a line of discourse with Xenith’s readers, to learning even more.
The current title: Rebellious Bird
Related posts:
The Novelist’s Deflowering: Considering the Raw and Formless Matter
The amateur novelist begins the revision process, which turns out to be more than he bargained for....The Novelist’s Deflowering: A Vocation Indeed
The amateur novelist discovers the emotional impacts of lethargy. It's a job, after all....The Novelist’s Deflowering: The Courage to Accept the Things We Can Change
The amateur novelist identifies that which caused so much paralysis....The Novelist’s Deflowering: Every Day, a Plunge
The amateur novelist identifies the fallacy in the old saying. Absence does not make the heart grow fonder—only more fearful....The Novelist’s Deflowering: On the Mythology of Madness
The amateur novelist begins to understand the mechanics and, daresay, allure of the writer's obsession....
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I’m on my third semester of taking a novel workshop and first semester of taking screenwriting, both with the same professor. The main part of both classes is going over 5-7 manuscripts a week, reading them, commenting, editing, and then discussing them as a group.
This process has been one of the most valuable things I’ve taken part in. The reason the teacher does it is because it is often times very hard to see the problems in your own work. It’s not so hard to find problems with other people’s work, which in turn makes you more aware of your own work. If you see something bad, you go “Oh, man, I gotta avoid that.” When you read something good, you think: “Man, I need to be a better writer.” Either way, it’s enlightening and very motivating at times, especially when something is so good that all you want to do is write something better.
Analyzing other works, taking part in critiquing, and, yes, writing everyday, has helped an enormous amount. Having a deadline for turning in helps too. I’m at 25000+ words (not including all the cutting and rewriting), which is over 5x longer than anything I’ve previously written. In fact, it might be more than all the fiction I’ve ever tried to write combined.
How cool would it be if Xenithites got together for a month or so and just did workshops all day? We’d all get so much done.
Austin, I love your workshop idea! I’ve been fantasizing lately about some sort of Xenith summer, in which a bunch of get together and do writerly stuff. Like our Burning Man adventures, sans the cash outlay and giant roaming pirate ships.
And, Patrick, I very much like this mini series of articles that you’re doing! It’s a very Patrick-esque title, by the way. Can’t wait to read more, sir.
I too love the idea of a Xenith workshop. Sometimes I have delusions of grandeur and imagine myself receiving a MacArthur Fellowship. One of the things I would do is rent out a hotel in a tiny desert town and hold a Xenith conference. I’m thinking Hotel Nipton, just on the edge of the Mojave Preserve. Nipton is a town of about twelve people. It would be perfect.
I also completely understand, Austin, what you’re saying about needing someone else’s eyes on your work. As I’m writing, I know there are hundreds of things that I think I’m getting away with but I’m not. My plan, though, is to finish the first draft, then do an extensive round of revisions. I don’t plan to show the manuscript to anyone until the second or even third draft is complete. I think I’ve relied on other people too extensively in the past for my revision process, and I’m curious to see how far I can get on my own. Besides, there are problems of which I’m consciously aware, even when I write them, so I’ll have plenty to fix by myself.
You’re right about writing every day (or in my case almost every day). I tell myself that I should average 1,000 words per day, but at the end of the week it doesn’t always add up. I’m not really that far from that, though: in the last 60 days I’ve written about 53,000 words. It’s not quite NaNo speed, but I’m at least satisfied with it. I’m hoping to finish this draft before summer. Either way, writing regularly–not going more than two or three days without sitting down to write–is a huge component of my… I guess could call it success. My writing habits used to be to binge several thousand words in one sitting and then not write for weeks. That kind of process just isn’t healthy. Now that I’m writing regularly, I’m having difficulty remembering what my life was like before. I keep asking myself what I did with all my time.
Kelly–I’m glad you like the title. It is very much me, isn’t it? I’m happy to be embarking on this small project. It almost feels like a themed blog. Ever see Julie & Julia?