"God grant me patience, but could you hurry it up."
Patience...that dreaded word. There are so many times in life we are given the lesson of patience. Driving to work in rush hour traffic, waiting in lines, waiting for life to figure itself out, holidays, days off from work or school, the coffeepot to finish brewing. Life seems to hand out daily lessons in an effort for us to become more patient. This is difficult in this social-media, real-time news, have it now, consequences be damned society that has emerged. Yet, as a writer I am once again reminded of the lesson on patience.
I have spoken often on my self-designed process of writing. I write a chapter, edit said chapter, and then put the chapter away. Wash, rinse, repeat style of writing in a sense. After the book is completed, I will then do a large edit to make sure the story flows in a well thought out manner. In fact, the closer I get to the end of the book, the more I am recalling the beginning and how I can edit it for just that purpose. I created this plan so that I do not get mired down in the editing. Writing is often easier. You sit down, put pen to paper and write, write, write. You may not worry about grammar or precision when you are writing. That is the job of editing, thus, editing takes longer. When editing, there is slow reading, slower re-reading, inserting and deleting, moving, changing, and of course the dreaded comma. There are decisions being made when you edit. Your brain is divided between being not just a writer, but also a reader, and an editor. This occurs over and over again until you see the words, "The End."
One of the things I have discovered in this writing process for my first novel is that if you write too many chapters without stopping to do any revisions then the dreaded, long editing process takes forever. The writing gets set aside longer than it should or would normally because of the time it takes to make any changes becomes stretched out. However, I also find that if you write a chapter and then edit it immediately there is a certain amount of polishing that is not accomplished. It is good to write a chapter and then set it aside, not for too long, but maybe a day or even a week. When you go to finally do the edits on that chapter you are looking at it with fresher eyes and a ready pen. If you edit too quickly you are still too engrossed in the writing and details of that chapter.
This sounds backwards or counter-intuitive to many possibly. You may think it is better to rework the chapter when you are still within the characters and sequences. When your brain is still plotting out the actions. For some this may be true. I have found, though, that it is better to start the next chapter which guarantees a good flow from one chapter to the next while setting aside the previously finished chapter. After a few days I go back to that completed section and I see it with fresher eyes.
Editing is like making a good stew. You can not add all the ingredients at once and then expect it to be done instantly. You add each ingredient one at a time. Then you let it simmer for a while. When you come back to the pot, the stew is warmer, tastier and you know if it needs more salt. You add the salt or any other ingredient you feel would make that stew better. Editing is letting the chapter simmer for a bit, coming back to it and adding in the seasoning that may have been lacking initially.
The problem, however, is the waiting. Patience is not my favorite thing to practice. I finished Chapter Twenty-Six and instantly wanted to do the editing in my excitement of having it completed and placed in the book. I was still engrossed in the activities and characters of that chapter and wanted to go back and polish right away. My fingers were aching to take the pen and slash and add. This is where patience comes in handy. Instead, I am starting Chapter Twenty-Seven and I have set aside Twenty-Six, at least for a couple of days. It is sometimes hard to start a new chapter when you feel like the previous one is not fully complete but this again is where patience comes in good form. I am letting the chapter simmer and when I do finally return to it I will know just what needs to be added or taken out to make it more seasoned.
Writing a chapter is like a recipe for Writer's Stew. Write, simmer, edit, add seasoning and finally enjoy the results of a completed chapter and eventually a completed book. A true writer knows that writing a book takes creativity, work and a heaping tablespoon of patience and endurance. At the end of all the hard work you have a completed book to enjoy and with luck so will the reader. So curl up, relax and enjoy because this Writer's Stew is simmering but it is also nearing completion.
