The Writing Stage
London is not my favourite place in the world. Not even close, despite the fact it plays a fairly major role in the novels I’m writing. But for two days this week, while keeping an eye on the AV at the conference in our capital city, I had a fantastic time writing the 3rd draft chapter of NT2S&S.
Have a read – it’s here.
As a general rule, I aim to write an average of 500-1000 words each day, including weekends. I know it sounds like a fairly paltry amount, but it’s just a baseline. If I write at least this much, I feel I can keep calling myself a writer. If I’m not writing, what am I?
Don’t answer that!
Unless of course, you having something nice and encouraging to say…
On those two days, however, I pushed out over two thousand world a day. I think it was mostly to do with the fact I was getting to know the characters and enjoy them, and so wanting to know what they were up to. It may sound weird to people who don’t write, since I’m the one writing the story and creating the characters and the situations they are in, but writing a book is a bit like watching an engaging television series. You may have an idea of what is going to happen, but until the words spill out onto the page, you don’t really know how the characters will react and how the story will develop.
For example, in chapter 3, I had no idea of the following events before I started writing them:
- The dead birds hanging on the fridge
- The chicken bursting out of the henhouse (and Sebastian thinking he had to collected the eggs through the small door)
- Sebastian trying to catch the egg on his boot and spattering the butcher’s window
- How he would react to seeing Emma
- Emma grabbing hold of his hands and whispering in his ear
In truth, I was pretty uncertain what would happen in the village shop and how Emma and Sebastian would respond to each other. And that’s exactly what I’m talking about – that is what makes writing SO fun!
When you read a book written by someone else, you escape into another world: a fantasy realm with magic and dragons; an ancient land peopled with kings, priests and armies; a modern day city full of crime and intrigue. You go on a journey as you read, drawn into whatever world the author conjures up. But as an author, you get to be the FIRST PERSON to visit that world – the first to make that journey.
Sure, writing your own novel is harder, more stressful, more time-consuming, more frustrating and more tiring than reading someone else’s. But it is so much more fun, more satisfying, more worthwhile, more fulfilling and more invigorating.
I can’t wait to find out what happens next…
