Knowing when to cast all caution to the wind

[John Dean]

Writing is an art form which combines two skills which appear, at first glance, to have nothing on common – unrestrained creativity and well-controlled discipline.

However, good writing is not possible without either of them. To explain, as I write the latest DCI Jack Harris crime novel, I am being disciplined and following the synopsis that I developed right from the start, long before I started to write.

There is for many authors a sense of satisfaction at being able to retain discipline but there is also a place for cutting loose and writing with freedom, allowing a story to break free and see where it goes.

Such a creative approach will not always work but a lot of the time it will, which is why the new novel has all the original storylines in place plus an exciting new one which I had not even considered and which I only emerged because I allowed my character time to stare across a lake and let new ideas emerge naturally.

It can be an exciting process which injects fresh momentum into a story and now that I have the new storyline, it is back to the discipline to make sure it does not run out of control. The authors who enjoy the most success are those who get the balance right. Hopefully, when this novel  is completed, I will be one of them.

 

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