Step by Step
I've found that the editing process—even more than the drafting process—can be overwhelming.
Editing and Updates
for The Engineer's Craft
Emotion and Image
First, some updates on on the editing process.
Editing | Names
Place and personal names are important to creating the "feel" of a novel.
Pacing | Ch. 4
After finishing Chapter 8, I breezed through edits to Chapter 3.
Finished Editing Ch. 8
Sometimes, I can get a little OCD about my writing.
Editing
Chapter 8 of The Engineer's Craft has given me so much trouble.
Retrospective
Over the past two weeks, I've been teaching my class about plot, setting, and character (what I call the "three pillars of storytelling"). In preparing these lessons, I've pondered on how I build a story from the bottom up using these pillars--and how it differs from my editing. Here are some thoughts.
The First Line
The past few weeks, I've been busy gearing up to teach creative writing for the fall semester. My writing time has, notably, taken a hit. I haven't sat down in the chair to write as much as I'd like. But, that doesn't mean I've been completely idle.
Planning
Having finished Chapter Two rewrites, I shift my focus to Chapter Three.
Editing
After spending a few weeks on vacation in Bend, OR for a family reunion, I'm back to editing!
Editing
There's nothing I hate more than trimming my work.
Editing
This is a follow up to my 5 June 2024 post about attention to detail.
Writing a novel is a process.
And here, I'll do my best to keep you up-to-date on that process. In the column to the left, you can find reflections that provide a glimpse into the mind of a writer as I work through the daily ins and outs of writing or refining a story.
Below that, you'll find brief sketches of other projects I have in the works. I won't reveal too much about these ideas until I start working on them—I don't want to give away anything major in case readers want to avoid spoilers.
Writer as Philosopher
One of my favorite things about being a writer is the many hats I get to wear; there's not many professions (or passions) where you get to be a researcher, a philosopher, an editor, a biologist, a costume designer, a psychologist, an interior decorator, and a mathematician all wrapped into a single project. In many ways, writing is an exercise in holding an entire world inside one's head. In this series I'll explore a few of my favorite roles as a writer and the place they played in my most recent novel. Enjoy!
Writer as Costumer
One of my favorite things about being a writer is the many hats I get to wear; there's not many professions (or passions) where you get to be a researcher, a philosopher, an editor, a biologist, a costume designer, a psychologist, an interior decorator, and a mathematician all wrapped into a single project. In many ways, writing is an exercise in holding an entire world inside one's head. In this series I'll explore a few of my favorite roles as a writer and the place they played in my most recent novel. Enjoy!
Writer as Researcher
One of my favorite things about being a writer is the many hats I get to wear; there's not many professions (or passions) where you get to be a researcher, a philosopher, an editor, a biologist, a costume designer, a psychologist, an interior decorator, and a mathematician all wrapped into a single project. In many ways, writing is an exercise in holding an entire world inside one's head. In this series I'll explore a few of my favorite roles as a writer and the place they played in my most recent novel. Enjoy!
A Metric for Publishing Prep
As an aspiring writer, one of the most difficult things can be figuring out "am I even good at this?"
Talking with ChatGPT
Earlier this evening, I attended a short lecture on the ethics of AI from a philosophy professor at the local university. The lecture reminded me of a conversation I had with ChatGPT I had a few months ago, where I discussed the limitations of AI in creative writing. I was particularly interested in exploring how and if AI will ever be able to accurately or powerfully describe human emotion in nuanced ways. I'm not convinced that AI will ever reach that level of individual creativity, but the discussion brought up some interesting points that I thought might be fun to transcribe here. Enjoy!
Relatable vs. Aspirational
Recently, I've noticed a cultural shift emphasizing relatable characters. This has become most apparent in popular media with our current obsession with villain characters; we're watching movies about morally gray "heroes," we're putting stickers that say I support women's wrongs on our laptops alongside pictures of our favorite Disney villainesses, we're falling for the brooding characters who make questionable decisions but "they're just misunderstood." This trend is totally understandable and natural—we want characters who look and sound and act like us, I think because it makes us feel less alone in this growing global world.
The Publishing Journey
During conversations about trying to publish a book, one of the questions that inevitably comes up is "So what's the process for getting a book published?" Since most people don't really know much about what it's like to attempt to publish a book, I figured I'd write out what I've learned. So, here's my process and how it's going (plus a few hopeful future steps once I get an agent):
On Perception and Reality
A few days ago, I had a thought about "perceived realities" while waiting at a traffic light. I was in the left-turn lane, and as I glanced at the light I saw that it had turned yellow. My mind immediately went into decision mode as I looked ahead to see if the cars coming the opposite direction were going to slow down and let me turn through the yellow or if I'd have to wait. Before I'd made a decision, I looked back at the light and realized that it hadn't turned solid yellow, but was still flashing. My brief glance had seen only a solid yellow and not realized that it was still in the flashing stage. I had more time.