Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Writing in big gulps.

With Led to the Slaughter, I purposely wrote at a more measured pace, after the feverish writing pace of Wolflander.

I'm not sure if it helped or hurt.  On one hand, when I'm totally immersed in a book I tend to remember all the threads and know where I am and where I want to go.  But the creative well always threatens to run dry and I was afraid that I was maybe pushing it, using B grade creative material whereas if I waited I might have a chance to think and let the well refill with A grade.

I don't think that's true, though.  I didn't feel what I was coming up with in Wolflander was B at all.  But I wanted to see what would happen if I took a slower approach.  It was still a fast pace by most standards, but slower than I'd been writing.

Plus, I tried to fit in some other activities while I wrote Led to the Slaughter.

I thought the result was great, but I think that was the material more than my approach.  I felt a little more disconnected letting more time pass between sessions, but I also think I had time to think and plan a little more.  It was probably a wash.

With Rule of Vampire, I'm back to writing in big gulps.  As long as the muse provides, I'm writing.  I'm literally writing faster than readers can read and editors can edit, but then it's pretty much all I'm doing. 

I won't be going on any more writing trips, though.  Too expensive.  Besides, I write just as well in my own bedroom. 

I'm just wary of "pushing" it.  Anything I come up with has to "feel" right.  I try to have a chapter more or less thought out before I start, and usually what happens is I think and plan until a beginning phrase trickles into my brain and then I start writing.

Yesterday, I was writing a scene with some secondary characters and they meet a brand new character, who immediately took over the chapter and the next chapter and may end up taking over the book.

I love it when that happens.




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