Congratulations to Linda Phillips, for winning Words with Wings on last week’s blog. As some of you know, Linda is a close writing buddy but I can assure you–there was no hanky panky in her winning this book. As far as I can tell, www.random.org does not keep track of previous winners!
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| Men Digging Clay for Pottery Making, Pamunkey Reservation, King William County, Virginia |
Years ago when I first dreamed up Half-Truths, I knew it would be about a white girl and a light-skinned black girl in Charlotte in 1960 who discovered they were second cousins. But, I didn’t know much else.
I spent months researching the time period and the place and found many interesting, historic facts. All of which I wanted to include.
For example, I was thrilled when I found this article about the National Guard Engineers who left for Korea from Charlotte in 1950. I spent a lot of time digging around for information about Kate’s father and how he could have been an engineer in Korea, where he went to school and how the family ended up in Charlotte.
It took me a long time to figure out that Kate’s story didn’t start with her father leaving for the Korean conflict–even though that was the inciting event that brings her to Myers Park where she meets Lillie. Clay got discarded. Draft #1 was written totally from Kate’s POV and completed in December, 2010.
At the SCBWI-Carolinas conference in 2011 I met Mary Cate Castellani who recommended writing the book from both Kate and Lillie’s perspectives. New clay had to be dug for the second draft.
Once again, I got interested (some might say side-tracked) into interesting historic details. Wanting to show the inequality of the Jim Crow era and hearing that every good novel should have a romance and a death, I decided Lillie’s brother would die as a result of a racial incident and unequal treatment at the “Coloreds Only” hospital, Good Samaritan.
I had placed a scene when the girls discover a piece of china belonging to both families at the end of the book.
At a plot workshop last fall, Rebecca Petruck, my writing coach, pointed out that the beautifully researched and tearfully written scenes about Lillie’s brother’s death were tangential to the story. And the china teacup scene belonged in the middle of the book where it would provoke a crisis between the girls. I needed to focus more on Kate and Lillie’s story.
I needed to dig more clay.
Five-time New York Times bestselling author Wally Lamb referred to this stage in a recent Writer’s Digest interview. He was asked, “At what point do you usually know your ending?” and answered,
“Usually, just before the ending. And I’m talking about first draft. Of course, after you get the whole lump of clay, then you being to shape it and mold it and cut away stuff and everything. But, first draft–what happens is that I find characters that I both love and worry about. And then I have to keep writing to see if they’re going to be OK or not. And there’s no guarantee in my process that they are going to be OK. So that’s my motivation. It’s certainly more motivation than finishing a book so that I can get a royalty check. (Writer’s Digest, “Wally Lam: The Weight of Words” by Suzy Spencer. March/April 2014)
Lamb uses his clay-making time to find out who his characters are and what trouble they’re going to get into. Some authors call this a discovery draft. A time of finding out what their story is.
Since last October when I took a plot workshop with Rebecca, I wrote just to get the story out. For example, I didn’t obsess over the type of material in the dress Kate wears to the charity ball. I realized there was a good chance the scene would be cut or changed. The third draft was full of questions, comments, and phrases highlighted in yellow.
Here is a sample of two paragraphs from Chapter 19 from Kate’s POV:
When I sent the draft to Rebecca a month ago, it was rough but it was done. Linda Phillips and other writer friends told me to celebrate the completion of this draft. Everyone said I’d reached a milestone. But I wasn’t ready to celebrate. Not until I received Rebecca’s affirmation, “Yes, now I think you have the clay,” was I ready to celebrate.
I have five pages of notes to work through, serious thinking about deepening my characters and Kate’s plot line to strengthen–but I’m thrilled. My hands are itching to get dirty-I can’t wait to prod, tweak, sculpt, and shape it.
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| I once heard to put each draft of your book into a notebook. It makes it feel real! |
I’m celebrating this stage in my novel’s journey by giving away a copy of James Scott Bell‘s top-selling book, Plot and Structure. Leave me a comment with your answer to my opening question or your experience with “clay-digging” and I’ll enter your name to win:
Leave me a comment by 7PM on September 5 with your name and contact information. If you post this on social media or become a new follower of my blog, I’ll enter your name twice!
Thanks Eileen. You're in–but I'm on to Major Draft #4. And Eileen– as stubborn as she is, is hanging in there with me.
Carol, this is a great blog post. I love the analogy of digging for clay, and I also love how writers seem to come up for metaphors for each stage of writing. For me, the firs draft is the messy drip castle, with each draft refining the lump of sand a bit more and moving it onto until it stands complete, a beautiful work of architecture. No need to enter me in your contest — I've got a dog-eared copy of PLOT AND STRUCTURE myself, but I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your post.
THANKS, Kelly for dropping by and adding your own analogy to the pile that we're accumulating here. A sand castle–I LOVE it!
All of these above! Great post and thanks for the giveaway!
As someone who works with physical clay as well as words, I like your analogy of pottery to clay. Words to books is the answer for me. Like clay, words are my raw material to make my sentences which become my paragraphs which eventually become books! Thank you for your post.
Thanks WInemama and Lori Ann. But if you win–I'm going to need your contact info!
Thanks WInemama and Lori Ann. But if you win–I'm going to need your contact info!
I'd say all of the above for the analogy. Right now I'm rethinking everything about my “clay”, having just received a Pass on a manuscript I thought was finished. The pass is from an editor who requested the full and gave me much positive feedback as well as a high bar to aspire to. Even though I am truly disappointed, his full attention on my work was a gift. I'm just sitting on the clay bank right now, not digging again, just processing the experience.
Yes, I think it's all of the above too, Susa. SOunds as if you have done a lot of work on your clay–and it might need a rest, or more tweaking and sculpting? Either way– you've come a long way and I admire your perseverance! PS You need to leave me your contact info!
Vanessa- I'm not sure what happened to your comment–it seems to have flown into cyberspace. But thanks for it–and you're in the contest!
My favorite answer is words, since it is the most elementary one–the first building block–so I'm going with that one. I am so impressed with how you are putting this book together. It is going to be amazing. I can't wait to read it, but I will be patient, while you mold your masterpiece.
Thanks Kim, for your vote of confidence. Your name is in the hat!
Hi Carol, Congratulations on your accomplishment. The lump of clay analogy tells it all!
You're in Gretchen-thanks!