‘When you start to write a novel you’re basically setting yourself a massive problem, and writing it is a long exercise in problem-solving, and editing an exercise in problem-finding-and-then-solving. Beta readers can help, of course - but only as long as you’re asking them to find problems as readers, which you will then solve as seems best to you.’
This is such a useful, clarifying insight and, bizarrely, makes the whole idea of writing a complete piece seem easier - I am way more confident about my problem-solving abilities than my ability to write a cohesive story. I will make sure to remember it - this is obviously just a mind game as it will be the same activity but framed differently so I hold my nerve.
So glad the post is helpful, Jack! Thinking of writing a novel as answering one big, overall question ('problem' in that positive sense) is one reason some of the most useful pondering you can do, at any stage of writing a novel, is asking yourself questions.
As any researcher knows, and so do life coaches, much of the time once you start asking and refining the questions - getting steadily more granular - that you come to realise that somewhere deep down, you actually know what the answers are, so you know what the story needs next...
‘When you start to write a novel you’re basically setting yourself a massive problem, and writing it is a long exercise in problem-solving, and editing an exercise in problem-finding-and-then-solving. Beta readers can help, of course - but only as long as you’re asking them to find problems as readers, which you will then solve as seems best to you.’
This is such a useful, clarifying insight and, bizarrely, makes the whole idea of writing a complete piece seem easier - I am way more confident about my problem-solving abilities than my ability to write a cohesive story. I will make sure to remember it - this is obviously just a mind game as it will be the same activity but framed differently so I hold my nerve.
So glad the post is helpful, Jack! Thinking of writing a novel as answering one big, overall question ('problem' in that positive sense) is one reason some of the most useful pondering you can do, at any stage of writing a novel, is asking yourself questions.
As any researcher knows, and so do life coaches, much of the time once you start asking and refining the questions - getting steadily more granular - that you come to realise that somewhere deep down, you actually know what the answers are, so you know what the story needs next...
Is there a chat today? I might actually make it...
Yes, it's here. Do join us! https://substack.com/chat/2036854/post/d4db6690-1c3e-46f3-9b26-f8ec7594c39c