What stage
in your writing process causes the most angst? Drafting, revising, plotting...?
Angst? Foot-dragging,
clean refrigerator obsession, chocolate chip consumption? Stormy lectures to
myself, depressing insights into my inadequacies, escapes into multi-episode
Netflix choices?
I checked and angst apparently can mean anything from
anxiety to anguish, which in my dictionary are very different animals. The
anxiety end of the spectrum can show up at almost any point in the writing
process after I’ve passed the euphoric moment when the entire new story is laid
out in front of me like a sparkling vision that merely must be typed via
automatic writing. Anxiety creeps in
when there’s one day in which the writing stops flowing easily, or I find the
first of many reasons why the plot isn’t hanging together. Anguish is when I
can’t climb over the wall in my brain and fix it. I’ve lost the vision, the
will, and any shred of confidence I had. Time for a long walk.
Having admitted all of that, I will say that character is
the least problematic for me. I like my characters and have no trouble getting
inside their skins, even if I’m a little hard on them at times. Language and
dialogue don’t stop me, although the first draft can be pretty dodgy, full of
repeated words, my favorites at the moment being “just” and “began.” The
hardest aspect of writing a good novel for me is untangling the ‘mess in the
middle’ at revision time. Little errors and illogical moves that I promised
myself at first draft that I’d fix later now have my protagonist – and me –
tripping over ourselves in confusion and getting lost in a forest of details.
Revisions generally go well until that point and will generally be okay after
that. But around page 150, I am overcome with angst.
I think that my fellow Minds cope better than I, have
strings of successful books and stories to show for it, win awards
(Congratulations again, Art!), and also have barrels full of self-discipline.
I need to stock up on stick-to-it-iveness, get over this Author Drama stuff, and get to work. It’s the
best way to keep anxiety, anguish, angst – whatever you want to call it – out
of the room. That and chocolate.
-Susan
Good piece, Susan. And I think you're right about stories bogging down in the middle and that being one of the hardest places to fix. But a little chocolate or whatever one's poison is helps gets us through.
ReplyDeleteSusan--thanks for a good post. As a pantser, I find the first draft is the toughest thing. Everything goes well for a time, and then, uh oh, what happens next? But I take comfort in something I read recently. The writer said that all first drafts are perfect, because the only thing they have to do is exist.
ReplyDeleteBarry, I love that comment, although at some point, when you've done a few of these, you know what's coming next, which somewhat dulls the satisfaction of finishing a first draft!
ReplyDeleteWell, I've written lots of "perfect" first drafts then, Barry!
ReplyDeleteYes--chocolate and long walks can help cure everything, Susan. But I must admit I often feel like that gull...
I like the definition you found for angst. Really covers all the writerly emotions. Well, most of them.
ReplyDeleteChecking in late this week, but thanks for the shout-out here, Susan! I'm angsty throughout the process myself, but yes, chocolate helps. These days, it's the new Hershey's chocolate spread on top of what's left of the Girl Scout shortbread cookies. Highly recommended for what ails you. :-)
ReplyDelete