= THE COMSIE METHOD #7 =

[Comicality]

 

One thing that I learned to do when I was writing, was to create a few 'junk' folders for myself when I'm writing. Places where I can dump bits and pieces of stories that I decided not to use or felt didn't fit. I've made it a habit of adding to them frequently until I'm done with a particular story or chapter. Kinda like the 'deleted scenes' of a movie or DVD. Sometimes I keep everything that I put in there secret and never release it, and sometimes I just save it for a little while before I eventually decide it's not doing me any good, and I delete it. And on rare occasions, I give people a peek to let them know what 'could have been', if I had gone in that direction. But the main point is...if I'm writing something, and I feel like it's not exactly what I want, I go back to where the 'error' began, copy and paste the text into a junk folder, and start all over from scratch. It helps soooo much, you have no idea.

 

The idea is to get yourself in the habit of getting rid of stuff that you don't want or that you don't think is working in your writing. You might spend 20 minutes writing something...and decide that you just don't like it at all and should do it again. But at the same time, you might not want to erase it or lose all the hard work you just put in. You get attached to it. And that, mentally, can make things harder to work over in your head. It can be really frustrating, especially if it's 'good' writing that just doesn't seem to be working for this particular story. It's extremely hard to edit certain parts without feeling like you're cutting off a *finger* or something every time you delete a well written sentence.

 

So...instead of erasing it forever, if you find a part of your story that you don't necessarily like at that moment...add the material to your junk folder, and save it. That way, if you change your mind later and decide to go back to it, borrow from it, or just wanna to go in that alternate direction after all...it'll still be there. Some of that 'pressure' vanishes. You will eventually train yourself to get rid of some of the frustration and anxiety behind editing your own work. You won't be losing anything, and you're free to experiment a bit more without worrying about whether or not you're missing out on any classic material. Soon you'll be able to take out parts that aren't working easily, without worrying about whether or not you're making the right decision. Your writing process should be *comfortable*. I can't stress that enough. The more comfy you are with the process, the better your work will turn out in the end.

 

If there's anything you're having doubts about at all...get rid of it. Put it in your junk folder, and try it a different way. I do it all the time. And if the 'new' way isn't working...then go back and try the old way again. Sometimes, I erase a huge chunk of the story, and start over...and somehow I find a better way to say what I wanted to say with the part I just erased. Hehehe! Sounds complicated, but it isn't. I promise.

 

Give it a shot. And if you finish a chapter or a story, and never use what's in your junk folder, you can either get rid of it, or you can put it into another story later on. There have been many times when I wrote something that didn't fit into ONE story...but I held onto it, and months or even YEARS later...I found another story that it was perfect for. So I added it in. Some of those 'junk folder' ideas have spawned stories of their own. In fact, it's where "A Class By Himself" came from...ideas that I didn't put into "New Kid In School".

 

Just remember...when it comes from the heart, everything you write is golden. You just have to find the right place for it.

 

So get used to getting rid of what you don't need...but take the pressure off of yourself by saving the deleted material elsewhere. You never know when it might come in handy again later!

 

 

***Just A Humble Lesson From The 'Comsie-Method'! Enjoy!***

 

 

 

[Tipdin]

That is a great post. Good advice - something I have done for decades, (even before computers...!) I call it my Bits-n-Pieces folder. I literally have a folder in my desk drawer that must be 40 years old.

 

I have gone dumpster diving head first into both, real and virtual, folders at times, creating entirely new stories from the discarded bits. It can be very useful.

 

And you're correct about the bits and pieces often becoming like old friends.

[Comicality]

Hehehe, you said 'bits and pieces'! Sexy!

 

Thanks!