I have lots of new blog readers now, so I thought I’d give an overview of my writing process. I sometimes sound very organized and plan-oriented. And other times I sound like I’m working with no rules at all. This is because I believe in giving the right job to the right brain.
When it comes to story (and creative innovation outside of story), the brain in charge of symbols, dreams, and making the impossible reality is the one for the job. When it comes to planning a career, choosing an agent, targeting a publisher and so on, you need the tool-using logic-oriented brain in charge of things.
Terrible results happen when you give the wrong job to the wrong brain. Creativity is stifled, plots and characters are lifeless. And the creative mind run amok in your marketing, eeek. I see plenty of writers out there who I can only conclude are spending their hard-earned dollars as their little voices tell them to, instead of putting those voices in charge of writing new stories and putting logic in charge of spending.
Marketing is my current hot button in the business. It’s completely derailed me from my POV rage. Marketing is important, yes, so important your career might depend on it, so be smart! Get a marketing plan. Marketing plans include actual numbers that prove that there’s a reason to spend your money in one place as opposed to another. Put those little voices in charge of stories, put your whims and fancies there, too, and put logic in charge of the business.
Logic is useful in the editing and revision process, too. Let creativity run wild to get a story down in the first place, and then logic can be of real help. Is it topheavy over here and undersupported over there? The thinking, reasoning brain will point that out. I revise to the best of my ability before I send a story in, and my editor tells me it’s a pleasure to work with such clean manuscripts*. Then the next stage editing begins and once again, logic brain is immensely helpful. Creative brain is, too, and both of them need to be on the right job.
Editor says we need to achieve X goal. Logic brain confirms this is true and looks for ways to go about it. Creative brain is called in. Is this possible? Oh, yes, sure, just do blah blah blah, easy, see? Can I go play now? Logic brain works out the particulars, creative brain skips off to start making new scenes, new dialog, even a new subplot if it’s called for or a way to develop a potential subplot that’s been overlooked.
Writing is a complicated thing, the writing business is complicated, too, but all of it can be done without losing your mind if you put the right brain in charge of the right job. Works for nonwriters, too.
*note* I mention this because we don’t get to choose the amount of talent or brains we get, but we CAN control how easy we are to work with. You don’t have to be the best or the brightest. But in today’s competitive marketplace, suppose a publisher has to choose between two equally good manuscripts but one will be twice the work?
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