One of my current clients is a fiction writer who hired me to do a developmental edit on her novel. As opposed to a line edit or copy edit (both of which are focused on line-by-line elements of the manuscript), a developmental edit is a deep dive into the story itself. It’s an opportunity to ask big questions about the stakes of the story, the narrative drive and which toppings her characters would put on a hot dog.
But Bill, you say, you’re a screenwriter not a novelist. How could you possibly help a novelist? To which I opt to share one of my treasured testimonials from an incredibly talented fiction writer:
“...When I met with Bill about adapting my short horror novel to the screen, I had no idea what to expect. But it seems sometimes the stars align, and as I talked through my book with Bill and he asked questions—incredibly intuitive questions—I saw the gaps in my own work of fiction. I also saw, with his help, what it was exactly I was trying to say, and what my characters were trying to do. In many ways I will owe the success of my novel to Bill. I also hope our collaboration is only just getting started.” — Anne Hellman, fiction writer, author, and movie lover.
Anyway, I’ve asked my new client to do something daunting: forget the current draft she’s spent years writing. I’m not being literal of course; forgetting a book you’ve written is impossible for those of us lucky enough to not have Alzheimer’s. I mean let go on more of a visceral level. My most successful revisions come from hovering above the piece or loosening my grip or whatever metaphor works that day. Otherwise I risk being stuck in the same neural pathways that got me to this draft. But I want a new draft. So forget this one.
While not digging ditches, writing is labor intensive and painfully time consuming so many writers are loathe to rewrite or trash pages that lengthen the process. There are no short cuts in the writing process, but there are tools. When I reach the revision stage, I take walks with dramatic questions in mind. I might take a scandalous shower with my characters to see what comes of it. I’ll write in a notebook instead of on a laptop. Point is, when I do something new with my writing practice, my characters inevitably respond by doing something new too. They surprise me with a new choice or bit of dialogue that makes my story better.
Whether you’re writing a novel, screenplay or marketing copy, you need to be willing to forget old ideas for a while. Don’t fret, they’ll always be there waiting to be introduced to your new creations. Maybe they’ll get along and maybe they won’t. But there’s only one way to know. This time and next time…