As a writer I'm constantly trying to improve. I want my writing to be interesting, concise, and well-done. Which brings me to the third mystery book I'm working on. I do a lot of writing in my head, so when I sit down, I'm ready to tackle my next scene, having worked out how I want it to go. I write carefully, and tend to edit as I go. I always re-read a few previous pages to make sure my story flows properly. By the time I've finished the manuscript, I read it over and edit once again. Usually, there is not that much to do. Lately, however, I've been hearing about another style of writing, through books I've found, or speakers I've heard, at my monthly writers' club meeting. That is, write the first draft with abandon, write rapidly, write whatever comes to mind, and keep going. Use this process through your whole manuscript. When finished, then go back and do your edits and re-writes. Move chapters around, do whatever the book needs to make it polished. I can understand the suggestion to write this way as it probably removes writer's block and lets you put down whatever you feel like. But this would never work for me. Somehow it seems sloppy and a waste of time. I can imagine several hundred pages put together this way, and then having to wade through them to clean up all the inconsistencies, grammatical mistakes, and general plot confusion. Maybe I'm in the minority in this. I'd love to hear your thoughts as to how you write and if this "full speed ahead" style is yours, or might work for you.
Snap Judgment by Marcia Clark
