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First Drafts: Part 2.

August 23, 2013

Over the next two weeks I’m running the same blog about first drafts. Last week’s blog was my unabridged first draft. This week’s blog is the same blog, but revised. Hopefully, this will demonstrate the necessity for revision.

First drafts – how good are they?
Ernest Hemmingway is quoted as saying, ‘The first draft of anything is shit.’ In the August Busybird newsletter, author Ryan O’Neill said, ‘I hate writing first drafts … First drafts are horrible.’

Compared to what the finished product could be, yes, they are. They’re rough, filled with errors, overwritten in some places and underwritten in others. They can be terrible.

But what would you rather have? A blank page or one filled with words? The words mightn’t be the best words, but they give you raw material that can be shaped. Don’t ever besmirch your first draft. Even if it doesn’t work, it shows you which way not to go.

I don’t see anything wrong with my draft, though …
We see so many stories for [untitled] that are great prospects but rough. So often at content meetings we remark how a story is a draft or two away from serious consideration. Some authors (and I know this from my own experiences) are in such a rush to get their story out into the world, they submit it without taking the time to revise, revise, revise. A lot of times, you get only one shot at submitting to a particular market. Make sure you make the best first impression you can.

Go over your work and go over it and go over it until you feel there’s nothing more you can do. Then put it aside for a week or two (at the least). You’d be amazed what you’ll be able to see once you’ve gotten some space from it.

When you truly can’t get anything more out of it, get opinions from friends – and not just friends who’ll give you a perfunctory, ‘Yeah, it was good.’ Develop relationships with other writers whose opinions you respect. Join a workshopping group. Then work on it some more.

That doesn’t sound glamorous at all
No. Many think writing is about writing a story, finding a publisher, and getting a bestseller. Writing is as much about rewriting (multiplied ad nauseam) as it is about writing. It’s hard. It’s frustrating. You’ll grow to dread revision, fearing you’ll miss something vital, or won’t have the capacity (or skills) for improvement.

A lot of great writers are crippled by self-doubt. This is probably the reason: the insecurity of not getting something right or fearing they won’t be able to.

But the hard work is worth it.

When does it end?
This is a question we get during workshops: ‘When do I call it quits?’ There’s no definitive answer. Every draft – as well as every step in revision – is different. Sometimes you may need to go backwards to go forwards, or sideways to find where you are. Some revisions may take a quantum leap in improvement.

As you go, you’ll also learn the difference between meaningful and meaningless revision. Meaningful revision helps you find your way through a draft. Meaningless revision amounts to tweaking, which you could do forever.

Don’t worry. You’ll develop a recognition of what’s substantive and what’s not, when to revise, when to rest, when to seek feedback, when to let go, and when to submit.

Like any muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets.

Happy revision.

Oh, before I forget, a postscript …!
Don’t forget Michelle Endersby’s exhibition Floribunda opened Saturday at the Busybird Publishing Studio ~ Gallery. Check out our Events.

One final aside …
This draft is almost two hundred words shorter than the first draft, which is something else to think about.

LZ.

First Dafts: Part 1.

August 15, 2013

This we Over the next two weeks I’m going to run the same blog about first drafts.. The first blog will be my unabridged first draft, replete with typos and whatever errors I’ve made, clunkiness, and whatever issues it may have contain. Next week’s blog will be the same blog, but revised and polished. Hopefully, this will demonstrate the necessity for revision.

First drafts – how good are they?
A few people have commented that Ernest Hemmingway is quoted as saying, ‘The first draft of anything is shit.’ In the August Busybird newsletter, author Ryan O’Neill said, ‘I hate writing first drafts … First drafts are horrible.’ And speaking in terms of the finished product, yes, they are. They’re rough, filled with errors, and usually overwritten in some placed and underwritten in others. Yes, they can be terrible.

However (a good however, too) they give you material to work with. What would you rather have? A blank page staring defiantly at you? Or a page filled with words? They mightn’t be the best words, but they give you raw material that can then be shaped. Don’t ever besmirch your first draft efforts. It’s better than having nothing. And even if it doesn’t work, it shows you which way not to go. Usually, as you write (and as I write), new avenues will occur to me, revealed to me as if the first draft were headlights on a darkened road.

But I can’t make my first draft any better!
Shudder. We see so many stories for [untitled] that are great prospects but rough. So often at content meetings we remark that a story needs a redrafting or two. Some authors (and I know this from experience, from when I was young and an idiot) are in such a rush to get their story out into the world, they submit it without taking the time to revise, revise, revise. A lot of times, you only get one shot at this. Make sure you make the best first impression you can.

I don’t see anything wrong with my draft, though …
Go over it and go over it and go over it until you reach this point. Exact every opportunity you can to improve your draft. Then, when you feel there’s nothing more that you can do, put it aside for a week or two. Get some space from it. Freshen your objectivity. You’d be amazed what you’ll be able to see once you’ve gotten some space from it. It’s like that saying, ‘Can’t see the forest for the trees.’ Well, time to get out of the forest for a little while. Then plunge back into it.

When you truly can’t get anything more out of it, get opinions from friends – and not just friends who’ll give you a perfunctory, ‘Yeah, it was good.’ Develop friendships with other writers whose opinions you respect. Join a workshopping group. Then work on it some more.

That doesn’t sound glamorous at all
No. Many think writing is about writing a story, finding a publisher, and getting a bestseller. Writing is as much about rewriting (multiplied ad nauseam) as it is about writing. It’s hard. It’s frustrating. You’ll grow to dread going back into the forest, fearing you won’t find you’ll miss something vital, or won’t have the words to revise something that can be improved.

A lot of great writers are crippled by self-doubt. This is probably the reason: the insecurity of not getting something right or not being able to. Much better to be oblivious, and just send stuff out into the world once its done, regardless of the quality. But if you’re doing this, you’re not getting the best out of yourself or out of your writing.

When does it end?
This is a question we get during workshops: ‘When do you call it quits?’ There’s no definitive answer. I can’t suggest It’s not like a certain amount of drafts equals magic. But redrafting – if you’ll excuse the cliché – is a muscle. By working it, you’ll learn to judge when to redraft, when to step back, when to ask for feedback, and when to submit.

From my own personal experience, when I was young I’d look at something two or three times and that’d be it. Now, I might look at something ten

You’ll develop a recognition of those boundaries, as well as the awareness of when to push them, when to cross them, and when to let go.

One last note on revision …
It’s also important to recognise when your revision is meaningful and when it amounts to shuffling deck chair. You can juggle words and tweak prose without ever impacting the meaning. Again, this is something you’ll become aware of of your narrative. Try to distinguish when you are shuffling deck chairs and when you’re manning lifeboats. Again, it’s a skill that will develop with time.

Happy writing!

Oh, before I forget, a postscript …!
Don’t forget Michelle Endersby’s exhibition ‘Floribunda opens this Saturday at the Busybird Publishing Studio ~ Gallery. Check out our Events page for more details, or last week’s blog.

LZ.

Floribunda

August 9, 2013

Here at Busybird, we’re not just dedicated to the industry of publishing. We’re also a gallery and open to hosting exhibitions. Already, we’ve had In the Suburbs of the Heart by linvanhek. Our newest exhibition is Floribunda by Michelle Endersby.

Growing up in in the natural bushland beauty of the Eltham Shire, Michelle developed an early sense of wonder at the natural world. She saw personality in individual plants and flowers, which sometimes makes her florals and nature studies seem almost like portraits. Her desire was to sweep her audience up in the magic she saw so that they could feel the emotion and intimacy she experienced.

A lifelong interest and involvement with textiles drove Michelle to explore the textural properties of her subjects, be that the velvety petal of a rose or the meandering root systems of ancient Moreton Bay Fig Trees.

A brush with death changed Michelle’s life and strengthened her career as an artist. On awakening from a coma following emergency brain surgery to repair a ruptured blood vessel, she found herself in a beautiful, light-filled rose garden. This vision hastened her recovery and illuminated her path so that she saw the world through different eyes. Surrounded by beauty, Michelle wanted to share her vision with the world.

Floribunda is a collection of twenty of her favourite florals painted over the past four years, a celebration of the many characters that make up the world of flowers and herald the coming of Spring.

Take the time to step back and bask in their colourful splendour.

Floribunda will run at the Busybird Studio ~ Gallery from 17th August to 14th September, and will be launched 21st August, Wednesday night, at 7.30pm at Busybird’s Open Mic Night.

Pitfalls of a Writer.

August 2, 2013

Most writers will have a romantic notion of writing a book, pitching it to a publisher and being wined and dined by the literati as the book skyrockets to the best-selling lists. Sounds good, huh?

Since the advent of the internet and digital technology, the traditional paradigm for publishing has changed dramatically. I think it’s fantastic BUT it means that a writer has to think differently too. You might ask why?

The writing game isn’t just about the words anymore. It’s a package deal. It might be better to look at a book as a small business because it isn’t enough to write your bestseller and sit back and wait for the adulation. It can happen but rarely does.

Here are some common mistakes:

Writing a book for money

You may be able to make a good living once you have a few books out and have a collective sum of commissions.

Not having your work edited

editor

Not getting feedback

If you’ve written a manuscript and self-edited (as so many do), but never shown it to anyone, you are crazy! It’s worthwhile being in a writing group or sharing your work somehow with other writers (not relatives and friends). This should be at different stages of the work: the outline, first draft and final draft. Feedback is crucial to the success of your book.

Not using Microsoft Word

Word.

Having only one plan for your book

Everyone would love to write a book and have it published by Penguin or Allen & Unwin but the changing times have meant that this seems to be harder than ever. This means that in the modern publishing world we need to be more flexible. Plan to write you book and submit it to a publisher. If that doesn’t get anywhere, plan to self-publish. You may find that self-publishing gets you noticed by your dream publisher and you end up being published by them anyway. In the meantime, write the best damned book you can.

Depending on social media and word of mouth

You must have a plan for your book once it’s published. It doesn’t matter whether it’s published by Penguin or yourself. Either way it needs to have some marketing behind it in order to get it into people’s hands. The big publishers no longer put lots of money into book tours and marketing, so a lot of it falls to the author to promote themselves.

Writing a book is hard work. Stamina is required. But the people who write and finish a book usually have something to say and feel compelled to share it. Being able to fulfil that need is very satisfying and a good reward in itself, but do yourself a favour and think ahead. The more you put into your book and its life after writing it, the more people will get to read it.

– BvH.

Phonetic Spelling and the English Language

July 26, 2013

It is undeniable that the English language is often illogical and difficult to learn. It is a messy jumble of words borrowed and evolved from a huge assortment of other languages, both living and dead, and yet I love it. The confusing nature of our language, however, has sparked an increasingly relevant debate about whether we should preserve the English language (and its many eccentricities) or follow a more logical approach and move to phonetic spelling.

The people in favour of phonetics (such as Peter Whitmore) argue that introducing phonetic spelling would improve literacy rates since it follows more logical rules, linking spelling and pronunciation and making it easier to learn. Nonetheless, I see this as a lazy approach; rather than devoting more time and effort into ensuring our students know how to properly read and write, they want to instead lower the standard of what it means to be literate. Should we give up and allow ‘definitely’ to be spelled ‘definately’ purely because it is commonly misspelled that way?

Furthermore, allowing our language to be dumbed down in this fashion means that we will lose a huge portion of our published history and linguistic heritage. Children taught to solely use phonetic spelling would be unable to simply pick up older literature such as Shakespeare and read it. Students already encounter difficulties when reading Shakespearean language – do we really want to widen that existing gap? Even if works were to be translated or ‘updated’ into phonetic English, they would almost certainly lose some of its subtleties. In addition, it would be logistically impossible to translate all published works, meaning we would be limiting our history and banishing those works into obscurity.

Moreover, choosing to use phonetic spelling does not eliminate communication difficulties and inconsistencies. Pronunciations vary according to a person’s geographical location and upbringing. Some people pronounce ‘Saturday’ as it’s written, others omit the ‘ur’ and say ‘Sat-day’ – how would this be spelt phonetically then? The same goes for other commonly mispronounced words like ‘library’ and ‘wheelbarrow.’ English would lose a lot of its precision and depth, too. Homophones (e.g. quay/key, sore/saw) would cease to exist, and when so many words share spellings and pronunciations, it seems inevitable that some would eventually fade into disuse.

The written language unifies the spoken language, which is no more apparent than in China; there are fifty-two officially recognised dialects, but only one official written language. I think it’s beautiful (not to mention really cool) that the written language can bring together people who would otherwise not be able to communicate.

I understand that languages evolve and change. We don’t want to end up clinging to a dead, static language that exists only because we won’t let it die. However, it is equally undesirable to devolve into an easy, ugly language simply because people do not know how to correctly spell ‘minuscule’ or ‘environment.’ I love my language the way it is, and it deserves better than that.

– Ariel Skippen