Back in the first-stage writing groove
Most of my writing lately has been random little one-shot flash fics or working on the massive first revision for Invisible Dragons, so when November rolled around and I had to Just Write, it was kind of like riding a bicycle when you haven’t for, oh… a decade or so.
But I’ve gotten the hang of it and I’d forgotten how fun it can be (just so long as I don’t think about what I’ve already written; that way lies madness because dang is it badly written).
The way I do this sort of writing is sort of a cross between running a 5k and chasing butterflies. Chasing butterflies for several miles. (I actually really like that analogy.) I start writing a scene and keep going until a) the scene transitions into another, b) I get bored of the scene, or c) I get stuck on how to continue it. At which point bam! New scene! Sometimes I will put in a note with a brief summary of what needs to happen in the bit I am skipping writing, assuming there is a bit I am skipping writing.
The net result is an erratic mess with a vaguely coherent story line. It works well for getting the story told but let me tell you from experience: it is hard work cleaning that up.
(For more information on my NaNoWriMo project for this year, go here.)
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