The Web Haunt of Ryan K Lindsay

I’m working on my latest novel while proofing my first novel, and I have just completed what I guess I would call the first act of the story, and definitely the longest section as it builds everything and everyone up to a big reveal at the end. It stands at 37k of words, I honestly have no idea at what sort of number it will end.

I have not planned the rest of the novel yet. I know the character I will introduce at the start of act two, I know exactly where the main protagonist is standing at the same time. I know precisely what the last scene will be, how it will play out and what the characters will think, and I know what the coda will be. What I have to do now is thread a line between act one and coda that makes a nice and fluid narrative. I am currently making notes to see what I can get to align. It is coming together, inspiration striking at odd moments and new scenes, ideas, characters and themes jumping to the fore. It can be a fun process planning a novel, as that moment of clarity is exhilarating, but I find that it’s the little pieces of writing the scene that make it completely come together for me. But for now, I have to plan ahead so I have some idea of what’s to come. It’s like travelling from one town to another by using a national map. You have a good idea of where the next town is, and you know the major arterial joining highway, but the specifics of little streets aren’t yet known to you.

I find it easier to make more notes at this stage because I have a better feel for the characters. I have a better notion of how the story is paced and what sort of scenes will fit into the entire context of the novel. To continue the metaphor, I finally have a feel for the vehicle and I know whether I can roll it 4-wheel style, or just keep to the simple roads with a petrol station every 30 clicks or so.

I have a good vision of where the story is all going, so that feels warm and safe deep down in the cockles. I just always prefer the writing part to the planning part. Writing is release, it’s exciting and it’s new, planning has moments of inspiration, but it feels restricted, like I am staring at the picture of the cake but nowhere near getting my tongue on that chocolaty spoon. And I always wanna lick the spoon, goddammit!

As far as proofing on the first goes, I have made a list of all the chapters, one line per chapter and am now studying the flow of it all. I want to see where there are any gaps, or where I have effectively doubled up on some stuff, and so once I have that broad overview I can zoom in on the little details to make changes and improve on my hack words.

Proofing is looking back at your journey and making it perfect so that others can then follow you without any of the mis-steps that you took. It’s tedious and it’s for someone else’s benefit, but when that person arrives and tells you what a slick journey it was, you feel so warm you could light and heat an entire solar system with your little finger. Yes, it’s a sick and egotistical fuel that burns under the fires of my words.

I think I loathe editing more than any other process of the entire shebang. It’s basically doing the dishes while everyone else sits on the den with cigars and cognac and enjoys the delicious smokey flavour of the cake. I am missing out on the fun, and I always have the next project on the burn.

Or maybe I’m just stalling because I’m worried that it’s no good. Nah, who am I kidding, there’ll never be a bigger Ryan K Lindsay fan than Ryan K Lindsay, ha.

Anyway, so that’s where it all stands as of today before I go to work.

What fun.

Posted on July 21st, 2009 by ryan
Filed under: Writing