Reality Check Some misconceptions about writing

[RK Wallis]

The content for this video is reassuring:

 

[Hannah F]

I'm a dirty drafter. I never knew there was a name for it. Dirty drafting stops me ever having writer's block.

 

[RK Wallis]

I’m definitely finding fast drafting useful. Connections in the plot comes easier, albeit that doesn’t stop in editing!

 

[Serra K]

Writing my first book, it took a few months to figure out a process that works for me. It was Alexa Donne who introduced me to the concept of zero drafting and now it's my best friend. The fantastic thing about it is that my zero draft is likely going to land at around 60-70K words, giving me a spare 30-50K words wiggle room when I come in for the first round of edits. I can focus on the skeleton of the story, leaving placeholders, comments etc and get to the end.
I'm a big fan of plotting, but I have to say that a lot of the finer details and sub-plots come through when I'm in the chair writing. Basically I'm a plotter on the couch and a pantser at the the desk.

Thanks for the great video @RK Capps !

 

[Pamela Jo]

I'm a dirty drafter. I never knew there was a name for it. Dirty drafting stops me ever having writer's block.

I'm listening to Peak on audible, think it was free. It's how experts become the best at what they do. One thing is your brain develops a short hand code to transition from short-term memory to long. The more you learn, the more pieces to the patterns you can form, therefore the better the markers or codes that build even more complex patterns. And the better you are at what you're trying to become best at. The brain does dirty drafts in a way, then tumble polishes it into a final draft. The more practiced and proficient you become-the faster.

 

[csrickard]

It took me years, and I do mean years, to find the process that works for me. I was doing everything wrong for the way my mind works. I tried plotting, I wrote linearly, I edited as I wrote. And it was such a struggle, getting anything on the page was nothing short of hard labor.

Part of my current process sounds like what the video calls a skeleton. What's interesting is that I started calling it that myself when I did it. The other thing I found odd but holds true for me, is that I write better and with more ease when I use a pencil and paper instead of directly on the laptop. I don't quite understand it.

Now I use a pencil/notebook and just start writing. I write whatever scene is uppermost in my mind, regardless of where it falls in the novel (so no longer linearly). I write non-stop, sometimes writing the same sentence two or three times in a row if I think of better phrasing as I'm writing it (no longer self-editing). If I don't know all of the details in the scene, I just write place holders within the scene (ie, I'll write "they had an argument" instead of showing the argument) and then keep writing what occurs after the argument.

Once finished, I have a skeleton - all of the bones are there and then I need to go back and fill out the details. Doing that is much easier for me at this point. It's also at this point that I type the skeleton on my laptop. I edit as I transcribe, so removing multiple sentences and selecting/modifying the best one, adding the details of the argument, etc. Once that's done, I have a good first draft.

 

[Hannah F]

It took me years, and I do mean years, to find the process that works for me. I was doing everything wrong for the way my mind works. I tried plotting, I wrote linearly, I edited as I wrote. And it was such a struggle, getting anything on the page was nothing short of hard labor.

Part of my current process sounds like what the video calls a skeleton. What's interesting is that I started calling it that myself when I did it. The other thing I found odd but holds true for me, is that I write better and with more ease when I use a pencil and paper instead of directly on the laptop. I don't quite understand it.

Now I use a pencil/notebook and just start writing. I write whatever scene is uppermost in my mind, regardless of where it falls in the novel (so no longer linearly). I write non-stop, sometimes writing the same sentence two or three times in a row if I think of better phrasing as I'm writing it (no longer self-editing). If I don't know all of the details in the scene, I just write place holders within the scene (ie, I'll write "they had an argument" instead of showing the argument) and then keep writing what occurs after the argument.

Once finished, I have a skeleton - all of the bones are there and then I need to go back and fill out the details. Doing that is much easier for me at this point. It's also at this point that I type the skeleton on my laptop. I edit as I transcribe, so removing multiple sentences and selecting/modifying the best one, adding the details of the argument, etc. Once that's done, I have a good first draft.

I do the dirty draft with pen and notebook too. I think it helps me write whatever I want to write because for sure no one will see this version (unless I become JK Rowling famous and can put them in a museum display!!). I have great fun just writing without caring how good or crap it might be or if any makes it to the computer.
For my full story, I'm a plotter. I play with an outline until I think it's good enough then I write (mainly) within those parameters. Of course, if the characters start arguing with me, I will revisit my outline.