Alrighty then! Today let’s peel open my brain and poke around at the nuts and bolts of writing.
As you should hope, I feel like I’ve learned a great deal about the craft since Plague Year. All writers have their particular habits and tendencies. It’s from these strengths (and weaknesses) that style and “voice” emerge.
When I’m creating my first draft, I try not to worry about every particular word choice. That comes later. Back in the day, though, I obsessed for hours over the placement of every comma, because, you know, a book is forever. When the sentient raccoons take over the world (and they will! I’m warning you!), I want them to find The Perfect Manuscript among the ruins of the San Francisco Bay Area, and, in their amazement, erect a bronze statue of me due to the fresh, lyrical, mind-croggling prose of my books.
Could happen.
Meanwhile, one of the weaknesses I’ve noticed in my drafts is the conversational style of salting the narrative with qualifiers like just, only, even, still, or unnecessary time references such as meanwhile, eventually, at the same time, or seconds later.
Used sparingly, qualifiers and time references are useful and good. Too many become distracting. They’re filler.
In my obsessive-compulsive way, I now Word Find the little buggers to death after wrapping up my second or third draft. It’s the Finicky Fourth Draft.
Now for The First Hint About Jeff’s Next Novel…
You won’t be surprised to hear there are action sequences and a body count. Words like danger, threat, surprise, and shock were tallied up at high rates. Since I’m not the Queen Of England, I try not to substitute words like hazard, challenge, or disconcerted more than once or twice. Those are fifty cent words. I want the narrative to slide through your eyes like butter. On your eyes. Which is smooth and easy.
While writing books like War and Zone, I realized I was using words like fear and horror again and again and again, which isn’t necessary. Once it’s established that the characters are under incredible strain, the rare reminder is plenty. My job is to set the scene and the mood, then let the action unfold. I don’t want you to notice me trying.
So here we go. Crazy Writer Notes! From my office! Where I sit alone listening to the voices in my head! 🙂
The first person to guess from these scant clues the subject matter of the new novel can add their name or a friend’s name to the winners’ ranks of the Name Game, thereby earning a cameo appearance in a future book. Ready? Go.
Send your guesses to jeff@jverse.com!