The Joy (?) of Backwriting
For some reason just about every novel manuscript I’ve worked on has had at its core some kind of mystery. Now, I’m sure there are writers who scrupulously outline their mysteries and figure out where every clue is going to be placed and how it all links in to the whole, but I’m afraid I’m not one of them.
No, I’m afraid my approach is a little more organic. I know what the problem is and (usually) who did it, but I’m a bit haphazard about the clues and links. And that, inevitably, means that I need to go through and backwrite in various clues, meaningful comments, and so forth. I suppose that’s not something a writer ought to admit, but what the heck. Writing secrets revealed, right here. I don’t even know if “backwriting” is the proper term for what I’m doing, having never formally studied fiction, but it sounds right. I’m going back to past chapters and (re)writing.
Clues aren’t the only thing I backwrite. My first drafts are usually intended to throw down the main line of action. Filling in the blanks is left for later drafts, and sometimes I’ll quite deliberately sit down to my manuscripts and go through with nothing but the intent to scrutinize dialog — making certain character voices remain distinctive and true — or to add nature — adding weather, plants, animals, and other details that aren’t essential to the plot but flesh out the setting and make the world around the characters come alive.
These, however, are relatively easy fixes. Backwriting in clues is a pain, because at times it means entire scenes need to be changed — often more than one, since I’ll need to make sure that clue is mentioned and analyzed later in the manuscript, as well.
Someday I’ll write a mystery adventure in which I’ll have everything outlined and the clues will unfold naturally as I tap out each new scene. Not yet, though. Right now I’m working on draft gazillion of The King’s Monster, which has grown increasingly complicated with each rewrite. The day before yesterday and today were spent backwriting in clues in an effort to make it clearer to the characters (and me!) what’s supposed to happen in Chapter 36. (Did I mention that the manuscript also gets longer with each rewrite?)
It’s frustrating at times — the process inevitably reveals plot holes that require plugging — but it’s also rewarding, because each time I do a backwrite, whether for clues or dialog or nature or sensory impressions or cultural quirks, I feel like my manuscript becomes a little more solid.
drupagliassotti @ June 3, 2008