The S Curve for Writers



The S curve makes its way into many concepts beyond its origins in math to biological systems to innovation to change.  Time we apply it to writing.

Riding the S Curve! 
(car pic by jeroenbeel via sxc.hu)
The writer's S starts where all good things do - with an idea!  Hooray!  A lovely ball of an idea!  But then you have to do the work.  This is the lower curve of the S, writing, editing, plotting (that's how the pantsers do it at least.)   Heading up the side of the S obstacles are encountered and overcome, probably including a scathing critique that almost makes you throw it away and a glowing critique that makes you fall in love all over again. 

At the top of the curve you are full of the adrenaline associated with knowing it's ready.   Print.  Stuff.  Lick.  Stamp.   Mailbox.

After the manuscript is safely in the hands of your trusty mail carrier (Is he really that trustworthy?  I certainly wouldn't let him burp my baby, why would I hand him my manuscript?  And did I see the address label start to peel off as he put it in his bag? ) and after you are done hyperventilating, then the wait begins.    

You can just relax now, sip some herbal tea, attack the mountain of laundry which has grown over the last few weeks of final edits.  Just wait.  And wait.

But it's even better to hop on another S.  Otherwise, your writing skills and energy start to fade, slipping down the top of the S.  If you wait, you'll be starting again from a lower point than you are right now. 

Even better- layer those S's, so you are writing one while the other is in critique land - growing faster than would otherwise be possible.   Besides, it doesn't hurt anyone to turn their undies inside out for a day or two, so Mommy can write!

I'm currently slogging along at the bottom of the S on a MG story (which really makes me susceptible to procrastination.)  Where are you in the curve?

Comments

  1. I LOVE the idea of having multiple S's going at once. Otherwise, I get bored. I went from riding the top of the S wave into a bit of a stall on the wave. I'm still at the top- ideas brimming and plot mostly outlined (strange because I'm a pantser by nature), but haven't yet started that downward trend into furious writing to make my ideas come alive. What have I been sidetracked by, aside from my kids? Reading. As a writer, it's important to read, right? Where will it get me on the curve? Not sure yet, but anywhere in the direction of forward would be a step in the right direction.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The idea part is so exciting and then comes...the WORK! I guess we just have to start trudging through the work and once we get going we'll start climbing up the side of the S! I've been reading a lot this winter too - in fact so much that I had to take a little break from trying to digest too much!

      Delete
  2. I'm riding on different S curves right now. I like feeling active by having one manuscript critiqued while working on another. Plus, I'm able to use different parts of my brain (writing vs. revising). Also, I get opposite social experiences (participating in a critique group vs. typing by myself).

    ReplyDelete
  3. No one is a bigger believer in the writing process than I. But Dr. Seuss always attributed his success to a nice clean pair of tidy-whities. So get your priorities straight, missy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Got it. Clean undies first. Writing second. I think if I buy a mega pack of undies (and socks) for everyone in the house, I can manage both of these goals.

      Delete
  4. Excellent advice, Lauri!

    And that picture of you in the car is too flipping cool. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, thank you! I've been playing with Gimp 2.0 - it's like a free photoshop. It's a lot of fun - I even put my daughter's face in a Barbie picture for her birthday. Try it!

      Delete

Post a Comment

**All comments are moderated to avoid attacks by pesky pirates and roving dragons!**