About Sleds and Wild Rides

by Janis Susan May/Janis Patterson

In my part of the world it's late summer - late, hot, sticky summer - so why sleds? Well, sleds imply snow and while I don't really like the really cold weather, it is pleasing to think about piles of soft, white, puffy snow glistening under a pale blue winter sky. Just don't ask my opinion when it really does get that cold, because without doubt I will wax lyrical about sunny skies and sandy beaches. Consistency, said Oscar Wylde (I think!), is the hobgoblin of little minds.

So what does that have to do with writing? Other than an exercise of the imagination, that is.

Well, if you think about it, writing a book is a lot like sledding. First there is a long slow pull up the hill, then for one fantastic, fleeting moment at the top you can see everything before you. Then you tip over the edge, aiming for where you think the place you want to be is... but it's never as smooth as you think it will be. There are hidden rocks, intrusive trees, invisible drifts that send you off in any number of directions before your wild ride is over. And finally you come to a standstill - maybe where you thought you would be, more usually not - but it's where your path dictated you had to end up. You throb with conflicting emotions - an adrenaline high because you have actually done it; a black and morose funk because it is over; satisfaction; half fear and half anticipation that soon you'll have to do it again and apprehension that you won't be able to.

To me that sounds like the maelstrom of feelings that always follows finishing a book. I've done lots of books (30 or so over the years) and have pretty much experienced all these emotions with every one of them.

Writing a book falls under several old sayings. First, of course, you have to finish the darn thing. A half-finished manuscript is like a half-chewed hamburger - pretty much useless and not very appealing. A book is like a speech - it has a beginning, a middle and an end.

A story has the same three parts - not all equal in size. The first part is creating your world and your characters, and you must do that to let your reader know where they are, whether it's an alien world with cool orange seas and three moons, or the everyday world of crabgrass and grocery store coupons. No, you don't have to describe every single thing - just give enough detail that your reader can orient himself. The second is the fun part. Here you can run riot - complicate, bring new characters and threads (but remember you have to tie up all those threads at the end!) and mystify as to the ending. This is often the longest part. The third part is the wind-up-and-show-how-it-ends part, and if you've done it correctly, you are not in charge - the story goes where it's supposed to. Just be sure that you wind up all those nagging little threads. This is the sled ride, and a wild ride it can be.

In the interest of full disclosure I must say that I am most definitely a pantser and often I find out what is going to happen just a few sentences before the reader. There are those who decry this method, but it works well for me and my readers don't complain. Some wise person once said, "no surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader."  On the other hand, I've heard pretty much this same sled-ride comment from some dedicated plotters too, so there has to be something to it. If all else fails, remember the 'delete' key is there for a reason.