Am I being too fast paced?

[wolfatthedoor]

First, before I rant, I would like to say how much I love this site. I just came across it and within one hour of exploration, I feel I am already a better writer. Now that's not to say I'm a good writer, but a better one.

Now on to the topic:

Sometimes, when reading a novel, I become stressed that I'm not good at being descriptive. I find my thoughts erratic making a chapter bounce from one event to the next and back again before it's finished.

Maybe it has to do with my method for writing. I will sit down and write in quick twenty minute bursts, trying to convey multiple thoughts in that short time (before I forget them.) Unfortunatly, I am at a constant battle with time and often have no longer then twenty minutes at spuratic times during the day in which to write. This isn't always the case. Normally, however, it is.

Does anyone have a techinique to help me with two problems. The first problem is not giving one event enough time in the story, leaving it with an empty, unfinished feel, and the second problem is finding a way to structure my writing in a less jumpy manner.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[Maeve]

The magic word is REVISION.

By all means write like crazy and get it all on paper. Writing is a process, not a one-time event. Get the ideas down, then shape them.

[Silke]

I hammer it all out as it happens in my head. This means there is little description, much action.

Then, later, I go over it, flesh out, chop back, switch around... I do what I need to do to get around the gaps I filled in with my mind.

This is where a good critique group helps. Other people spot the missing bits much easier than I do, so when someone goes "Right, okay, but... what does it LOOK like?" then I know I've missed a bit someplace and filled in the gap with my head again.

As Maeve said: Revision, revision, revision.

Your first draft is never the final draft, and there is no need to beat yourself up over missing bits and not being descriptive. Get it out, get it on paper -- then revise. :)

Silke

[wolfatthedoor]

Thanks for the advice from both of you. I was worried that a revision should be more about taking stuff out then putting it in. I have read a few books on writing, and in them it described the editing process as a time to chop your story down in word length. While I always find things that need to leave, I find more stuff that needs to go in.

[Silke]

I can recommend "First Draft in 30 Days" by Karen Wiesner.
It helps a lot and gives lots of pointers.

It also has some good methods for organizing research.
Ask your library, they may have it, if you don't want to buy it.

Silke

[Denem]

Here I was thinking I was the only one with this problem.

[TokeBernbole]

When I write, sometimes I have a clear idea what I want to happen and write it as a rough draft that I usually need little to no editing for, sometimes I feel a bit sketchy about certain things and how they connect and relate, and have to put it down and think about what the order of events should logically be. Sometimes I even have to completely throw out a whole section when I think of a more relevant and smooth flowing idea. Other times I am stumped (writers block) not sure how I want the story to progress. At these times I simply write notes, or an outline if you will. Others I will just write a little note to myself such as "maybe this should happen, or maybe it's like this" eventually the pieces start to fit together. My problem at the moment is just that, not sure exactly how the pieces should fit, but knowing where I want it to end up. My story has (finally) been planned out on the basic level, and sometimes I just skip ahead and think of ideas for later parts when I'm stuck. Well, still learning, keep on writing!