Hi Folks,
I mentioned in an earlier post that as part of my retraining as a writer, I’m learning to trust my subconscious to write the story. I want to be clear: this is not the “freewriting” technique most of us have heard about.
In freewriting, the writer (usually a student) is told to ignore or “don’t worry about” grammar or syntax or punctuation or capitalization. The task is just to get the words on paper so the writer can go over it again later in a second draft, ostensibly to add-in all the stuff he omitted. To me, that’s like moving a wheelbarrow full of dirt part way and dumping it so you can come back later, put it back in the wheelbarrow, and move it the rest of the way. And often, third and subsequent drafts are recommended, during which the writer ostensibly edits and polishes the work. (This is a writer who’s written the story, and is now making it read the way it’s “supposed” to. Ugly stuff, that.) I would bet good money that more manuscripts have been destroyed by polishing all the good off them than have been improved.
There is a culture in education that says fast writing is always bad, and only writing that has been through many edits and many drafts can possibly be any good. That simply is not true. When I allow my subconscious to write the story, I’m writing for publication. I’m doing what many professional writers call “writing into the dark.” Ray Bradbury once said if a writer doesn’t surprise himself, how can he possibly hope to surprise the reader. Perhaps more to the point, he wrote, “In quickness is truth.” Think about that.
Now, my subconscious came up with the story idea in the first place, and all the knowledge I have about grammar and syntax and pacing and paragraphing and dialogue and dialect and characters and innuendo and implication and the nuances of the language is firmly embedded in my subconscious, so what do I have to worry about? Granted, it’s difficult to set aside all the garbage I’ve heard over the years in every English class and in practically every writing class I’ve ever attended—for example, you must rewrite at least X number of times or you must have your work edited at least X number of times—but I am learning to set it aside. And it makes perfect sense to do so.
When I first learned about writing into the dark, my brain automatically began hedging. I thought, Maybe I could get by with only three drafts or Maybe that works if you don’t mind turning out garbage or even Maybe that works for you (the person from whom I learned the technique) because you’re already a successful professional writer.
But I couldn’t just ignore the advice. I had to at least try it for myself. (If you don’t possess this particular personality flaw—having to try things for yourself rather than dismissing them out of hand—I strongly recommend you develop it.) Could I turn out new short fiction that’s at least on par with earlier stories I’d written, back when I “polished” them half to death?
So I tried it, writing as Nicolas Z Porter. The idea? Consuela, a woman in her late 70s, arises early and goes about her daily chores. I had no idea where the story would go from there. Two hours later, I had finished “Consuela,” one of the better short stories I’ve ever written. The process went so smoothly that I thought maybe it was a fluke, so I tried it again. And again. And again. It wasn’t a fluke.
The same thing happened again for Nick Porter again with “A Shiny Life” (the idea was a great line of description: She died on one of those damp mornings, the air cold and thick, hanging heavy, collecting smells) and “At the Bus Station” (idea: A young mother-to-be and her boyfriend are in a bus station). It happened for my longtime friend Gervasio Arrancado with the magic realism story, “The Rabbit & the Priest: A Tale for Children” (idea: A rabbit shows up at the south end of town, seemingly oblivious to the hungry townspeople). It happened for Eric Stringer with “Finding Time to Write” (idea: A writer has writer’s block) and “A Natural Study of the Scream” (idea: It strikes a diarist as odd that after a short time, he can no longer hear the screams coming from the facility in which he is a new hire).
The same process happened six times in just under three weeks: story idea to writing into the dark to published story. After that, I knew it would keep on happening, and it has. Thing is, if it can happen for me, it can happen for you.
Some of those stories are available free at Harvey Stanbrough & Friends Writing in Public. I invite you to go there and judge them for yourself. Would they be better if I took all of them down and “polished” them? And all of them also are already available for sale in over 90 nations worldwide. Again, all of that happened during the first three weeks of my self-challenge, while I was still living my life, doing my job on Other People’s Writing, etc.
UPDATE: Since I first wrote this blog post, it’s happened a few more times with “Old Suits,” “Wednesday: Abused Spouses,” “Do What’s Right,” and others. Today (as I write this update) is a Sunday and I have another new story due this Thursday. Will lightning strike for me again? Of course it will. Learning to let your subconscious write the stories for you is difficult, but once you do it, the process of writing into the dark gets easier each time.
UPDATE 2: It’s now Thursday, June 19. In the previous update, I wrote that it was Sunday (June 15) and that I had another new story due. I asked, “Will lightning strike for me again?” I had no doubt, and not ony did I write a new story, I wrote two new stories. One posted on June 19th, and the other will post this coming Sunday. 🙂
So there’s your challenge, if you want it. Now understand, I’m not saying that writing into the dark would be right for you. I guess all I’m saying is if you never try it, how will you know? Trust yourself, and have fun.
‘Til next time, good writing.
Harvey
I LOVE this post, Harvey! This is the way I write most things. Then I have someone who looks at my stuff for a content edit (to make sure I didn’t leave huge holes in the story) and a proofreader for the final polish (to catch any typos, extra/missing words, and such I might’ve missed). Then I call them done.
Yet, I see memes and quotes from authors talking about how your work isn’t ready until it’s had a dozen or 20 or even more rewrites. Ugh. I’d never get anything done and published if I did that. That forever-rewriting process may work for some writers, but it’s definitely not for me.
Thanks for another great post! 🙂
Dawn, if you ask most professional writers how many drafts they had to write of a novella or novel, they’ll look sad and say something like “Oh, at least 6 or 8.” The truth is, most professional writers Just Write. Most trust even the content to their subconscious. Most have a first reader to catch odd things, and then they’re finished with it. (If they know they have a particular problem, like commas, etc. they might run it through a copyeditor, but that’s it.) They don’t want aspiring writers to know this stuff. So why won’t they say “Oh, I wrote it in one sitting, sent it to my first reader, then published it”? Because they want the mystery to remain. And really, can we be surprised that someone who makes a living by making stuff up might tell a fib now and then? 🙂 Even writing into the dark, it STILL isn’t easy to follow Heinlein’s Rules, but it’s easiER than it is otherwise.
Keep writing and have fun!
Harvey
Harvey, I only partially agree with you about free writing. I used it in my classes, especially when students had no idea what they wanted to write about. That is the way I use it for myself, too. I simply write.
Often it is quite disconnected and I wander all over the place. When I look at it later, sometimes it’s pretty much garbage, but other times I find thoughts I can run with – and I do.
Other times I sit down, begin, and I’m off. I finish a piece.
I do edit. When I write fast it is full of errors. Plus when I read through I find spots that made sense to me because I knew exactly what I was thinking about but realized a reader might not. So I add a bit to clarify. Sometimes I realize I’ve repeated a word oh so many times, so I change a few words.
I would like to know more about writing into the dark. I’ll look it up but welcome more info from you.
Hi Emilie, All writers are different. If you prefer your way, more power to you. I have absolutely no problem with that.
Re free writing, I’m not sure what you’re disagreeing with. Also, this series of posts is for aspiring professional writers, not formal students in grade, middle or high school or some college writing program (where instructors teach that “had” and “ing words” should be avoided because they cause passive voice. Grrrr). I’m just stating a fact when I say free writing isn’t the same as writing into the dark. I also happen to believe if you have a good grasp of the basics of syntax, punctuation, etc. there’s no reason to force yourself NOT to use those skills just so you can go back and add them later. However, we all get our kicks in our own way.
I stand by my statement that I’d bet more manuscripts have been destroyed by polishing all the good off them (or by bad editing, turning creative writing into something that strictly conforms to English 101) than have been improved.
“Writing” is putting new words on paper. Researching is not writing. Rewriting is not writing. Teaching writing is not writing. Editing is not writing. With that established as the basis, I write into the dark. For me, personally, writing is no longer work. Now I’m very close to making a living by Sitting at My Computer Making Stuff Up. How can that ever be considered work? It’s great fun.
Everything I know about writing into the dark is in the post. It’s very simple. An idea occurs. Then the writer follows Heinlein’s Business Rules. 1. Write. 2. Finish what you write. 3. Do not rewrite except to editorial order, and then only if you agree. 4. Submit (or publish) what you write. 5. Keep it submitted or published. Writing into the dark doesn’t mean writing that occasional story that is born whole and flows out as if being channeled. It means if you can get 1000 PUBLISHABLE words on paper in an hour, then in 30 days you can publish a novella of 30,000 words and in 60 days you can publish a novel of 60,000 words. It’s like a Nike thing: the writer has to decide to Just Do It. Most don’t. That doesn’t affect my paycheck or my newfound joy in writing, so that’s okay. 🙂
Heinlein’s Rules are incredibly simple but they’re also extremely difficult to follow, primarily (in my opinion) because it’s so difficult for so many aspiring writers to Just Let Go and write. Heinlein himself wrote that’s why there are so many aspiring writers so few professionals.
All writers are different, and they should all do whatever works for them. For me personally, everything I need to write well is resident in my subconscious, so I simply trust my subconscious to write the story.
Hey, this is almost another blog post. 🙂
Hope this helps,
Harvey
Just one more note for everyone. Our first pro-level writers group has been a success thus far and I don’t see that changing. I’m in the midst of setting up the guidelines for the next pro-level writers’ group. Basically, over a series of 8-10 meetings, I will pass along to those in the group everything I’ve learned over 40 years of writing. There will be an application process, and I’ll accept only those who are serious about becoming professional writers. I expect to have either monthy or twice-monthly meetings on-site in Benson, but I might also run an online group if there’s enough interest. If YOU’RE interested, please email me at harveystanbrough@yahoo.com. In the subject line, please write PRO-LEVEL GROUP TWO. I’ll add your name to the list I’ve developed and will include you in all correspondence regarding the group, including the syllabus once it’s finished. Please share this with anyone whom you believe might be interested.
Best,
Harvey
Thanks for this post, Harvey [!] Spot on. This has only-so far-happened once for me, and it was a short story that wrote [late at night] in one sitting w/ no later desire to rewrite.
Bookends with the “It will be done when it’s done” comment I borrowed and use when challenged with the crazy hours spent editing my novel. Which needs it.
Hi Geoff, The point is, it CAN happen for you constantly. You just have to trust your subconscious to write the story. Just let go and trust. It’s great fun!
Harvey