Writing by the seat of my pants at last!

[carole gill]

and loving it.
Okay, I'm getting some good stuff down. Know why? Because of some great advice you crimespacers have given me.
It's a totally new experience and I feel free and so much more creative.
Okay, so what's the question? Well--it's this: I don't feel the need to make copious notes on my characters--like their likes and dislikes and where they go to eat sushi.
I find (and I've written five chapters in the last couple of days), that I have a good idea in my head of what they are etc. Just as I have a vague idea of the storyline.
Any opinions? You seat of the pants writers--should I just go with the flow and kick the angst to the curb?
thank you guys in advance.

[Steven Craigh]

Last year I had the great fortune of studying under someone who had just that philosophy. she has 14 published novels now (9 speculative fiction, 4 young adult and 1 crime) and all of them have been written by the seat of the pants method. but it doesn't work for everyone. if it works for you, go for it. perhaps the first draft isn't the place for "free-fallers" as my teacher called writers like herself to delve into their characters lives in great detail. that's what re-writing is for.
myself, i tried the free-fall set-of-the pants method, wrote 200,000 words and still didn't have any idea of when i was going to get to where i wanted to go. so, like i said, it's not for everyone. me, i need a plan.

[carole gill]

certainly. it's not for everyone. I hope it works out for me, too. It's early days yet! But at least I got a start. I felt stalled. Thanks so much for your reply. It amazes me how many different ways people can write--using different methods. Best of luck to you, too.

[Elizabeth Zelvin]

I'm an into-the-mist writer, and some days, it's pretty scary, as it is when you're driving along a winding road with a sheer drop to the side and can't see more than a foot beyond your headlights. But once the first draft is done, I DO know who the victim, suspects, and murderer are and what happens. Then all I have to do is edit. (Infer irony--but it IS easier than the first draft.) At least one writer I know of, Laurie King, spends two months on the first draft and five or six on the revisions, ending up, she says, with quite a different manuscript. Carole, are you writing a series? I wouldn't dare tell me protagonist and his two sidekicks where to go and what to do, any more than I'd tell them what to say. They tell me. :)

[Steven Craigh]

Elizabeth, is this what they mean by character drives plot? If the characters are real enough, they create cause and effect themselves by their reactions to the opening circumstances, and hence turn mere story into plot?

I never really understood the importance of well-developed characters in changing later drafts until another one of my teachers (John Griffin) told me, "Steve, forget all the theory; just get your character up a tree and start throwing rocks at him. If he's strong enough he'll find his own way down." Maybe for free-fallers that way down from the tree doesn't become evident until the rewriting stage when the character's strong enough. Just a theory.

[carole gill]

just going to put my two cents in here Steven. Hope you don't mind.
Since this misty writing--was something alien to me. I thought of an example which helped.
I thought of Ken Follet writing Eye of the Needle and I thougt if that was me: and I had a Nazi operative, with D'Day landing information on him shipwrecked on an island with a crippled former RAF pilot and his oh so lonely wife--and a storm and everything--! Well--it seemed to all follow suit.
it kinda writes itself I thought!

[carole gill]

Funny you should ask. I planned a sequel (with my usual overly optimistic aims)--but then I stalled with the whole thing. I came on here and received advice about just writing without an outline, etc. I took that advice and seem to be going along pretty nicely now
No, of course I can't think too far beyond now--that's the whole point for me, with this new found freedom--i'm just focusing on the characters and where they lead ME. i have a basic idea--but that's all. It's great, and I say this is for me--not to feel bogged down with endless notes and character resumes! hope it lasts. fingers crossed, Elizabeth. And thanks for your reply.

[I. J. Parker]

Laurie King is a very fine writer (and I say this even though I'm not a fan). She is technically excellent. So perhaps something can be learned from this.
It takes me far longer to get a first draft (more like 8 to 10 months), and then I still have major revisions. It is conceivable that King free-writes, meaning that she simply gets it down without any polishing, and then takes all that time making corrections to plot and story and doing stylistic polishing.
In any case, while writing without an outline is exciting and keeps you open to subsequent epiphanies, there is almost always a big mess to be fixed when it is all done. And trust me, in a novel of 100,000 words the job can seem overwhelming.

[carole gill]

I see your point, but--though feeling less constrained than I feel with an outline, I'm still mildly obsessive enough to know where the novel is going. I said it was vague--and it is far more vague than an actual outline--but its shadow is there, if you know what I mean. I hate messes and will try to steer away from any should they begin to emerge. I also write notes at the end of chapters, like: "okay, now what? brief notes that keep me (hopefully on course)!

[Dennis Leppanen]

Lemme try this---I'll be back in five.

[Dana King]

If you're on a roll, run with it; never break up a hot streak. I find my characters evolve as I write the story, so I don't worry too much about bios before I start. I brief sketch is sufficient. There's always time to flesh them out if you need to later, or if you hit a wall.

[carole gill]

Thanks Dana. I agree. I'm just getting it down and it's fun--because the characters determine the direction, although I have an idea where it might go. Still, I'll leave it to them.

[Deirdre]

seat of the pants works. Should take notes after you do each chapter - or periodically. Stop and write down in a note book what you've put down for that character. Prevents headaches later when you can't remember if she's allergic to pecan pie or not...
Deirdre