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Sunday, May 13, 2012

on writing, for something different

This is John Steinbeck's second tip of his six tips on writing, and one of the things I am coming to terms with this weekend:
Write freely and as rapidly as possible and throw the whole thing on paper. Never correct or rewrite until the whole thing is down. Rewrite in process is usually found to be an excuse for not going on. It also interferes with flow and rhythm which can only come from a kind of unconscious association with the material.
So here I go, writing with the view to produce a Very Bad First Draft, just so that the First Draft bloody well gets written. Watch me bash out tired old metaphors and smoosh together cliches and BEHOLD ALL MY ADJECTIVES! Moreover, see how my characters are so boring and their dialogue so stilted? That is just for now.

And of course, when writing, it is important to just keep writing and not spend most of the afternoon reading writing advice.
Or drinking tea and eating chocolate buttons...

7 comments:

  1. I have to agree. I've FINALLY got back into a novel manuscript that has been lying around frozen for ages. Every time I say,"No! That won't work!" I tell myself to shut up and keep writing. It can always be fixed later.

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  2. And even the second go through it's still good advice! Go,Kate!

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  3. Hi Kate!

    guess what?
    I just finished a book recommended by you!
    Mahalia!
    it was so good! I loved it! =)

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    Replies
    1. hooray! i'm so glad you loved it too.

      got any recommendations for me? x

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    2. have you read any of Sarah Dessen' books?
      Her books are amazing! =)

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