edit entry

[gurdonark]

Although the hoopla about the release of the movie The Two Towers makes this coincidence seem like synchronicity, lately I've been reading the boxed set of books which Tolkien's son Christopher put together, which show one numerous rough drafts of The Lord of the Rings. I read the Lord of the Rings several times a year, so this interests me.

It's a fascinating look at how a complexly plotted fantasy novel came together (plus, it provides one with a storehouse of geek trivia, such as "did you know Frodo's original name was 'Bingo'?"). But it confirms one of my deepest, darkest fears about writing fiction. It is not enough to merely write a fun first draft. The devoted writer must then revise and polish. It's like a job, only more work. I had always heard rumours this was true, but the manifold plot gyrations of these Tolkien rough drafts indicate to me that it is much more work to be a novelist than it is to be an attorney.

I should not be surprised, because legal briefs require myriad revisions, though they are easier in some ways than creative writing. For that matter, journal entries require me to hit the "edit entry" key incessantly, even though as a matter of respect for the immediacy of the moment I rarely edit content (or, as seems to be readily apparent, length).

So I guess I will have to do more editing to my novel than merely hitting "spell check". I think I remember why I frequently write bad free verse of twenty lines or less. That requires minor revision, but is not time-consuming.

Maybe the immediacy of my creative writing is what I like. After all, to change slightly the old joke about whom I wish to please, I write to amuse myself. I am a human ouija board, and the pointer keeps spelling out words other than "revise" and "edit".

Comments

[uscwriter.livejournal.com]

Although I am not a sci-fi/fantasy fan, I am awaiting seeing The Two Towers this weekend. Dear husband is the fantasy fan, however, after finding the first one completely entertaining, the second can only be better. A well-made movie can transcend one's peculiarities....

Writing, especially creatively, I have found, is a spewing. At least for me. I spew whatever is there- it ends up as letters woven into, words woven into sentences, into paragraphs and into a story. While I work from a basic idea of what will happen in my stories, the writing falls from my brain into my fingers to the keyboard or paper. This all sounds so corny- but it's true. And sometimes that spewing is the best part. Just getting it out is a release. I can see how that is the fun part for you- the part that is exciting.

My professional/career writing experience starts the same way, although by the time the story was written, I was done with it- I wanted no more of it, no part of editing. Editing became the monkey, and I let someone else do it- but only technically. I do not want even a word of my writing changed without me changing it. It's so personal, each part created by me- that I cannot fathom someone else knowing what it is supposed to be. That includes most grammatical choices.

Makes me want to go write now.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Great comment. You sound as though you should indeed be writing right now :).

A chore in the anticipation, but maybe not in reality...

[kenmora.livejournal.com]

I remember my first college literature classes. The in depth examination of plot, character, scene, paragraph, sentence and finally word choice. I left those classes so impressed, and at the same time depressed thinking that I could never juggle all that knowledge and intent and cobble together something literate.

After reading about authors though, I realize that the writing comes from them and their experiences, and all the literary, mythic, symbolic allusion is not manufactured for the contrivance they are writing at the time, but that it comes forth as a distillation of that experience. I imagine then that editing must be the same way. Not a copius re-crafting of the hastily assembled piece of writing, but a sort of "truing." Re-reading and comparing to some internal barometer that is also the product of experience. The same way you might tell a joke or story, each time thinking "I could express it better this way" or "no, I lost something in that telling, some economy of words was lost that made it more obscure rather than clarifying" and eventually you get something that just flows off your tongue, even lets you play with inflection and emphasis the way an experienced singer reinterprets a standard.

I have to admit that I've been writing "snippets" and scenes since your brave NaNoWriMo adventure, just warming up a bit for the year when I might brave the challenge. You have inspired me!

Re: A chore in the anticipation, but maybe not in reality...

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I think that's a good point about the difference between the "writing" and the "analysis".

Why wait until November? Why not make February your personal novel writing month?

;)

[nancyjane.livejournal.com]

ted and i are scheduled to see that movie day after christmas.

ted has been reading all those same books, enjoying them, and talking with me about them in depth.

i've never been one to write creatively, i prefer to edit existing texts. i thought there were more of us "critics" out here than original writers. at any rate i admire and envy your talent. mine's much more in the review and perfecting phase... taking the ball and running with it, completing it... just waiting for someone with some balls i guess !! lolol

:

[texastornado-91.livejournal.com]

What I still find interesting about Tolkien is how he hated Lewis's Narnia concept. For some reason, that amuses me. I've tried to read Tolkien's books, but have not been able to. Maybe I'll be able to get through them now that I've matured a little. But even The Hobbit didn't grab me!

I know what you mean about editting...maybe that's why I haven't even looked at my story since I put it down on November 18. But at the same time, I approach it as I would raising a child (like I'd know anything about raising a child...lol) or teaching someone...you watch it grow, you watch it mature and develop into something beautiful. It's actually hard to always approach it that way, but it's a nice thought.