I found two useful approaches. Early on I storyboard the scenes to see if it males narrative sense. I got this from watching the movie Argo. At the end they used actual storyboards by Jack Kirby, an early literary hero. Then, for my final drafts, I use a spreadsheet with each scene in rows and different elements in columns to make sure it flows with relevance. This is a tactic from my basket trading life and it helped make final edits ruthless.
You described my process almost exactly except I don't wait that long to let it gestate. I write in a coffee shop in morning for 90 minutes and again in the passenger seat of my car at a park or cemetery during happy hour. Never do much outlining...I like to tell myself the story as I go. So I'm surprised, same as you.
No, I write on a laptop. And buy a 19.2 oz can of beer for happy hour to sip on for an hour or two. Cemeteries are great for writing - at least for me. Stories float in the air.
I definitely need to let a draft sit for a bit before diving back in...but the timing usually depends on how close to my deadline I am. Probably I should wait longer, but sometimes I can't. I love the idea of leaving breadcrumbs for tomorrow's writing session--I do that, too, by leaving off in the middle of a scene or sometimes even a sentence.
I hear that. I'm with you. I'm kind of forcing myself to not look at it right now and take a break. But I think that's also a good sign, too. For me, I know I'm excited to get back in there because I think there's something there.
It's great that you're pausing, strategically, to allow the story to stew in its own juices for a while, like a fine marinade. The setting time is when all the flavors comingle and become something other than what they started as.
I can't use detailed outlines either; they leave me feeling like a caged bird, and I always ALWAYS push against the outline I created. Instead, I'm learning to allow intuition to talk me through the story. I write a scene or two, let them set. Think about those scenes and the next ones, let the thoughts set. Write another scene or two, go back and fix the issues I already know about in the older scenes. Two steps forward, one step back, like that little hop Dorothy does on the yellow brick road to Oz. Others may not understand it, but ithis is the process that is finally working for me and feels good.
I'm still drafting my novel, but when after I wrote the POV ebook, I let it set for about a month, reread it straight through, revised after that, and sent it to my editor so I couldn't touch it again for a few weeks. By the time I got the revisions back, I was fully refreshed and prepared for the technical details.
I'm a bit of an unusual writer. I write a much slower first draft than most. It rewards me with what looks like a second draft. As soon as I get done, I run over it with a second pass, fixing issues with passive voice, tone, pacing, ect. Once done, I let it stew for several months while I send out beta copies to get the opinion of others. Then, armed with valuable critiques, I go for the final drafts. I've found plotting impossible. In fact, this last book I'm working on came to me in a dream. I just had to record what I saw.
I think medium's important. I vomit-draft on paper, in a rotating pile of thin, go-anywhere journals, and wait until round two to type anything. A couple reasons: I find it easier and better to find the contours of an idea when I have to slow pace enough to mechanically produce language; also, I find the tendency to stop and toggle about with syntax or semantics is irresistibly easy on the keyboard, and ends up stanching the flow of thoughts and impulses that a new effort needs to keep moving forward.
The laptop does become a space where I draft ideas periodically throughout the teaching term, just out of expediency, but I've found the better work ultimately arises through a mixed-medium approach.
Interesting, Cameron. Thanks for sharing. A lot of love for paper drafting on this post. Making me think I’ll have to give a try for something substantial soon.
I write longhand on legal pads, in the morning, before going to work at the grocery store. Usually takes me 2-3 complete drafts to where I have the basic story there--I carry over some material from earlier drafts while leaving what doesn't work out. Then I give it about a month, let it percolate, then type that up on the laptop, editing throughout. Currently doing that with a novella.
Love it. Have been meaning to give longhand a shot. Will try it at some point. Novella length seems like the perfect test run. Have tried it a few time for Substack posts and enjoyed the outcome.
I'm so impressed by your work ethic. I've been battling this draft for 3 years and I'm right at the 60K mark where I'm like wtf is happening. I can't decide if I need to lock in more (yes) or take a break, but kudos on the foresight and wisdom in this post! Everyone who is juggling a day job, kids, marriage, and the realities of life alongside writing are fucking superstars.
Thank you my brother, I am equally impressed by yours. Also, I am so thrilled to hear about this draft! Break might be needed... but who knows. Any wisdom I've gained is from bumping my head against the wall for too many damn years haha. Can't wait to read the book.
Great read! Is this the same second novel you talked about red button-ing here or something entirely new? https://borywrites.substack.com/p/dont-fear-the-red-button And if it's the same, did you copy/paste any elements from that draft you were planning to fully scrap or just fully start with a blank page and new everything and only keep some of the same core themes you mentioned?
Thank you, Kristen! This novel is a brand new version that came after I red buttoned the previous one in that post. I took a month or so to regroup, do some journaling and reading, and set my sights in a new direction. Didn't copy and paste any elements, but did keep most of the core themes and some of the character names because I liked them, even though the characters themselves are pretty different.
Pretty much, yeah, Tony. I don't know how else to say it other than it feels like a book now. It has a shape to it, momentum, and I can see how I can move around parts and tug at things to make it even more interesting (at least to me). Before it was kind of like, well these are 100 or 200 pages, but I'm not sure if it's really a book yet. If that makes sense.
From a book of content to a book of story. I think when you can see and triangulate content, structure, and purpose, you can address a lot of story issues that need addressing. I think you need it all working together, and each may be both very simple and very complex, and none of the three points of triangulation guarantees good connection to the other.
Congrats on finishing the first draft! I finished mine recently as well and I also took a whole month off because I was mentally running on fumes, writing-wise. It was so great to not have to think about the manuscript for weeks. Then by the end, I became really excited to begin revisions.
Dope, congrats, Chris. I know you've been at it for a minute. Hope when you return you see things a bit clearer. Trying to edit on those fumes is hell.
I'm a full-blown pantser now and I feel the same way you do about outlining: Too much structure constrains the imagination. I like to keep the drafting process dynamic, because then my characters can tell me what "they" would do, in that moment, in that context, rather than shake their heads at me while I force them to do something dumb.
Of interest, I'm struggling to find a rhythm for my new novel, but I needed an outline in case my agent wants to try to sell book two before pub day this August. My compromise was to "pants" the outline, too, which generated a bunch of crazy shit that I was really into, and I suspect will form the plot/structure of the full draft.
But, all that said, I will free-write the actual novel, and if my characters don't like my outline, that's fine by me.
I've done this a couple times now, let the draft(s) breathe, and it's always been for the best as far as I can tell. I had a teacher that always said we get smarter between drafts, which I tend to agree with. The other thing is that I just wouldn't have been able to write each latest draft a year or two ago. Almost as if I'm learning how to write the book as I write it—even though it's still the same story and has the same vision. It's my first novel, so maybe what I'm saying might resonate more with the path your first book took (which I'd be curious to hear about relative to this new one you're working on). Not easy to deal with when we're all (probably) impatient and just want our work to be done ASAP. Salute to the pre-day job routine.
Appreciate you, Spencer. And sounds like you're on the right path. I think you said it best: You are learning to write the book as you write it. Taking those breaks, for me, have helped to kind of consolidate some of those lessons. In any case, best of luck to you. Patience is key! Don't let the industry and all the buzz and hype shit rush you.
When do you consider a draft ready to sit with? (I have a messy draft that I've been working on for a year that I worry isn't going anywhere. I've been letting it sit out of frustration, not to let it simmer. But I can't decide whether, when I pick it up again, I should plow on or start fresh on a rewrite.)
With this one, I had a lot of things working and forward momentum that I liked. But the ending was a bit messy and every time I tried to write new scenes they just flatlined. I realized that to figure out the end I have to step back and see what makes the most sense, so that is why I stopped. How I make the call is: If I can't think of anything interesting to write further, and I've gone far enough to know it is a novel (over 200 pages at least), then I will stop and step back. But if I'm on like page 50 or something, I'll either try to plow through or be honest with myself about whether this thing is even really working or not. Hopefully that helps
Alan Watt which is turning into the 180-Day Novel in my hands lol. There’s a lot of writing about character for the first 4 weeks and I happen to be writing a book with four points of view 🫠 I’ve never done this much character study but I’m also itching to just start writing! I’m in too deep though, I want to finish his method even if it’s driving me a little nuts.
I've heard of this, but never investigated it too much. Isn't the idea that you finish a novel in 90 days? Kind of funny that he would have you do so much pre-planning in that case, no?
Truly! His approach is very centered on the idea that characters drive plot through choices so it’s important to know them inside out before drafting (which, fair). There’s a lot of caveats about using what helps and leaving the rest, about nothing needing to be perfect, exploring, etc. I’m big on outlines so I breathed a sigh of relief when we got to that part lol. I’ve heard so many people say it helped though. I’m open to the experiment haha
Interesting. Yeah, I would agree with him there. Knowing your characters is huge. This is my third crack at trying to write this type of novel, so I have the fortune of already dealing with them, or people similar to them, for a minute now. But yeah, if you're starting from ground zero I can see why that makes sense. Good luck on the experiment!
I found two useful approaches. Early on I storyboard the scenes to see if it males narrative sense. I got this from watching the movie Argo. At the end they used actual storyboards by Jack Kirby, an early literary hero. Then, for my final drafts, I use a spreadsheet with each scene in rows and different elements in columns to make sure it flows with relevance. This is a tactic from my basket trading life and it helped make final edits ruthless.
Love it. Methodical.
You described my process almost exactly except I don't wait that long to let it gestate. I write in a coffee shop in morning for 90 minutes and again in the passenger seat of my car at a park or cemetery during happy hour. Never do much outlining...I like to tell myself the story as I go. So I'm surprised, same as you.
Writing in the car at a cemetery during happy hour! Fire. By hand I assume? Very cool.
No, I write on a laptop. And buy a 19.2 oz can of beer for happy hour to sip on for an hour or two. Cemeteries are great for writing - at least for me. Stories float in the air.
Shit I might need to try this.
This is next level badass. Dalton vibes. Respect.
I definitely need to let a draft sit for a bit before diving back in...but the timing usually depends on how close to my deadline I am. Probably I should wait longer, but sometimes I can't. I love the idea of leaving breadcrumbs for tomorrow's writing session--I do that, too, by leaving off in the middle of a scene or sometimes even a sentence.
I hear that. I'm with you. I'm kind of forcing myself to not look at it right now and take a break. But I think that's also a good sign, too. For me, I know I'm excited to get back in there because I think there's something there.
Thank you for giving me permission, bruh, when all I was feeling was guilt. 🙏🏾
Guilt! Why bro! You da man.
It's great that you're pausing, strategically, to allow the story to stew in its own juices for a while, like a fine marinade. The setting time is when all the flavors comingle and become something other than what they started as.
I can't use detailed outlines either; they leave me feeling like a caged bird, and I always ALWAYS push against the outline I created. Instead, I'm learning to allow intuition to talk me through the story. I write a scene or two, let them set. Think about those scenes and the next ones, let the thoughts set. Write another scene or two, go back and fix the issues I already know about in the older scenes. Two steps forward, one step back, like that little hop Dorothy does on the yellow brick road to Oz. Others may not understand it, but ithis is the process that is finally working for me and feels good.
I'm still drafting my novel, but when after I wrote the POV ebook, I let it set for about a month, reread it straight through, revised after that, and sent it to my editor so I couldn't touch it again for a few weeks. By the time I got the revisions back, I was fully refreshed and prepared for the technical details.
Love this. It slows things down, for sure, but I find that it's useful. Thanks for sharing!
I'm a bit of an unusual writer. I write a much slower first draft than most. It rewards me with what looks like a second draft. As soon as I get done, I run over it with a second pass, fixing issues with passive voice, tone, pacing, ect. Once done, I let it stew for several months while I send out beta copies to get the opinion of others. Then, armed with valuable critiques, I go for the final drafts. I've found plotting impossible. In fact, this last book I'm working on came to me in a dream. I just had to record what I saw.
I think medium's important. I vomit-draft on paper, in a rotating pile of thin, go-anywhere journals, and wait until round two to type anything. A couple reasons: I find it easier and better to find the contours of an idea when I have to slow pace enough to mechanically produce language; also, I find the tendency to stop and toggle about with syntax or semantics is irresistibly easy on the keyboard, and ends up stanching the flow of thoughts and impulses that a new effort needs to keep moving forward.
The laptop does become a space where I draft ideas periodically throughout the teaching term, just out of expediency, but I've found the better work ultimately arises through a mixed-medium approach.
Interesting, Cameron. Thanks for sharing. A lot of love for paper drafting on this post. Making me think I’ll have to give a try for something substantial soon.
I write longhand on legal pads, in the morning, before going to work at the grocery store. Usually takes me 2-3 complete drafts to where I have the basic story there--I carry over some material from earlier drafts while leaving what doesn't work out. Then I give it about a month, let it percolate, then type that up on the laptop, editing throughout. Currently doing that with a novella.
Love it. Have been meaning to give longhand a shot. Will try it at some point. Novella length seems like the perfect test run. Have tried it a few time for Substack posts and enjoyed the outcome.
I'm so impressed by your work ethic. I've been battling this draft for 3 years and I'm right at the 60K mark where I'm like wtf is happening. I can't decide if I need to lock in more (yes) or take a break, but kudos on the foresight and wisdom in this post! Everyone who is juggling a day job, kids, marriage, and the realities of life alongside writing are fucking superstars.
Thank you my brother, I am equally impressed by yours. Also, I am so thrilled to hear about this draft! Break might be needed... but who knows. Any wisdom I've gained is from bumping my head against the wall for too many damn years haha. Can't wait to read the book.
Great read! Is this the same second novel you talked about red button-ing here or something entirely new? https://borywrites.substack.com/p/dont-fear-the-red-button And if it's the same, did you copy/paste any elements from that draft you were planning to fully scrap or just fully start with a blank page and new everything and only keep some of the same core themes you mentioned?
Thank you, Kristen! This novel is a brand new version that came after I red buttoned the previous one in that post. I took a month or so to regroup, do some journaling and reading, and set my sights in a new direction. Didn't copy and paste any elements, but did keep most of the core themes and some of the character names because I liked them, even though the characters themselves are pretty different.
"I’ve got the raw clay, and this time, unlike the last two drafts I wrote where I was a little less certain, I know there’s something real there."
Why do you know this? Is it because this time you can see the structure, a structure, that can carry the content? Or...?
Pretty much, yeah, Tony. I don't know how else to say it other than it feels like a book now. It has a shape to it, momentum, and I can see how I can move around parts and tug at things to make it even more interesting (at least to me). Before it was kind of like, well these are 100 or 200 pages, but I'm not sure if it's really a book yet. If that makes sense.
From a book of content to a book of story. I think when you can see and triangulate content, structure, and purpose, you can address a lot of story issues that need addressing. I think you need it all working together, and each may be both very simple and very complex, and none of the three points of triangulation guarantees good connection to the other.
Congrats on finishing the first draft! I finished mine recently as well and I also took a whole month off because I was mentally running on fumes, writing-wise. It was so great to not have to think about the manuscript for weeks. Then by the end, I became really excited to begin revisions.
Dope, congrats, Chris. I know you've been at it for a minute. Hope when you return you see things a bit clearer. Trying to edit on those fumes is hell.
Another great craft essay, my friend.
I'm a full-blown pantser now and I feel the same way you do about outlining: Too much structure constrains the imagination. I like to keep the drafting process dynamic, because then my characters can tell me what "they" would do, in that moment, in that context, rather than shake their heads at me while I force them to do something dumb.
Of interest, I'm struggling to find a rhythm for my new novel, but I needed an outline in case my agent wants to try to sell book two before pub day this August. My compromise was to "pants" the outline, too, which generated a bunch of crazy shit that I was really into, and I suspect will form the plot/structure of the full draft.
But, all that said, I will free-write the actual novel, and if my characters don't like my outline, that's fine by me.
Good luck to you bro! I'm interested to hear how that works out, lemme know.
I've done this a couple times now, let the draft(s) breathe, and it's always been for the best as far as I can tell. I had a teacher that always said we get smarter between drafts, which I tend to agree with. The other thing is that I just wouldn't have been able to write each latest draft a year or two ago. Almost as if I'm learning how to write the book as I write it—even though it's still the same story and has the same vision. It's my first novel, so maybe what I'm saying might resonate more with the path your first book took (which I'd be curious to hear about relative to this new one you're working on). Not easy to deal with when we're all (probably) impatient and just want our work to be done ASAP. Salute to the pre-day job routine.
Appreciate you, Spencer. And sounds like you're on the right path. I think you said it best: You are learning to write the book as you write it. Taking those breaks, for me, have helped to kind of consolidate some of those lessons. In any case, best of luck to you. Patience is key! Don't let the industry and all the buzz and hype shit rush you.
When do you consider a draft ready to sit with? (I have a messy draft that I've been working on for a year that I worry isn't going anywhere. I've been letting it sit out of frustration, not to let it simmer. But I can't decide whether, when I pick it up again, I should plow on or start fresh on a rewrite.)
With this one, I had a lot of things working and forward momentum that I liked. But the ending was a bit messy and every time I tried to write new scenes they just flatlined. I realized that to figure out the end I have to step back and see what makes the most sense, so that is why I stopped. How I make the call is: If I can't think of anything interesting to write further, and I've gone far enough to know it is a novel (over 200 pages at least), then I will stop and step back. But if I'm on like page 50 or something, I'll either try to plow through or be honest with myself about whether this thing is even really working or not. Hopefully that helps
Yeah, probably I've gotta have a long honest conversation with myself about this whole thing. Thank you!
I’m trying the 90-Day Novel by
Alan Watt which is turning into the 180-Day Novel in my hands lol. There’s a lot of writing about character for the first 4 weeks and I happen to be writing a book with four points of view 🫠 I’ve never done this much character study but I’m also itching to just start writing! I’m in too deep though, I want to finish his method even if it’s driving me a little nuts.
I've heard of this, but never investigated it too much. Isn't the idea that you finish a novel in 90 days? Kind of funny that he would have you do so much pre-planning in that case, no?
Truly! His approach is very centered on the idea that characters drive plot through choices so it’s important to know them inside out before drafting (which, fair). There’s a lot of caveats about using what helps and leaving the rest, about nothing needing to be perfect, exploring, etc. I’m big on outlines so I breathed a sigh of relief when we got to that part lol. I’ve heard so many people say it helped though. I’m open to the experiment haha
Interesting. Yeah, I would agree with him there. Knowing your characters is huge. This is my third crack at trying to write this type of novel, so I have the fortune of already dealing with them, or people similar to them, for a minute now. But yeah, if you're starting from ground zero I can see why that makes sense. Good luck on the experiment!