What putting Noisemaker on hold has taught me about writing

Some writing days felt like this.

So, it's been a hard writing time lately.  For several reasons, not the least of which is my own inconsistency and procrastination.  But more than that, I've just been having a hard time making writing work.  There's been more than a few days where I've groaned and struggled and spent entire afternoons where I end up with nothing to show for it.   There's been a few days where I've nearly cried.  "Why won't this story just WORK?!"

Most of this stress came from a recent project called Noisemaker.  I loved the theme behind it.  It's based on something I'm passionate about and I delved right into plotting, creating characters, and developing the theme.  The story changed its form at least a dozen times over the course of March.  But as time went on, I was having a harder and harder time actually writing it. I could write lots about it, but the actual words on paper- the actual story- wasn't working.   It had me nearly pulling out my hair with the fact that I couldn't pin a plot down.  It had a setting and it had a theme, but connecting the plot and characters to it was the challenge.  With such a big theme, I could write reams of essays about it but as a story the hugeness of it was stumping me.

The theme behind Noisemaker was so big that fitting it into a plot was time consuming and draining.  And by draining, I mean mentally and spiritually draining.  It was a lot of plot problems and a lot of frustration.

The stress of the project was just compounded by the fact that I need to have a full novel draft ready by the end of June for a writing workshop I am going to attend.  I got to the point of despairing if I would ever even nail down a loose outline, never mind write Chapter One or "The end."

Eventually I had to realize that this project was too big.  At least for now.  It was too new, too massive in proportion.  It needed time to sit and ripen and develop in my mind.  It wasn't ready to come onto paper.  Maybe it would be soon, but forcing it before I was capable of writing it wasn't going to be good for me or the story. 

I don't mean that there isn't a time to force your way through a story.  I know that just because a story is hard doesn't mean that it's not ready.  I'm not advocating giving up when the going gets tough!  But in this case, Noisemaker was so consistently difficult and between my own stress and the helpful counsel of my mom we determined that it just wasn't the right time yet.

Now I'm working on a novel of a very different kind.  It's a novel idea that started when I was about 12.  I've written countless notes, character sketches, chapter outlines, and theme notes.  It's a much better developed story in my mind.  It's had plenty of time to ripen.  Ultimately, it's ready to become a full fledged novel.  It'll still be hard.  That's what writing is- not all sunshine and words flying onto the page.  But this story is one I feel much better equipped and ready to write.

Noisemaker is on the shelf presently. And it's a good thing, because now I'm writing a story that IS ready to be written.  This process has been a valuable one, as I've realized that I can't white knuckle writing.  Sometimes stories need to sit. Sometimes an idea is good- but not quite yet. 

An Interview with Riwa Aretheni

So- I'm participating in the March blog chain hosted by Teens Can Write Too!  Read about it here.

Today I'm doing an interview with a character from (one of) my current works-in-progress, Noisemaker.   This is Riwa Aretheni, the Hero and POV Character; a 12-year-old redhead who never went to school and grew up without parents but does have a whole lot of passion and is intent on pursuing freedom and Truth.

Me: Riwa, welcome to the blog. I seem to be bad at describing you sometimes.  So, instead of that, I'll let you lead off.  What kind of person would you describe yourself as?

Riwa: Loaded question!  Do I have to answer?

Me: It's an interview, not a duck and evade training class.

Riwa:  Okay, I'll jump right in.  Young girl.  Young Noisemaker.  Silence is intent on squelching Noisemakers.  Girl is intent on NOT getting squelched and starts a revolution. Girl fights, girl fails, girl learns.  Me in a nutshell *grinning*

Me:  So what's a Noisemaker?

Riwa: We're the socially unacceptable minority.  Y'know, in one of those character sheet thingamabobs, they asked what my 'political leaning' was. You were filling out the forms and half the stuff you got wrong about me, but that much you got right.  REVOLUTION.  We don't like what the Silence is doing to the world. We don't like not being able to tell people what we believe and we don't like Truth getting shoved in prison.

Me:  Okay, so what does that look like, exactly?  What kind of revolution are you trying to start?

Riwa: It's a revolution of ideas, mostly.  Y'know, we're trying to bring free speech back into the public.  Nobody says anything anymore about what they actually think.  Everything's spoon fed and we're sick of it.  We do things to get peoples' attention.

Me: Yeah, like that stunt you pulled when you sabotaged the radio systems and jammed them from regular programming so you could speal your stuff?

Riwa: That was a fail. We learned from it.  why do you have to bring it up in public places?

Me: Because I'm trying to give these readers a glimpse of who you are.  Your choices define who you are, so I'm--

Riwa:  --you're showing them my choices.  I know your lingo.  Sometimes I make really stupid choices.
Me: Like me letting you on the blog?

Riwa: *a disinterested, unimpressed look*

Me: Moving on- do you have family?

Riwa: Yes.

Me:  Please humor me, Ri.  Who's your family?

Riwa:  No parents. One sister, two brothers, both older than me.  Will's a Noisemaker and the Silence wants to catch him, bad.  Ben's messed up.

Me: Messed up...?

Riwa: He's in training to be a Silence soldier.

Me: What about your sister?

Riwa:  Keriana? She's a lot older than me and she's in prison for telling Silence that she wouldn't change her style of journalism to suit them.  Now, tell me, does she get out eventually?  I haven't lived the end of the book yet.

Me:  Spoilers!

Riwa: *rolling eyes*  I can't stand it when you play that card. By the way, you really ought to hurry up on the whole writing thing.   I'm waiting...

Me: You should hear from some of my other characters.  Anyhow,  Let's not talk about the future right now, but the past. What's the worst failing you've had?

Riwa: Well, have I had it yet?

Me: *shaking head*

Riwa: O boy. Yeah, I guess saying it's like picking a scab and it gets better after, so yeah *deep breath*.  I backed down once. I didn't want to look bad in front of someone, so I gave up my freedom and got myself into a mess that cost everyone a lot of suffering.

Me: One last question.  To move the conversation fowards, what is one thing that gives you hope?

Riwa:  Truth. I know that there is such a thing as Truth. And nothing can stop it.  We fight for freedom so we can enjoy Truth.  That's hopeful.  And when it rains.  Nothing smells like hope more than rain.

Me:  Well, with that I'll end this interview. Riwa, thanks for being in this interview and in my story.

Riwa: Can I duck and evade now?