I finished the first draft of the new novel on June 10th. I’m not allowed to even look at that draft, much less start revising, until July 8th. I set that date, made that rule myself, and yet every time I open the laptop I have to fight to not open that file and start reading. I learned (the hard way) with the first novel that, for me and the way I work, revisions are best undertaken after I’ve had some time away from the work. A cooling-off period, so I can see it more clearly. I’m too close to it right now to see what’s working and, more important, what isn’t working. It is absolutely the right thing to do, but my god am I straining at the leash. I want to get in there, want to get back to work on it NOW. But I’m distracting myself with stories, which is working, more or less.
I don’t write short stories often–or at least I believed that to be true before Thumper was born–and I can honestly say it’s not my strength. I’m much, much more effective in the long form. I rely on a lot of layering of impressions, etc that you just can’t do in the little jewel box that is a short story. That said, I’ve written three complete stories in the past two months, and brought two to final draft. (They’re now out in the world, doing their little workhorse thing that short stories do, trying to woo a lit mag or two.)
I find that Thumper’s daily nap (usually about 2 hours long) is too small a chunk of time to sink as deeply into the world of the novel as I need to go, but it turns out to be exactly the right length of time to work on stories. If I’m on a roll, I can bang out an entire first draft in a sitting. (Don’t be TOO impressed by that. I’ve never written a story longer than 12 pages and most come in around 8.) And so, I’ve suddenly found I’ve got something going here. I call it the Grace Paley effect. This might be apocryphal, but it sounds true and I want it to be true. It’s something that gets passed from woman to woman in MFA programs, anyway. When asked why she wrote short stories rather than novels, Grace Paley replied that a short story was something that could be written at the kitchen table while the baby napped.
Whether she said that or not (and it MUST be apocryphal, because she continued to write for DECADES after her children were grown and still stuck to short stories and poems), it seems true for me. Billy and I make sure I get regular time to write outside of the house, so that I can continue to work on novels, but naptimes? All about the short story.
Which is a long way of saying that I seem to be writing a lot of stories this year, and that in this month of self-imposed separation from the current novel-in-progress, I’m just working on stories. I didn’t write at all last week. Gave myself a little vacation. It felt good, but by the time I sat down to work on Tuesday I was READY. Usually my stories get started because I have Something to Say. On Tuesday I found I had nothing in particular to say, and I just started to play. I played in a way I hadn’t done in some time. In fact, I hadn’t realized how very unplayful I’d been until I was there with the page on Tuesday and things started to roll. I had a blast, and ended up with 7 pages that want to be the first half of the first draft of a rather fun story–and I think may even be the seed of the first chapter of the next book. But that’s getting ahead of myself.
When I decided to let the first draft of the novel marinate for a month, I knew I was doing a good thing for that book and for my process. It didn’t occur to me that I was also giving myself a much-needed vacation and a chance to play. The novel is Very Serious. This story is very much not. Which is SO not me. I can’t wait to see how it ends…
I find that I’m driven to write novels but am better at short stories. Do you have any tips for letting your work go? I have fear of submission like whoa.
Well done for sticking to your deadline and having fun!
I find that I’m driven to write novels but am better at short stories. Do you have any tips for letting your work go? I have fear of submission like whoa.
Well done for sticking to your deadline and having fun!
Coming from someone who works a day job but dreams of being a writer, I really love reading all about your writing process, especially about how you find the snippets of time to write. Please keep talking about it, and about your gardening, too! I love it all.
Coming from someone who works a day job but dreams of being a writer, I really love reading all about your writing process, especially about how you find the snippets of time to write. Please keep talking about it, and about your gardening, too! I love it all.
I’ve been working on a novel for awhile. I write short stories (or random fragments that one day could become short stories) when I need to write but the book writing just isn’t coming. It gives me a bit of a break and then I don’t have other characters and plots in the back of my head when I need to focus on the book characters and plots.
I too enjoy your posts about your writing process. I like the new blog, too. And Thumper’s a cutie!
I’ve been working on a novel for awhile. I write short stories (or random fragments that one day could become short stories) when I need to write but the book writing just isn’t coming. It gives me a bit of a break and then I don’t have other characters and plots in the back of my head when I need to focus on the book characters and plots.
I too enjoy your posts about your writing process. I like the new blog, too. And Thumper’s a cutie!
“I can’t wait to see how it ends…” Don’t you just love that? It’s what keeps me writing.
I second Heather – keep talking about your process – I love hearing about it. (And anything else you want to write about.) 8^)
“I can’t wait to see how it ends…” Don’t you just love that? It’s what keeps me writing.
I second Heather – keep talking about your process – I love hearing about it. (And anything else you want to write about.) 8^)
The older I get the more I realize how vitally important play is for me. In life as well as art.
The older I get the more I realize how vitally important play is for me. In life as well as art.
Great post. I love the idea of how time available shapes what you’re doing as a writer.
Great post. I love the idea of how time available shapes what you’re doing as a writer.
I agree with previous posters. I really enjoy hearing about your work as a writer.
I agree with previous posters. I really enjoy hearing about your work as a writer.
I don’t think that there is a big difference between the short story and the novel. The short story is just short! Due to the laziness of the author, lack of time,or writer’s block. A novel is an endurance test. The short story is like cheating. If you think that I’m dissing you here – then you’re in good company -Beattie, Hemingway, The whole Norton Anthology, etc. Sometimes, short stories become novels. For instance, A.M. Homes wrote a great short story called Adult’s Alone – it was one of the best short stories that I have ever read. It’s like she shot her whole literary wad on that one short story. The expanded form of that story became Music for Torching. Music for Torching was crap. I quit somewhere in the middle – if I even got that far. Allegra Goodman, had a short story called Onionskin which became Paradise Park. Let me preface this by saying, I enjoy reading lousy books by talented authors. Paradise Park would fall within these parameters -I liked it, though it wasn’t an exceptional novel. So authors could go back and forth between these forms(shortness and longness) utilizing similar material – because length, here, is really the only distinction.
I don’t think that there is a big difference between the short story and the novel. The short story is just short! Due to the laziness of the author, lack of time,or writer’s block. A novel is an endurance test. The short story is like cheating. If you think that I’m dissing you here – then you’re in good company -Beattie, Hemingway, The whole Norton Anthology, etc. Sometimes, short stories become novels. For instance, A.M. Homes wrote a great short story called Adult’s Alone – it was one of the best short stories that I have ever read. It’s like she shot her whole literary wad on that one short story. The expanded form of that story became Music for Torching. Music for Torching was crap. I quit somewhere in the middle – if I even got that far. Allegra Goodman, had a short story called Onionskin which became Paradise Park. Let me preface this by saying, I enjoy reading lousy books by talented authors. Paradise Park would fall within these parameters -I liked it, though it wasn’t an exceptional novel. So authors could go back and forth between these forms(shortness and longness) utilizing similar material – because length, here, is really the only distinction.
Know nothing about writing from the writer’s perspective, but I’d sure love to read some of yours one day!
Know nothing about writing from the writer’s perspective, but I’d sure love to read some of yours one day!
Genius idea! And for s&g, your next book can always be short stories 😉
Genius idea! And for s&g, your next book can always be short stories 😉
I’m totally in agreement on the cooling off period – in fact, mine is about the same length as yours.
I started my publishing career with short fiction; after twenty years, I still haven’t sold a novel. So you could say I have a bias in favor of short fiction. They are, indeed, radically different animals. I’ve often heard that short stories make a great training ground for novels, but that certainly hasn’t been my experience.
I spent last weekend at the Agents and Editors Conference in Austin, where I pitched my novel, Watershed. My pitch got some interest. Hope springs eternal. I wrote it up at http://www.write-your-short-story.com/conference.html. It’s long, but comprehensive. You should all make plans to attend next year.
I’m totally in agreement on the cooling off period – in fact, mine is about the same length as yours.
I started my publishing career with short fiction; after twenty years, I still haven’t sold a novel. So you could say I have a bias in favor of short fiction. They are, indeed, radically different animals. I’ve often heard that short stories make a great training ground for novels, but that certainly hasn’t been my experience.
I spent last weekend at the Agents and Editors Conference in Austin, where I pitched my novel, Watershed. My pitch got some interest. Hope springs eternal. I wrote it up at http://www.write-your-short-story.com/conference.html. It’s long, but comprehensive. You should all make plans to attend next year.