AskA Wench: does writing get easier?

Anne here, and this month the Ask-a-Wench question is one often asked. It started off as "After so many books, does the writing get easier?" To which every single wench emphatically answered "No."  Not much of a blog there.

So we changed it to: "After so many books, does the writing get easier or harder? What is the hardest part of creating a story?" which gave us a little more to talk about.

Pat says:  Without even knowing how the other wenches respond to the first part of this question, I can almost hear them all shouting: “Heck, no!” in probably ruder terms. With each book, we learn a little more and have to think a little harder. And then, if we wish to stay creative and original as the number of published books piles up, we have to stretch our imaginations further and further to give readers new stories.

For me, the hardest part is, and always has been, writing a plot. Characters are easy. They populate my head. They kick around, chattering, demanding this scene or that—scenes that do not necessarily work with my perceived plot or any plot at all. Occasionally, this works and new ideas take off, but only in straight romance. If I mean to include a mystery. . . My characters aren’t heavily into logical clues and need to be taken by the hand—or the throat—and forced into line. And then it’s up to me to keep timelines and clues and characters straight so the plot follows without readers stopping and saying “Hey, what? Didn’t they just do that in the last chapter?” With my memory, that’s a real challenge!

Nicola says: I’d be astonished (and envious!) if any of the Wenches, or any other writers I know, said “yes” to the question of does it get easier! When I started out I was full of ideas and couldn’t write them down fast enough. I was also fairly naïve about the writing and publishing business, and so wasn’t inhibited by thoughts of what sort of books I “should” be writing or the “right way” to write them. Those pressures came later. Fast forward 20 years and I’ve realised that there is no right or wrong way to write, only the way that works for you. So that’s fine. But to keep fresh, original and creative, and to keep learning in a positive way after many books, takes work.

The most difficult part of creating a story for me is getting the plot to mesh. I write dual time stories that include a historical mystery that is solved in the present, which means that the two threads are interlinked all the way through and have to tie up neatly at the end. I’m not naturally given to detailed planning of my books but I’ve found that with dual time and timeslip stories I really do need to sit down and plan the structure of the book or I will get myself in a mess! So after 20 years I’ve become a hybrid pantser/plotter writer!

Andrea says:  Can all of you hear the existential howl of “NO!” echoing through the ether in answer to this question! When I started writing my first book, it didn’t occur to me that there were “rules.” I had these stories in my head, and just figured that one picked up a pen and put them on paper. There’s a childlike freedom to not knowing what you don’t know. It frees you from fear. Once I started going to writing conferences, where there were so many workshops on craft, and so many of my favorite authors giving advice, I began to fret more about whether I was doing it right. The fact that I’m a total “pantser, “ and rely on the belief that somehow the story will grow organically as I write, began to frighten me and at times made the process much more stressful.

I have (sort-of) learned to trust myself, heartened by the fact that I’ve discovered from writer pals that all of us work in very different ways. And I've gotten better at structuring my stories. But the hardest part is still that vast, amorphous middle part of a book. I usually have a very clear idea of the first opening scenes, which excite me and set get the story going. And I know the essence of the story and how it’s going to end . . . but I still depend on those serendipitous "ah-ha” moments which guide me through all the plot twists as I’m taking the writing journey. The nuances of building characters and relationships come as I write their interactions—truly, sometimes they do things that surprise me! To me that part of the magic of writing. 

Those of you who follow my Instagram posts have probably noted that most of my photos mention my daily plotting walk. I really do take a walk most every day, usually at the end of the day, to ponder where I am in the story and to work out the knots in which I have tied myself. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been watching the birds, or the sunlight rippling over the tidal marshes when all of a sudden something clicks and I realize, “ Oh, THAT’S what she need to do!” I don’t pretend it’s a perfect way to write a book, but it’s how my brain works! (And then, of course, I depend on my intrepid editorial assistant to fix all my stumbles when the manuscript is done!)  

From Mary Jo: The answer, as with so many things, is "It depends."  Starting my first book was rather easy because I had no expectations, I just wanted to see what I could do now that I'd mastered word processing.  Despite having an honors degree in English, there were lots of technical things I didn't know like how to format conversations and how many dots are in an ellipsis.  I tossed in what seemed like a reasonable number. (And was very wrong. <G>)

The stakes were low so it was easy.  I'd read and reread so many novels by Georgette Heyer and other Regency writers that I had a kind of traditional Regency template in my mind, and it was interesting to see how my growing story and characters developed.

Ease vanished when I sold that first book on a partial manuscript.  Someone wanted to pay me for my wanderings!  Eeek!  The stakes are suddenly a lot higher!!! It's been downhill ever since.  <G>  (The Diabolical Baron was that first, somewhat easy book.)

My first books were written mostly from intuition and a love of stories, and over time, I learned more about what I was doing.  I began to write more challenging stories that required more thought and analysis.  I learned that if I wasn't sure where to start a book, I probably needed to read more history.  Plots and people became more complex and I had to figure out how to put all the pieces together.  My standards got higher because I didn't want to repeat myself. 

Plus, it got harder and harder convincing the  Muse that deadlines matter.  So months are spent staring at the computer and not much happens.  Then the last months are a desperate rush to the finish. This is not fun, but my theory is that we all come with a certain creative process hardwired into our brains, and we have to learn how to work with that. No one ever said it would be easy!!!!

Pia said: I’m afraid it’s a resounding no from me as well! Although to be fair, it seems to vary wildly from book to book. Some just pour out almost of their own accord while others are like pulling teeth. The hardest part is keeping the momentum going so you don’t get the dreaded ‘saggy middle’ where nothing much happens. I generally have a good idea of how each story starts and ends, but the rest is a bit nebulous. 

As I’m a pantser I am usually very impatient and want to get the story down while inspiration strikes. That means I have to go back and add details afterwards sometimes which isn’t as much fun. And like Nicola, I write dual time and time travel stories where some of the historical details and events have to add up so that’s even more tricky!

I don’t think I’ll ever stop learning or worrying though! I can only hope it all turns out ok in the end.

Susan says: Does the writing get easier? Mostly no, though in some aspects yes.

When I first started writing, my kids were small and could usually be corralled at night or in school, so I could find regular writing hours and devoted lots of energy to the stories and the author career. The kids grew, and life got busier and more complicated, so the regular hours went out the window, but I found the time and plowed ahead. Now that the household has reverted back to the parents, you'd think it would be easier--but it's not. For various reasons, the family needs and deserves lots of time and dedication even now, so I work around that. I find that the stories are always there in my head and in my computer, but the available hours to move them forward are more elusive. Right now, those hours are determining what gets written and what stays in notes and in the head. And thereby hangs a tale. 

But some things in my writing world do get easier. I'm a much more experienced writer and self-editor now, so the new stuff I'm writing is cleaner than the earlier books--even if they are taking me far longer to write due to what's beyond the writer's control. Whenever I read my older books, I just want to take a red pen to the wordiness and extra fluff that doesn't need to be there--and yay, I get to do that with each reissue now (I'm happy to say that my revised titles in new ebook format are way better than their originals!). 

Research is way easier now, for sure! Most of my novels are set in Scotland, and I've spent years studying a wide range of Scottish and British history from the 11th century to the Victorian era. Over the years I've accumulated a pretty extensive collection of history books and other resource books, lots of shelves crammed with lovely books, some nicely obscure. I've also stashed a lot of info and good historical comprehension in my head, so it's right there when I need it. Oh and there's the internet! Whatever you want to know, whenever you need it. Boom! 

Back to Anne: As others have said, when I first started writing fiction I didn't know much. I'd studied English lit as university, but that was more about analysing literary texts than creating fiction. But I'd been reading all my life and had absorbed a lot of unconscious knowledge, so writing, I thought, was "instinctive".

That early writing was fun and carefree and a joy. And then they paid me. Ulp! After that it wasn't just about pleasing myself, it was about pleasing an editor, and even harder, pleasing readers. Selling books. Justifying that advance. And that pressure is always with me. So my fun became my work.

As well, the more I write, the more I'm aware of the craft of writing. I still think I write by instinct, but I edit with an eye to craft. I know a lot more about writing now, but that doesn't make it easier, in fact I think the more books you publish the harder it gets because the bar keeps getting raised.

And every story throws up different challenges — getting characters to spark off each other, setting stories in the same place and society and period, and trying not to repeat yourself. And making a plot work— for some reason the plot I think I have when I start writing is almost never the one in the final book. As the characters emerge on the page (again usually different from how I first imagine them) they take the plot in different directions. Like the others in this group I'm a "pantser" — flying by the seat of my pants. I can and do plot in advance, but the story always changes in the writing, and is usually the better for it.

I hope that answers the question. None of us finds writing easier, but that challenge is part of the fascination of being a writer. I would hate to think writing is like a recipe, that once you work out "a formula" you keep on applying it to every book. There's a big difference between writing to your "core story" and writing cookie-cutter stories. But that's a discussion for another day.

So over to you. Anything here surprise you? What authors that you love manage to be both prolific and also keep writing fresh and interesting stories?

Comments

[Mary T]

I can't say that there is anything here that surprises me. Makes me admire you all even more though.

I love romance novels - especially historical romance. But considering the number of novels out there, it seems a rather narrow genre when it comes to plots and themes. To me, a good author (and you all qualify) is one who can take a common theme or plot and make it seem all new again. Seeing how hard you all work at that makes me admire you even more. Thank you all!

[Mary Jo Putney]

Sigh. It's all so very, very true. And yet we persist in writing books. "WHY?" would be an interesting question! For me, I'm pretty much employable in any other job these days. *G* But even more, it's because not matter how difficult writing is--and it's often VERY difficult--the satisfaction when the work is done makes it all worthwhile.

[Sue McCormick]

I am NOT surprised at you answes. My only writing for publication (including internet publication) is expository. That is hard enough. My oldest child had trouble writing as long as he lived, and he was an award winning reporter.

And I strongly believe that expository writing is MUCH easier than writing fiction would be. We much stick to the facts; facts are sometimes unclear or apparantly contradictory, but I have never had a fact gaze up at me from the page and say "That isn't what I am like!'

[Kareni]

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts. I wasn't surprised by your answers; I'm just glad that you continue to write despite the challenges.

Andrea and Pia, your comments about the middle reminds me of this old S. Harris cartoon:

https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.sciencecartoonsplus.com/pages/gallery.php&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwi61uaJ2JfxAhVJHDQIHSc_CjsQFjAAegQICRAB&usg=AOvVaw2R60xgFBGHC1Ql6OjlYg1R

[Christina Courtenay]

Ha ha ha - yes, miracles definitely needed in the middle! Thank you, that's brilliant!

[theo]

Seems to me, if the writing is getting easier over time, the books must be getting very formulaic and boring as well. Since none of the Wenches are in a position where their books fall into that 'category', I'm not surprised to see a resounding no from you all. :)

[Anne Gracie]

Thank you, Mary. I think those of us who write in the Regency/Victorian period are lucky in that there was so much happening in the world at the time that there is quite a bit of grist to our mills. It's when editors ask you to stick to London or Bath and ballrooms (as a past editor asked of me) that it gets tricky. *g*

[Anne Gracie]

Mary Jo, did you mean unemployable? I feel the same. And yes, the feeling when you sit back and see a finished book, with a world and characters that now live -- it's a great feeling. It's just the getting there that's hard at times.

[Anne Gracie]

" I have never had a fact gaze up at me from the page and say "That isn't what I am like!'"

LOL Sue — that comment is spot on. And it happens all the time. Some kind of writing is easier than others. Action scenes are easier for me to write than personality/interaction scenes. I sometimes envy my friends who can do the old Raymond Chandler equivalent — when they run out of steam, they have a man with a gun, or some other threat burst in on them. What's the regency equivalent of that?

[Anne Gracie]

That cartoon is perfect, Kareni. Thanks for the chuckle.

[Anne Gracie]

What a lovely compliment, Theo. Thank you. I do think the difference between writing to your core story and writing to a formula is an important distinction. Best of luck with your own work.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Anne, yes, I meant "unemployable" (Clearly I'n not even qualified to be a typist. *G*) You at least have your wonderful teach skills. But the writing bug bites hard and doesn't leave us many other choices.

[Anne Gracie]

Mary Jo, I do enjoy teaching, but I would hate to go back into the education system. It's changed so much and I don't agree with a lot of the changes. *g* I content myself with running workshops on writing, and producing my little books for beginning adult literacy. So I'm pretty unemployable, too.

[Janice]

Prinny or Byron appear and blow up whatever's going on between hero and heroine :)

[Anne Gracie]

Heh heh, Janice. I do have something a little similar in my current wip, but not with Prinny or Byron. ;)

[Janice]

Wellington? :)

[Anne Gracie]

Snort. ;)

[Annette N]

Thanks so much for this post. Each of you have shared your knowledge. I am sure the people who read this blog and want to write fiction will be helped.

Or maybe those same people will be sitting in a dark room somewhere, wondering why they ever thought they could write fiction.

I was blessed - no talent for fiction. I used to write features for newspapers....that is easy....it is about real people and they always choose to do what they darn well please. I simply reported it. Any dialog came from them.

So, I reckon, real life is easier than fiction.

Hope everyone is well and safe and happy.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Annette.
"Or maybe those same people will be sitting in a dark room somewhere, wondering why they ever thought they could write fiction."
Ah, but this is an occupational hazard. I suspect most writers, even professional fiction writers, think this, often in the middle of a book when they're struggling to make it work. But you battle on, and suddenly you see what the problem is, and suddenly you're off and writing again, and remembering that you *are* a writer and you *can* write fiction.

Re the difference between journalism and fiction writing, years ago I toyed with the idea of going into journalism, but my problem is, I always want to "improve" the truth and turn it into a better story. *g*