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First Drafts

January 21, 2019 by Christopher Gronlund 1 Comment

Pile of blue LEGOs.

I’m not one to make many sweeping proclamations. Anything I write about here always comes with a sense of, “This is just what works for me, and if it helps others: great!”

Like any kind of advice, writing advice can be a hit for some and a miss for others.

One thing I see touted as a universal truth right up there with, “You must read to be a writer!” (which I subscribe to), is “All first drafts suck!” (Which I do not subscribe to.)

That’s a Lot of Words

Writers can argue about what constitutes a novel instead of a novella, but even if we all agree anything over 50,000 words is a novel, that’s a hefty bit of writing. And, obviously, some sections of those first 50,000 words will need to be tightened — if not completely changed.

But there are writers who don’t believe the first draft must be a race to a word count. And I believe some of the writers who say that, while they definitely polish things, the first draft that goes down is largely the completed draft.

My latest novel, A Magic Life, is one such book. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have over 100 notes in Word saying, “Make better!” but the structure and actions remained unchanged. I polished dialogue and smoothed over what I was getting at in places, but the first draft of A Magic Life hardly sucked.

A Matter of Pace

Perhaps those things that go down well the first time around are subject to pace. For me, I like giving things time to be worked around many ways in my head before committing to writing. (At least with novels — short stories can be another thing entirely for me.) For others, they put down words in a mad frenzy and then take it all apart and rebuild (often, multiple times). I’m not so bold to say my next book will go down as smoothly as my latest.

The Next Book

There’s at least one more book in the life of the protagonist in A Magic Life. And it’s possible, especially if I don’t take as much time writing the second book, that some things will be changed around — that the first draft will “suck.” (I don’t deal in many absolutes, especially where writing is concerned.)

Of course, it’s also possible that it will go down smoothly. (With discipline, confidence, and proficiency, writing does get easier in many ways.)

Sometimes the Magic Works…

As a kid, one of my favorite moves was Little Big Man.

In one of the final scenes, Chief Dan George’s character, Old Lodge Skins, declares, “It is a good day to die,” and ascends a hill in preparation for his end. Instead of dying, though, rain comes and he finds himself alive.

He tells Dustin Hoffman’s character, Jack Crabb (Little Big Man), “Well, sometimes the magic works, sometimes it doesn’t.”

Writing can be like that, with some works going down as if by magic, and others…not so much.

Filed Under: A Magic Life, Writing Tips

Reading for Pleasure

January 15, 2019 by Christopher Gronlund 2 Comments

It's a strange thing, reading a novel you've put years into making something once only imagined. In your head, you have this vision, and while every writer works differently, I think we all work until that vision becomes a solid shape we know is … [Continue reading]

Filed Under: A Magic Life

Standing at the End of Another Year

December 31, 2018 by Christopher Gronlund 2 Comments

And so we close the door on 2018... We've all seen more than our fair share of year-end lists, I'm sure. I won't add to that. Instead, I'll just say this: During a time when layoffs at work resulted in me taking on another writer's job, I swore … [Continue reading]

Filed Under: Miscellaneous

Fast Fiction

December 27, 2018 by Christopher Gronlund 1 Comment

Around Christmas, 2017 -- I released an episode of my fiction podcast in which I shared a handful of very short fiction, instead of the usual single story for the episode. This year, I continued that tradition, releasing three stories last … [Continue reading]

Filed Under: Miscellaneous

In this Waking Light

December 14, 2018 by Christopher Gronlund Leave a Comment

A string of lights in the evening.

I usually go to bed at a decent time and sleep through the night. But there comes a point near the end of a draft of a novel when my sleep pattern changes. My sleep also changes with the seasons. I think one of the many reasons I prefer autumn and … [Continue reading]

Filed Under: Miscellaneous

A Nice Week

November 26, 2018 by Christopher Gronlund Leave a Comment

A meadow overlooking Grapevine Lake.

Last week was Thanksgiving in the United States. Because many companies give employees Thursday and Friday off, I usually add to the days and arrange to have the entire week off. Last week was one of the best weeks I can remember. It's not that we … [Continue reading]

Filed Under: Inspiration

Before and After

October 19, 2018 by Christopher Gronlund 2 Comments

Bricks - one side painted black...the other side, yellow.

I've seen many would-be writers read a favorite author's work, throw up their hands, and say, "I give up!" Comparing your own rough work to your favorite author's best work -- work rewritten many times at the guidance of friends and agents and … [Continue reading]

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: A Magic Life

Diving In

October 5, 2018 by Christopher Gronlund 3 Comments

Polar bear diving underwater.

Today I started diving into the novel. I've obviously read much of it along the way, but there are parts I've only written that have not yet been read. This will be the first time I read the latest novel as a whole … [Continue reading]

Filed Under: A Magic Life

A Return to Noise

September 30, 2018 by Christopher Gronlund 1 Comment

Stack of Marshall amplifiers.

Tomorrow I return to the noise of social media. Every time I take a break, I miss much less than I loathe, but what I miss -- I really miss: chatting with friends in other cities, states, and countries; seeing friends share big news; seeing … [Continue reading]

Filed Under: social media

Greener Fields

September 26, 2018 by Christopher Gronlund Leave a Comment

Green field

James Rebanks's book, The Shepherd's Life, chronicles the life of a modern Scottish shepherd. I've seen it described as a book about doing very hard work to avoid simply working hard (i.e. working the land vs. having a busy day job in an office). … [Continue reading]

Filed Under: Inspiration

The End (But Not the End)

September 24, 2018 by Christopher Gronlund Leave a Comment

Lighthouse at end of walkway.

I could have finished the novel yesterday, but I opted to hang out with my wife in the afternoon, instead. People who live with writers are often better than the writers they support (and I do have a strong self-image...it's just that my wife is … [Continue reading]

Filed Under: A Magic Life

So Much Can Happen in Seven Years

September 19, 2018 by Christopher Gronlund Leave a Comment

Sunrise through fog.

Seven years ago today, I shared an entry here in which I mentioned a new book was knocking around my mind. I figured that book might take three or four years to get to a readable state -- with day job demands and a life to live. Seven years … [Continue reading]

Filed Under: Inspiration

On Simple Joys

September 14, 2018 by Christopher Gronlund 2 Comments

Chain links

Happiness by Carl Sandburg I asked the professors who teach the meaning of life to tell me what is happiness. And I went to famous executives who boss the work of thousands of men. They all shook their heads and gave me a smile as … [Continue reading]

Filed Under: Inspiration

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