tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post1829298925219921324..comments2023-01-08T13:48:58.890-08:00Comments on The Sound of Butterflies: Are you a putter-inner or a taker-outer?Rachael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07690377694600952816noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-47980512113752695492009-02-04T14:35:00.000-08:002009-02-04T14:35:00.000-08:00I'm a putter-inner. (I think of the two kinds of w...I'm a putter-inner. (I think of the two kinds of writer as adders and cutters). First drafts are much more likely to be too bony than too flabby, but that's okay, because it's the big bones I want to get right in the first place. You can do any amount of revising for plot and character and prose and ideas, but if you only realise the structure's wrong at the end of the second draft, say, it can be like turning round an oil tanker to get it right. That's why I set myself up to write the first draft as fast as possible, and then do the typing-up as fast as possible too: you're more aware of the big structural bones.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-80157197973599762462009-02-02T14:40:00.000-08:002009-02-02T14:40:00.000-08:00If you're coming to Dunedin Rachael, I'd love to s...If you're coming to Dunedin Rachael, I'd love to see you too!<BR/><BR/>Pamela x <BR/><BR/>PS I'm a taker-outer, but I don't write novels - just poetry and non-fiction, and emails! I'm a believer in a raw first draft that you hack away at later.The Paradoxical Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10100658773584057280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-3283425887377558672009-02-01T22:23:00.000-08:002009-02-01T22:23:00.000-08:00Great Tania- drop me a line at rachking at ihugdot...Great Tania- drop me a line at rachking at ihugdotcodotnz<BR/><BR/>Vanda - I will start thinking about when we might come for a visit. Maybe before it gets too cold! A shame another writer friend, Ms Chidgey isn't there at the moment!Rachael Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07690377694600952816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-38310217105392621322009-02-01T21:46:00.000-08:002009-02-01T21:46:00.000-08:00I'm in chch for the Margaret Mahy day ( 27th to 29...I'm in chch for the Margaret Mahy day ( 27th to 29th of March). The day is just the sat morn so maybe we could catch up then.<BR/><BR/>As to the word count - I can't believe it myself but I do understand Lizzie Knox wrote 30,000 words of one of her dream quake books in 10 days!<BR/>In answer to your question, it is YA but along the lines of a youth Philippa Gregory. (parrently to rival meyer's twighlight series)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-59605445934590346092009-02-01T20:18:00.000-08:002009-02-01T20:18:00.000-08:00I'm keen Rachael! Tania & I are always kee...I'm keen Rachael! Tania & I are always keen for coffee, or food & wine.<BR/><BR/>And as for that Roxborogh woman - she's been working her butt off and putting the rest of us to shame.<BR/><BR/>As an aside, I think I might stick a picometer on the blog for the next novel - let a bit of public pressure help the word count.Vanda Symonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09956034768397598056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-3623552973820962652009-02-01T15:38:00.000-08:002009-02-01T15:38:00.000-08:00So interesting to hear how everyone works. I think...So interesting to hear how everyone works. I think for the sake of my post I was coming at it a bit black-and-white. I think I mix my methods up quite a bit.<BR/><BR/>Tania - wow, I'm so impressed with your 8 week word count! Is this a YA novel or an adult? I would love to meet you some time but I am actually living in Christchurch at the moment. Maybe look me up if you pop up this way (from Dunedin I believe?). I hope to get to Dunedin at some point this year, so maybe I can meet up with you and Vanda.Rachael Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07690377694600952816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-59571900349696201732009-02-01T11:25:00.000-08:002009-02-01T11:25:00.000-08:00I'm definitely a putter-inner!I'm definitely a putter-inner!Vanda Symonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09956034768397598056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-80927921526565597272009-02-01T09:57:00.000-08:002009-02-01T09:57:00.000-08:00Hi RachelI think I'm like you. I am now going thro...Hi Rachel<BR/>I think I'm like you. I am now going through the novel for the third time: colouring in but also reworking clunkers. Because I wrote this book so fast (85,000 in eight weeks), there are continuinty issues (see my post on my blog: http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2009/02/continuity.html)<BR/>I have to keep careful track of characters, times, dates etc.<BR/><BR/>I love Anne Lamont's idea of shitty first draft - that's what I did - just got the story out there. I'm lucky that I've got 8 of my students reading the novel in parts and meeting with me to discuss good bits and bad bits. <BR/><BR/>Also, because of the tight time frame (signed contract on 1st of Dec and it's due 20th March for a Sept release), I've been sending chunks to my publisher for her comments.<BR/><BR/>After this draft, I expect it to be about 10,000 more than its current 95,000.<BR/><BR/>BTW, as an aside, I'm in Wellytown this Waitangi Weekend (staying with Fleur B). Love to meet for coffee. Cheers<BR/>TaniaTK Roxboroghhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16396099477818776758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-4206662817164128972009-01-30T20:46:00.000-08:002009-01-30T20:46:00.000-08:00Hi Rachael, In my first draft I was trying to crea...Hi Rachael, In my first draft I was trying to create and edit at the same time. Bad combination I discovered. Everything was too choppy and nothing flowed smoothly. Perfectionism has something to do with it, I'm sure. Anyway, I overcame this by telling myself to just write, get the ideas down and edit later. Trust the process. It was hard to do that but I managed. My 2nd draft is mainly editing, re-writing, keeping pov, etc etc. It's looking good. Did I answer your question?Law and Orderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05833525664073965207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-3538198380690928102009-01-29T21:19:00.000-08:002009-01-29T21:19:00.000-08:00I'm such a newbie at writing that I'm sure I'll be...I'm such a newbie at writing that I'm sure I'll be a bit of both, although I think I tend towards writing the marble (perhaps more like sandstone in my case).Mariannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11550099313130721917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-79995493157112827872009-01-29T21:09:00.000-08:002009-01-29T21:09:00.000-08:00I'm another putter-inner. My 2nd draft process is ...I'm another putter-inner. My 2nd draft process is very similar to what you described. And I'm glad to hear another describe that approach. Lately I'm surrounded by taker-outers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-85012093164495237332009-01-29T20:52:00.000-08:002009-01-29T20:52:00.000-08:00Can I be both?!I tend to treat that first draft as...Can I be both?!<BR/><BR/>I tend to treat that first draft as the bare skeleton whilst I concentrate on putting down the plot and developing the characters. The second draft is where I refine the language, develop my characters and most importantly make sure the plot is water-tight and that always increases the word count. Having said that, I am also approaching the end of a first draft and I know there is at least one story arc that will be completely removed. So my word count is going to fluctuate with each draft.<BR/><BR/>I hope you don't mind a newbie posting on your blog, Rachael, but I loved The Sound of Butterflies and I believe we are also represented by the same agent!<BR/><BR/>Good luck with your next novel.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-72487405197455010062009-01-29T17:46:00.000-08:002009-01-29T17:46:00.000-08:00G'day Rachael,Yes, good question.My approach is fa...G'day Rachael,<BR/><BR/>Yes, good question.<BR/><BR/>My approach is fairly primitive. I write, write, write and write - like throwing seeds everywhere in a garden bed. Then I hack, prune, graft and replant. <BR/><BR/>Then I start again...<BR/><BR/>Having said this, it's a much quicker process with journalism than with a book. I might only have two drafts with a newspaper/magazine piece, whereas a book can have six, seven drafts.Damon Younghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06421351032851052928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-37236643488974843342009-01-29T17:38:00.000-08:002009-01-29T17:38:00.000-08:00Laini - I think I'm like you at the beginning of t...Laini - I think I'm like you at the beginning of the draft, but the closer I get to the end the faster I move through it.<BR/><BR/>Paul - thanks for commenting - always good to hear how people work.<BR/><BR/>GG - ha! Nice analogy. Mine in that case is like paper mache - I build the wire frame and then I go back and slather on the paper and paste. Funnily enough, TSOB was unusually verbose for me. My writing ahs always been much more spare. But in the end the characters dictated the language. My new one is a bit less lush in its descriptions.Rachael Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07690377694600952816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-25405556343429569022009-01-29T17:23:00.000-08:002009-01-29T17:23:00.000-08:00I am taker outer mostly with minor putter inner. I...I am taker outer mostly with minor putter inner. I write the marble and edit until I get the Venus di MiloAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-31820671239188894442009-01-29T11:34:00.000-08:002009-01-29T11:34:00.000-08:00I consciously pre-edit things in my mind; things t...I consciously pre-edit things in my mind; things that I know I would cut anyway. Even though it is better to write everything out and select the best stuff, I prefer not to sort through such a mess.Call it perfectionism or OCD. I think we all subconsciously filter anyway, even in the best and expansive of freewrites.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02370887370915987144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-23218799810802091762009-01-29T11:30:00.000-08:002009-01-29T11:30:00.000-08:00Hi Rachael! So far, the only thing I've found for ...Hi Rachael! So far, the only thing I've found for me is to work on each scene as if it's a final draft, even being insanely persnickity about language, before I move on to the next scene. That doesn't mean I don't revise, but generally I've already gone over a scene many times before moving on to the next, so I neither have to really flesh it out or pare it down in successive passes. I might have to ax it altogether though, or start over entirely :-( One never knows. I've tried taking a speedier and more efficient approach to first drafts and found I wasn't able to fall in love with the book if I didn't take inordinate care with each and every scene. It's slow-going.Laini Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14064837312936707024noreply@blogger.com