Hello,
I hope this blog finds you well and happy. So I'm well into writing book number four - 50,000 words in and it's at this point that I usually freak out. Here's why. I've written 50,000 words. That's a big chunk of a book. But what if it's awful? Drivel? Tosh? What if I finish all 90,000 words and it's just 90,000 words dangled together to create 90,000 words of utter shit? This happens every time I write a novel. It just does. Why?
It happens because unlike some writers I don't plan much. I read blogs from other writers and they have notebooks full of character ideas, sketches of how they look, what their favourite breakfast is, what will happen at what point during the book - so it doesn't get boring in the middle. It's like going on holiday. Some people like to plan a lot. They might have lists of places to eat, activities to do, and of course, I do my research, but when it comes down to it I sort of like to see how things evolve by themselves. I don't like a set plan, and yes sometimes this means I miss out on doing some really cool things, but I also discover things I didn't know were there. My wife and I are the sort of people that like to wander. We went to Venice once, checked into our hotel and then went for a wander. We didn't aim straight for all the 'must see' places, but just wandered. We got lost and ended up in this little courtyard full of really old and beautiful buildings. We still have a photo we took there hanging on the wall. The thing is, we saw all the 'must see' stuff eventually, but we took our time and enjoyed the journey there. It's also why we always book hotels out of town. If you stay in the suburbs, you'll see things and meet the locals, and get a completely different experience than if you just stay in the centre of town - there's a top tip for you.
I'm sort of the same with writing. I have some rough notes for all my books, some brief character points, and even an idea for the end...BUT, I like to wander through it. The problem is that at some point I panic that I shouldn't be wandering quite so much. Then today I thought...bugger it. This is just me. I can't change who I am and the way I work and the way I take holidays. I like to wander. I like not knowing what's going to happen next and you know the thing is, it always works out all right in the end. I always finish my books, we always enjoy our holidays, and the unexpected twists and turns become as important as the destination themselves. I remember that little courtyard in Venice as much as I do St Mark's Square or Doge's Palace. Wandering is a holiday within a holiday and it's also writing within writing. The places my characters go and end up is often as much a surprise to me as I hope it is to you - and it definitely is to them.
Until next time.
Hugs,
Jon X
