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ahiddenpath · 4 years

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Combating Writing Paralysis with Successive Drafts

Hey all! It’s been a long time since I’ve written about writing, but a switch flipped in my brain while I was drafting this morning. Suddenly, I had to share my thoughts on utilizing successive drafts to split the copious concepts writers juggle into manageable loads.

This is a long, but practical post. I hope you’ll read on below the cut!

It’s common for writers to feel overwhelmed, and no wonder. There are so many narrative elements to consider, and there’s usually far more content to write before you have a complete work of fiction.

My advice is to never attempt to nail every aspect of your story in the first draft. Instead, try approaching each draft with specific goals, lightening your expectations and mental load for each iteration. The idea is to make writing less intimidating, and to polish every element by giving each one individual attention.

I’m not a professional writer, so I can only tell you how I approach the drafting process. I encourage you to experiment with these ideas and find what works best for you; there’s no need to limit yourself to my template.

Annnnd here we go!

Draft 1: Plot and Movement

The purpose of my first draft is to simply move the characters through the plot points/action of the chapter or scene.

I’m not suggesting that you exclude dialogue and characterization, or that you write a plot outline. Simply write a rough draft in its entirety, but don’t worry about the quality. Your goal here is to iron out what happens.

Draft 2: Herding the Plot Bunnies, Staging

In this draft, I focus on:

-Refining the plot: At this stage, I consider concerns such as: do the plot points obey the work’s internal logic? How does this scene contribute to the overall plot? How does it lead to the next scene? Am I properly setting up/providing info for future scenes?

-Tracking plot details: If timeline/dates/the current time are important to your story, double check them. Make sure no important objects materialized from the ether. Confirm that no plot points were dropped or forgotten; if a character lost her shoe last scene, then it should still be gone.

-Scene staging: Did a character appear in the scene without explanation (ie, where did he come from)? Where is everyone standing? Where are any important objects? If there’s an animal in the scene, where is it (it’s so easy to forget to mention a pet, who should be included in scenes set in the character’s living area)? Are there important environmental features?

Draft 3: Setting/Description, Characterization, and Pacing

Now that the basic details are handled, it’s time to dig deeper! In this iteration, I focus on:

-Adding information about the setting. In the previous drafts, you established where the characters are (for example, at a library). Now, you can focus on the details and engage the senses. What does the library look like? Are patrons being quiet, or is someone obnoxiously talking? Does it smell like old books? Is the protagonist handling a mass produced book with thin pages that stain fingers with printing ink, or a hefty tome meant to last for generations?

-Enhancing dialogue and characterization and marrying them to the plot. For example, in the library, perhaps the most bookish or research-oriented character should lead the scene. Alternatively, maybe a less scholastic character is out of their element, and needs help or feels uncomfortable. Choose the character best suited to move the plot along and generate the mood you desire.

Ideally, you want the characters to lead the plot (ie, have agency), instead of the plot seizing the characters (ie, the characters have no choice but to flounder along with what is happening). Plot-driven stories are absolutely a thing, so if that’s what you’re writing, then go for it. Generally, though, audiences respond best to characters making their own decisions.

This is the perfect time to examine your previous drafts and play around with the characters, shuffling them among scenes or reassigning lines of dialogue as needed. Which character has the skills or personality to handle this challenge? Which character needs to be here to learn a pivotal piece of information, or to witness the scene and be changed by it?

-After you address the above points, take time to consider the chapter’s pacing. Does anything feel bogged down and repetitive? Rushed or unclear?

Draft 4: Character Growth, Theme and Mood

Ah, now we’re getting to the juicy bits!

You might have noticed that these drafts focus on increasingly difficult concepts. Now, we’re striking at the heart of narratives: what the story aims to say, and how it aims to make readers feel.

Here’s what I consider at this stage:

-Character growth. What did Character learn from this? What new idea is churning in her head? What pressures are building that might explode later? How did I show Character displaying her growth or regression?

-How did I reinforce the thematic goals I have for this scene, and for the entire piece?

It’s pivotal to identify your themes before you begin work on a story. At this stage, I briefly identify how the chapter or scene supports the work’s themes.

Everyone has specific themes that matter to them. I tend to write about: dealing with trauma, surviving and healing from abuse, the importance of seeking and giving support, found families, self-actualization, setting up and balancing your life according to your specific needs, feminist issues, establishing boundaries, acceptance, and independence vs dependence. Even my works with lots of shenanigans and comedy, like Four Years, circle around these ideas.

I also “level” my themes in this draft. I want to avoid being too heavy-handed or too oblique. People tend to go too hard, rather than too soft, so I usually dial back. You want to guide your reader to your point, not write it on your knuckles and deck them.

-How does this scene make me feel?

Influencing the emotions of your readers is... possibly a writer’s loftiest goal? If readers experience an emotion as a result of your writing, then they’re invested, they’re absorbing it. And, to some degree, they’re resonating with your words and message- and with you.

Consider what mood best suits your intentions, and play close attention to your execution.

Editing and Proofreading

I edit and proofread during every draft stage, except for draft 1 (here’s a resource on the difference between the two, if you’re interested).

Stephen King’s On Writing is a must for folks who want to learn more about editing. I’ve read many writing books, but his taught me to edit with a single sample, so it’s the one I recommend. Basically, you must learn to excise words that aren’t adding anything (adverbs are frequent offenders), replace words with more direct/relevant/evocative ones, and replace hefty phrases with shorter ones. Here’s a sample of that last concept from my Seeking Resonance draft:

“Koushiro moved out of the doorway” became “Koushiro moved aside.” In the prose, I already established that Koushiro was in the doorway. There was no need to specify where he was both coming and going, so I was able to express the idea with three words instead of six and avoid repeating the word “doorway/door.”

Once you see this logic in action, everything will click. Give On Writing a read! I guarantee that your library has copies, probably physical and digital.

Whew, I am out of steam, so I’ll wrap this up! Remember, trying to hold the many aspects of narratives in your hands and carry them simultaneously is an enormous mental load. It’s so much to carry that you might walk away instead of writing. I hope this encourages you to pick up a few pieces at a time, in whatever order and combination makes sense to you.

Additional Writing Posts

-Dishing with an artist

-Tips for Fanfic Authors

-More Tips for Fanfic Authors

-Tips for Winning Nanowrimo

-Resources/Advice for Digimon Adventure Fanfic Writers

#writing talk #faves

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ahiddenpath · 4 years

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Epilogue Celebration: Daughter

I wrote a bio for my fave Chosen baby, Izumi Hotaru!

More below the cut!

Name: Izumi Hotaru

Partner: Mochimon, “Mochi”

Epilogue Age: 7-9 ish

Bio:

Koushiro has encouraged, stimulated, and explored all of Hotaru’s myriad interests for all of her life. Thus, even in elementary school, she is well-rounded, curious, eager to learn, and confident in her abilities. Unlike her father, who specialized in computer sciences, Hotaru’s skill set is vast and varied. She possesses Koushiro’s intelligence, but guided by an expert hand from birth, explosive in scope, and supported by her confidence.

Meanwhile, her emotional intelligence and warmth have been fostered by both her mother, Eimi, and her grandmother, Kae. Her grandfather, Masami, teaches her how to stay cool under pressure.

Koushiro’s demanding career as a leader in Digital World research and a guide for all Chosen makes juggling a family difficult. His wife, Eimi, researches Digimon biology, but is often sidetracked by handling injustices towards digimon in lab settings (which, incidentally, is how she and Koushiro met). When Koushiro discovered that they were unexpectedly pregnant, he began the difficult and bittersweet process of training people to fill his role, so that he could step back a bit and work fewer hours.

Hotaru spent a lot of time with Kae and Masami as a baby and toddler. They spoil and dote on her, but luckily, they know when to say no.

Hotaru is the type of kid that constantly pushes boundaries, but understands when enough is enough. She’s cheeky, but her humor lands well… usually. She genuinely can’t stand the thought of disappointing her father or making someone sad. Most of the time, when she gets in trouble, it’s because she’s taken something electronic apart and created a new invention, turned the kitchen into an impromptu chemistry lab to disastrous effect, or neglected to do her homework because testing positive reinforcement training on a neighborhood dog was more interesting. These all sounded like marvelous ideas at the time!

Her social skills are strong, thanks to her confidence, sense of humor, and empathy. However, outside of school and club activities, she tends to go off on her own, getting into everything, and often turning it into something new.

Other than treating the world like a massive, hands-on, educational playground, Hotaru’s hobbies include: singing, playing violin, arts and crafts, bug-catching, and soccer.

To say she’s a handful is an understatement, but no one who loves her would dream of wanting her to change.

#digimonepiloguecelebration #digimon epilogue celebration #hotaru izumi

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ahiddenpath · 4 years

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Epilogue Celebration: Family

I keep running behind with these, there’s so much going on! HOW ABOUT THAT STEVEN UNIVERSE FINALE, EH?

I keep intending to write a ficlet, but I can never seem to stay on top of it. I hope you’ll accept some miscellaneous 2028 family headcanons below the cut.

-Taichi is one of the last Chosen to have his first child, age wise. This is partially because he’s busy representing digimon in human government, and humans to digimon. It’s a difficult and demanding job, both in terms of the work and the emotional toll as a subset of humans exploit digimon and a large swath of humans fear them. It often feels like Taichi is standing alone in a huge chasm between the two parties, trying to bring them together with little interest from either side.

So, yeah, he’s not really thinking about kids and family... Except that he is, and he’s eating his heart out with indecision over it. I think it takes a ton of courage and time for him to decide to become a father.

Like many of the Chosen, Taichi can’t spend as much time with his child as he would like because of his career. Still, his son adores him and thinks he’s the best Dad in the world, an attitude helped along by Agumon constantly saying so!

Taichi is a laid back and indulgent dad, except when his Worry kicks in. His wife has put him in parenting time out when he gets into his head and starts hovering too much.

-Yamato and Sora also waited a while to have kids because of their family backgrounds. They wanted to really be sure that they were ready first, committed to each other and to their new family. (I wrote a drabble that gets into it here, if you’re interested).

Because Yamato is an astronaut and Sora is a clothing designer, they rely heavily on their parents and Takeru for help watching their children. This is difficult for them, because they very much want to be with their kids... But they also want to achieve their own aspirations. Luckily, their parents and Takeru all dote on the kids, and sometimes squabble a bit over who gets them next.

Yamato tries to be chill about it, but it’s embarrassingly easy to get him gushing about his kiddos and the wife. Like, he’s that guy who starts every sentence with, “My daughter/son/wife/brother/Gabumon/nephew...” Missions are really hard on him for this reason. He’s known to tear up when talking to his family from space.

Sora is Best Mom, having trained since age 11 by handling the Chosen. Even when she’s away, the kids can’t get away with anything; her Mom Powers elicit confessions without much effort. The trick is that the kiddos just can’t lie to their adoring mother who takes such great care of them.

Sora does have to monitor herself closely. When her emotional state is poor, she sometimes snaps at the kids for normal kid stuff. Meanwhile, Yamato has to watch out for his tendency to send mixed messages by retreating when his emotions act up.

-I talked about Koushiro as a Dad a lot both here and here. His Dad strengths are supporting all of his daughter’s interests and engaging with her via activities and teaching opportunities, but he’s not skilled at understanding and meeting her emotional needs and giving social advice. Happily, I headcanon him marrying a lady who is well-equipped to cover those areas. He also sometimes just... gets scared of doing the wrong thing and retreats, but again, his parents and his wife quickly learn when to intervene.

-Mimi also has a parent post here. She’s great at interacting with her kid and having fun with him, and as an adult, she’s learned how to set boundaries. Still, she has a tendency to spoil her son, so luckily, there’s a wide network of beloved people helping to raise him to balance that out.

-Jyou! Oh my god, Jyou would be the most amazing dad, fight me (there’s likely no need).

The thing I most want to say here is that Jyou goes out of his way to expose his son to all kinds of careers and hobbies. In fact, he asks his friends, including the Chosen, to allow his son to participate in their “take your kids to work” events. He tells his boy that he can be whatever he wants, and that while he wants his son to find his passion and succeed in it... If he ever needs a place to fall back on, Jyou will be there.

He doesn’t want his son to experience the pressure he felt. Still, he is sure to instill the virtues of hard work and service.

Honestly, I think his only major flaw as a parent is worrying too much about his kids, and also spending too much time at work (he’s a doctor, so that’s inevitable). Luckily, Gomamon is around to keep things light-hearted, and to remind Jyou that is family needs him and he needs to go home now.

-Takeru is a great dad, and I think having his own family was really... A dream? Just a dream come true for him. After his parents divorced, I think it’s clear that Takeru wanted his family back, the way it used to be. These days, he has both parents (and they love babysitting), his brother, his sister-in-law, their kids... And he has his own wife and child. Things are no longer quiet at home or awkward with his parents.

Honestly, I think Dad Takeru is living his best life and organizing play dates and is just so happy. He’s amazing with children, and they love him... But his adult friends know to be wary when their kids and Takeru huddle up. What the hell kind of mischief is he encouraging? At least they never have to wait long to find out.

-Hikari is also an A+ Mama. Her warm, sweet aura soothes kids and inspires good behavior, but don’t think she can be walked on! A teacher takes no guff and knows how to convince kiddos to behave.

Hikari needs to learn to tend her mental health with love, care, and regularity. Teaching saps her emotional strength, and she often feels depleted, but forces herself to keep smiling and giving her all. There are times when everything just reaches critical failure levels, and she melts down.

So, Hikari... I’mma need you to love yourself the way you love everyone else.

-Oh my God, Daisuke. Sometimes, he acts more like a brother or uncle than a father, so his kid gets away with things that he... probably shouldn’t. I’m hoping he is with someone who disciplines instead of joining in on nonsense!

I can tell you that his son adores him, though. They live a fun, loud, and noisy life! Daisuke and his son both wish that Daisuke wasn’t so busy as an entrepreneur, but the good news is that Daisuke’s parents, sister, and Chosen friends (especially the 02 crew) are always willing to babysit.

-Miyako and Ken might have the most... stable???? Presence for their kiddos, since Miyako is a stay-at-home-mom. I do think that, when her youngest goes into kindergarten, she starts working part time as a researcher for Koushiro’s company, but... She’s always wanted a big, happy family, and she is always, always there for her kiddos. I really admire that.

I think the kiddos might favor Ken, just because he’s not at home all the time, and... Well, who doesn’t love Ken-chan? I bet Miyako gets a little miffed when the kiddos rejoice when daddy comes home after she cared for them all day... But she’s probably just as excited to see him!

I kind of think Ken and Miyako are That Couple. You know, the one that makes everyone think, blech, get a room, just from the way they look at each other.

Miyako is the kind of mom that can cheerfully yell at kids XD Like, the standard speaking volume is pretty high in this household. They’re the kind of sibling group that bickers one moment and cuddles and plays together the next. She always sees to everyone’s needs, knows how to discipline, but also brings on the fun. The only issue is that her emotions get carried away sometimes, and she needs to reel herself in before she riles up the kiddos to the point where they’re impossible to calm.

Ken, I think, is like an oasis for his kids. Calm, soothing, understanding, patient, quiet... He might not be as good as talking and taking charge as Miyako, but he’s an amazing listener, and he gives the world’s best hugs, certified.

He has his hands full with the bedtime routine, trying to wind everyone down after a loud, fun day with Miyako and each other.

-I believe that leaves Iori! Ugh, I love him, and I love to think of him as this strong, capable man who dedicates himself to service. He’s like a pillar to his daughter, who is likely the sweetest and kindest gen 2 baby. Like so many of the Chosen, Iori’s career is demanding, but his wife, mother, and grandfather step in. In fact, they might all live together? And while his daughter loves all of them, Iori is her favorite. In her eyes, he is just, kind, capable, dedicated, and strong, always helping the digimon and people who need help.

I think the only issue is that Iori doesn’t realize how big of a shadow he’s casting. His daughter pushes herself to be everything that she sees in him, which is a lot for anyone, let alone a kid. The good news is that her great-grandfather sees everything, and he is always telling her that she is more than enough.

I LOVE THEM ALL, THANKS FOR COMING TO MY TED TALK.

#digimon epilogue celebration #digimonepiloguecelebration #chosen children #digidestined

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