Reading other writers' thoughts on writing used to be reinforcing or totally discouraging for me. Although most of us have particular things we can claim to have in common in the process of writing, just as many of us do not have things in common in the writing process. Now this far along in my novel writing, having finished nine and working on number ten, I simply nod my head or roll my eyes at the processes of my fellow authors.
Keep in mind that I do believe the various processes are not only notable but even trustworthy. It's just that some of them could never work for me. It's also important to note that many of the differences come from writing in different genres and the expectations of those genres. Some of the differences arise from certain likes and dislikes of styles of writing and lengths of novels.
The "less is more" philosophy is valuable but it's not a rule that applies to all stories. While some genres (romance comes to mind along with thrillers) require formulaic adherence to generally accepted standards, there are far more variables in other genres and "less" isn't always conducive to stories that need more backstory or exploration of different facets in the storylines sometimes including character development. The "less is more" is supposed to apply to "tight" writing, to eliminate unnecessary words, sentences, phrases, paragraphs, and while that sounds reasonable and desirable, the hidden meaning can be to keep the word count down just for the sake of publishing books within wordcount parameters or for those readers who prefer "quick reads".
Now some of these writers are hugely successful with lists of bestsellers under their writing belts and resumés, but their usually solicited advice won't work for every writer. Because we're not carbon copies of each other, nor do our readers want or expect us to be, our disciplines (assuming we have any) and approaches, our genres and styles, are uniquely our own. That's not to say that we needn't pay heed to their practices and/or instructions. It is to say it might be nearly impossible or incredibly stifling to attempt to strictly adhere to all of them.
Some authors use whiteboards, outlines, tack up pictures of characters and/or locations, take copious notes before beginning the story, research extensively (which is necessary for their story topic[s]) and/or travel to sites they use, write first drafts without editing a word, rely on fellow professionals or keen-eyed friends for test reads along the way or when done.
To be honest, we each have our particular weakness(es). Some of us are sticklers for miniscule detail in certain areas that might bore one reader into a snooze or skip-page(s) action while other readers love that factor in the story. One thing we know for sure: we cannot please everyone or achieve perfection. And some objectors to our work are blatant militant one-star killer reviewers. Others of us write lean with a quick moving (even without being a thriller or action-oriented story) pace and a minimalist approach in the emotional states of characters or circumstances.
I love a long story, those 100K+ novels that take me along in the lives of the characters, giving me good dialogue – both external and internal – definitive expressions and colorful, picturesque details. When you combine those factors with exquisite writing, just wow. The Masterpiece (by Francine Rivers) was one of those novels for me. But there are many other readers who get bored quickly, have measured time to read, and who ultimately prefer novellas or the shorter quick-read full-length novels.
And so there are authors to fulfill the specific needs of myriad readers – those authors with different styles, different methods of procedure, and different opinions on the art of writing.
Father, thank you for writers and authors. I give you the thanks and praise for anything of value that I've written because apart from you, I can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
