Writing A Novel - Journaling

You may think, as I once did, that writing a novel and journaling are two completely different types of writing. I am here to argue the opposite.

After reading Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg, I began to see my journal in a whole new light. You see, I was raised to think of a journal as a personal diary, a place to write about my innermost thoughts or feelings of the day. I did not see that book as an avenue to creativity.

Your journal is what you make of it, but in the end, I believe whatever it is, it should serve you. If you are working on a novel, or would like to someday write a novel, then you need a journal to help you on your journey. Here's how a journal helps create your novel:

Journaling to come up with your novel's idea.

As a writer you should have a journal or "writer's notebook" that you write in every day. Even if you commit yourself to writing over your lunch, you should do it. Force yourself to write non-stop for a predetermined amount of time. If you do this daily, you will spill so many ideas from your brain (good and bad), that you will eventually unearth the one that deserves novel-length attention. 

Journaling to build characters.

While you are writing your novel, certain scenes and dialogues may reveal ideas about your characters to you that seem abundantly clear, but may not be able to be added into that scene. Keeping your journal on your desk at all times will allow you to jot down all these thoughts about your characters as you go. You would not believe how much useful stuff you forget about in the middle of writing. 

Journaling to write while you are away.

When you are writing a novel, you are always writing that novel no matter what else it may look like you are doing - cooking, working, cleaning, or, as I was yesterday, weeding your backyard. Part of the reason journaling is my topic of the day is because I broke my rule yesterday and I felt the pain last night. What's the rule?  

Have I mentioned how much my hands hurt?

Always have your journal with you.

While I was weeding my backyard by hand (day five of hand-picking weeds from between bricks!!) I was, of course, day dreaming about my current WIP. I came up with a great scene and introduction of a character. Since I spent all afternoon going over it again and again in my brain I thought it was solidly a part of me. WRONG. When I sat down to type it up last night, it was gone.

I'm hoping it comes back to me today. I'm heading back out to the seemingly endless weeds in my backyard (ouch! Blisters forming) and today I am bringing my journal with me. Wish me luck!

Thanks for reading!

How do you use your journal for your creative inspiration?

Do you have a separate journal for your creative endeavors, or do you mix it up with your own personal reflections of the day?

Writing A Novel - Editing

After you think you are done writing your novel, when you first reach "The End", you can sit back, relax and brace yourself for the real work ahead of you: EDITING. Depending on who you talk to, this is either the most exciting part of the writing process, or the most dreaded. I fall somewhere in the middle. I am well aware that this is my least practiced skill (so therein lies the dread), but when I have successfully worked on editing short pieces I have felt more fulfilled than ever before.

Since I have much to learn about the process of editing a novel and feel ill-equipped to advise on the topic, I instead offer you some notes I've picked up along the way.

On The Terror of Editing

When you are faced with the decision to cut out words and sentences that you created it feels that brutal. Your novel - every sentence, word and piece of punctuation - is personal and a piece of you. To admit that some of those don't belong, or are "wrong" can be painful. (This is also why it can be difficult to hear even the best intended criticism of these words!). Here are a couple of thoughts from authors reflecting the terror of editing:

• "To make the piece work, it's essential to murder on demand." - The Memoir Project, Marion Roach Smith p. 103
•  "...what's left out may haunt you as much as what gets included." - The Memoir Project, Marion Roach Smith p. 102
• "Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts." Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott p. 25

On Why Editing is Necessary

In short, Anne Lamott's terrifying statement above - that all good writing begins terribly - is why editing is a necessary evil.   However, to get an idea where the "terrible" comes from, here are a few more notes on the topic:

• "It's not volume we need. It's precision aimed at illustrating your unique point of view, and that's what editing is all about."- The Memoir Project, Marion Roach Smith p.105
•  "The difference between a word and the 'right' word is the difference between a lightning bug and lightning. " - Mark Twain
• "The effect of judicious cutting is immediate and often amazing -- literary Viagra." - On Writing, Stephen King p. 223
•  "What the Formula taught me is that every story is collapsible to some degree." - On Writing, Stephen King p. 223

On How Editing Is Done

It's feared. It must be done. Everyone has their own method (I'm still developing mine!). Here are  tips on how to edit your novel from some seasoned veterans:

• "Pencil in hand, touch each word in every sentence, make hard decisions." - The Memoir Project, Marion Roach Smith p. 108
• "If you find yourself skimming a sentence or paragraph thinking the reader will enjoy herself later, forget it." - The Memoir Project, Marion Roach Smith p. 109
• "Toss it even if you love it." - On Writing, Stephen King p. 197
• "Your job during or just after  the first draft is to decide what something or somethings [your book] is about. Your job in the second draft -- one of them, anyway -- is to make that something even more clear." On Writing, Stephen King p. 201
• "2nd Draft = 1st Draft - 10%. Good Luck." - On Writing, Stephen King (in quoting an editor's note from a submission to Ellery Quenn's Mystery Magazine) p. 222
• "The story always comes first." - On Writing, Stephen King p. 231
• "...take your story through at least two drafts; the one with the door closed and the one you do with it open." - On Writing, Stephen King p. 209
• "It's a good idea to wait awhile before your reread your writing." - Writing Down The Bones, Natalie Goldberg, p. 205

On Dulling The Pain Of Editing

Natalie Goldberg's book Writing Down the Bones is just about one of the best reads for the insecure writer. She has a wonderful way of freeing writers from fear and bring joy back to every part of the writing process - even editing. Here are some soothing words to end off on, to remind you that editing is something every writer goes through and that it can be just as creatively fulfilling as putting together your first draft:

• "See revision as 'envisioning again'." - Writing Down The Bones, Natalie Goldberg, p. 209
• "Often you might read page after page in your notebooks and only come upon one, two, or three good lines. Don't be discouraged." - Writing Down The Bones, Natalie Goldberg, p. 210

More Guidance On Editing

If these wise words are not enough for you (and I do realize they only scratch the surface) , them I highly recommend you read the books they come from.

 

In the meantime, here are some click-able resources:

11 Resources to Make Editing Your Novel Easier

Editing Your First Novel: 7 Things You Need to Know

 How To Edit Your Book In 4 Steps

How to Edit a Novel Manuscript