A sculptor doesn’t sit down, take a chunk of marble, and BOOM knock out a perfect statue. They work in stages, getting the rough form…
then bringing out this detail…
followed by that detail…
They focus their attention in different areas at different times, until at last, the final “perfect” form arises.
For some reason, in writing, writers usually abandon this creative approach…
They sit down and say, “Ok, I’m gonna sit down and keep writing until I get this script finished. A to Z. Let’s go!”
Instead, work in layers.
For new Long Prose writers:
Having been editing for decades, I realized that most writers go and write a full novel out of the gate. This is really the wrong approach. Writing is super complex and anyone thinking they can nail ALL of these complexities across 100,000 words is… well, laughable.
Everybody does it, because they focus on the end goal, seeing the actual novel as the prize.
But the reality is, anyone who’s serious about writing a GOOD first novel, and really knowing the craft, should spend ALL their time, writing a single chapter. Spend months doing it. Write it so it’s flawlessly, that you understand every single part of the complex mechanics that go into narrative.
When you can write a single chapter “perfectly,” then you just write another…
and another…
and before you know it, you have the novel you’ve been searching for. The one you’ve really been searching for.
Yes, of course, there are some aspects of narrative that transcend the individual chapter. Pacing for example spans a whole story, not just at the chapter level…
BUT, if you can write a chapter “perfectly” you will quickly pick up on the broader implications of narrative that span 1 or more acts. And if you don’t, if you for some reason get stuck with the broader aspects, at least you won’t have all the individual intricacies of the chapter weighing you down as you try to tackle those obstacles.
When you first start your journey of writing long prose, focus on 1 chapter.
Working all the bugs out of that one 2000 word chapter will be light years easier than doing it across an entire novel. ▪
About the Author —
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Newcomer or veteran writer, if you’re working on a project that needs commercial success, Nick urges to you read this intro article.
Nick Macari is a full-time freelance story consultant, developmental editor and writer, working primarily in the independent gaming and comic markets. His first published comic appeared on shelves via Diamond in the late 90’s. Today you can find his comic work on comixology, Amazon, and in select stores around the U.S.