how I write #2: Serena Mackesey

Much lauded and prolific author Serena Mackesey wrote to me that her way of writing is different from mine so I thought I'd post it up here:

"I must say, your writing methods, as spelled out on your blog, are almost the diametrical opposite of mine: I've never done more than one draft and a little tidy in my life. Find it hard to keep track of all the threads unless I keep tidying them up as I go along; and not doing so actually induces a feeling of vertigo, as though I'm going to fall off the edge of something if I don't keep complete control. This, of course, always scares the living daylights out of other people, as whenever they enquire as to how far I've got, I'm always about 20,000 words in... until suddenly I dump a finished ms on their desks..."

Having read this I wonder if I might veer a little more in that direction. Moving slowly is OK if you have confidence that you will finish the book. If you don't, then rushing through the first draft and then polishing it up is better. Dean Koontz never finishes writing a page unless he's completely happy with it...you see I might not finish more than one page that way...