Research and preparation for the fiction writer
Notes and prep can get in the way...
The more notes you consult when you write, the
more obstacles you put in the way of connecting with your
subconscious mind; and it's your subconscious mind you write with.
subconscious mind; and it's your subconscious mind you write with.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t
make notes or do research. Do both, but keep it in proportion.
The object of the exercise should be to unlock the potential of your
subconscious, not block it off by thinking consciously about your work.
It's a bit like playing any sport - tennis for example. If you try to hit a tennis ball while thinking about it, chances are you won't do too good. To be good, you have to hit it without thinking about the action. With writing, it's similar. If you want to write well, don't think too much about your first draft. Let the words flow.
If your book needs a lot of research because, say, it’s a historical novel, do the research and make notes by all means, but resist the temptation to consult your notes frequently while you’re writing. Instead, write what comes naturally. Your research, if you’ve absorbed it, should emerge in your writing.
It's a bit like playing any sport - tennis for example. If you try to hit a tennis ball while thinking about it, chances are you won't do too good. To be good, you have to hit it without thinking about the action. With writing, it's similar. If you want to write well, don't think too much about your first draft. Let the words flow.
If your book needs a lot of research because, say, it’s a historical novel, do the research and make notes by all means, but resist the temptation to consult your notes frequently while you’re writing. Instead, write what comes naturally. Your research, if you’ve absorbed it, should emerge in your writing.
Afterwards, when you read
through your first draft, by all means use your notes to add in extra
detail. It’s perfectly acceptable, and perhaps even necessary, to edit at a
more conscious level than the level at which you create.
In summary:
Read your notes;
Write from the unconscious
mind while largely ignoring them;
The time to consult your
notes is during the edit.
That’s not an absolute; it’s
an ideal to be striven for, and will serve you well if you aim for it.
Follow this link and you'll find (if you scroll to the bottom of the page) a video giving you an insight into some of the research strategies I used for my novel Manchester Vice.
Follow this link and you'll find (if you scroll to the bottom of the page) a video giving you an insight into some of the research strategies I used for my novel Manchester Vice.
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See also:
What is it with writers and drink?
What is it with writers and drink?
Photo from Pixabay
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