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Scott the Reader

Nice. I like to write conversations between two random characters, and see what comes out.

marrije

I read your post several hours ago, and can't stop thinking about it. What a brilliant idea!

I think I'm going to make this my resolution (or on bad days blame you for forcing me into this stupid thing :-)) and write for the fun of it, write all those little scenes I'm not certain of yet.

I've been trying to write a synopsis of my novel, and I don't actually know enough yet about what happens. And I can force myself to write an X-number of words on a draft each day, but then I'll just worry about whether they are the right words.
And this way I won't have to worry about that! And I'll be finding out more about the people in my book anyway!

OK, so I'm a tad excited about this, but it's good excited,I think. Thanks for a lovely and inspiring post!

melanie

Excellent post.

It seems like my best writing comes NOT when I set out to consciously create something but rather when I somehow manage to unconsciously capture something.

It's every bit as tricky and elusive as it sounds. But as a pre-pro, I can also testify that having the discipline to create something usable from all that capturing is a frequent stumbling block for me.

I suppose the solution is that there is a time for exploring and a time for structure. Knowing when to use each and how to get them to work together is probably what makes one a real pro (even before any money gets made).

mernitman

Brava, Marrije -- go for it! Feel free to blame me, whenever -- and do tell me how it goes.

Melanie, that sounds exactly right; it's always a balancing act, and for most writers I know (myself included) both processes tend to go on simultaneously...

E.C. Henry

Billy, you're talking exporation to devope character/story depth, right? Well, shouldn't writers have a firm grasp on that BEFORE they write?

Snipits from daily thoughts, collected over time BEFORE you write can really help the funest part of the writing experience: the 1st draft...

Proprietry Man, I'm in complete agreement with what you wrote in your book "Writing the Romantic Comedy," first drafts are for finding out what you're writing about.

All I'm trying to say is that notes, and snipits of source material, help make 1st draft discoveries that much richer, which for me is the cocaine that keeps me going back to my keyboard in the wee hours of the morning.

- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA

taZ

Yea, agree with the good comments above.

Really nice idea and very true post.

The Moviequill

all I can say is 'wow'..very inspirational post, I will link back here to my fellow readers if you don't mind?

mernitman

E.C. -- yes, but I'm advocating continued exploration DURING the 1st draft process -- not getting hung up on draft completion at the expense of deeper story/character mining.

Thanks, TaZ and welcome -- I'll be visiting Tazmania...

Moviequill, thank you -- link away.

Babs at the Beach

What a great posting! I'm stuck in the middle of a novel and "writing beyond the draft" really resonates. Also gives me permission to fool around and have some fun with it. Thank you!
- Babs at the Beach

Eric Andrade

Good post. And if I wasn't in the middle of a really good bent with my third spec drafting...I'd do it. But I'm going to come back to this once the draft is done.

Because your idea about writing beyond the draft does ring true, in the sense that when writers limit themselves to the 120 pages of their story, they can limit their story.

Putting boxes and numbers on everything only serves to measure it in one way--a tangible way. But the killer scripts reach places that math cannot evaluate.

Measuring in goosebumps, tears and smiles is MUCH more fulfilling. And I think it's why we all do this thing called writing. No?

mernitman

Eric: absolutely!

Babs: always happy to be of service...

Lucy

I've seen a lot of people make a similar mistake too - it's NOT just the destination that counts, it's the journey too. It is all about The Writing as well as The Selling - I get mad when people say to others, "Oh, you're not a real writer if you haven't sold anything." My first "proper" commission was two years ago... I have not been a writer for two years, I've been a writer all my life, since I could hold a pen - a screenwriter since I trained. Great blog and happy new year ; )

mernitman

Thanks, Lucy -- I've always believed that the first definition of "a writer" is someone who does it every day. Last night a friend defined a professional as "an amateur who doesn't quit"... so there you go.

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