I’m going to be honest here. When I first saw the title, I was skeptical. The book was suggested by Amazon in one of their regular recommendations (which I normally just ignore) but something made me stop when I saw the title. Like I said, I was skeptical, but I bought it anyway. I am so glad I did! It might be the most revolutionary book on the writing process I've ever read.
It boils down to three things: Knowledge, Time, Enthusiasm. These three form the triad that is the key to writing faster and better without sacrificing passion. Pretty simple, but also revolutionary. Let me elaborate.
Step 1: Knowledge: Know what you’re writing. In other words, plot out each scene before you sit down to write it. Do not describe, or use dialogue etc. but do work out the finer details of exactly what happens next… and next…and next… It’s a shorthand ‘telling’ version, if you will. Then when you sit down to write, you don’t have to invent the story at the same time. You can just write it. I’ve done this before on occasion and it really does work. You’ve already worked out how the action will play out so now it’s just a matter of putting life to it. According to Aaron, this is the single biggest step in boosting your word count.
Step 2: Time: She suggests keeping records of your writing habits. Word count per hour is obvious, but also record things like time of day and location. After awhile you can see what patterns emerge. You can then optimize your writing by choosing the best time of day and location.
Step 3: Enthusiasm: If you’re bored or experiencing writer’s block, perhaps the scene itself needs to be cut. Only write about what excites you. ‘Red flag’ any scenes that you feel resistance to when writing. They can probably be slashed. As she says, if you don’t want to write them, readers probably don’t want to read them either. Smart. It’ll keep your writing fresh and keep you happy.
This is the short and simple version of what Rachel Aaron has to say in her book. Try these simple tricks and see if your writing improves.
Interesting. I can attest to #1 - Knowledge. A friend at church couldn't believe I wrote a message I'd presented in just one week, but I had. Looking back, I see it was because I used the tool noted in #1. I had plotted it in my head for a long time before, so it came together easily when I sat down at the lap top. Now I have to check out #2 and #3.
ReplyDeleteI have a pretty good idea what times are most productive for me, but it would still be interesting to map it. Thanks for sharing your review; I'll see if our library has the book!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds interesting, Tracy. Thanks for this review and recommendation.
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