The Trouble with Frosting
By Therese Walsh | December 5, 2014 |
Confession: This is a recycled post. I wrote this in 2006 — the first year of WU’s existence, before my debut novel was finished, picked up by an agent, and sold. Before my second novel was even imagined. But recently the dangers of polishing a manuscript prematurely came up in conversation, and I thought it might be time to revisit this spin. And this photo.
Also: GIVEAWAY
In honor of The Moon Sisters being named a Best Book of 2014 by Library Journal and also by BookRiot, I’d like to offer up a signed copy. If you’re interested in winning, please leave a note in comments saying as much. I’ll choose randomly from the interested commenters next week, and get a copy out the door in time for holiday gift-giving–or reading.
Now for the main course.
Frosting as I’m going to use it here doesn’t refer to anything involving confectioner’s sugar, however it’s just as important to an author interested in presentation and consumption as it is to a baker. Frosting isn’t anything central to your story; it will never appear in an outline. Frosting refers to things like chapter titles, poignant lines, funny quips, clever innuendo, even the arrangement of scenes in some cases. With this analogy, the cake itself is your core story—the plot, the characters, the voice.
If you’re like most people, you like frosting—as an eater and a reader—but as a writer we must be careful of it. Writing a draft that’s too pretty, too perfected with its minutiae, can make it painfully difficult later to edit. You may be at risk for this problem if you often find yourself charmed with details of your own writing, because when it’s time to make necessary edits, you may unconsciously (or even consciously) warp your scenes in order to keep those sculpted sugar-flower words and colorful arrangements. “But they’re sooo sweet, sooo pretty,” you may whine to yourself, struggling to have your cake and frosting too.
Truth is, you should never make a decision about a scene based on frosting; story details cannot hold sway over the story itself when it’s time to edit. Sometimes it works out and you may find a way to keep your favorite bits in a way that doesn’t seem forced, but other times you will have to pick up your editorial knife and scrape your artistic work away completely.
Your best bet? Know when to frost a scene to prevent the painful “unfrosting” process. Here’s how:
• Bake your cake. When you’re in draft mode, resist thinking about finishing touches, including anything that has you reaching for the thesaurus. As one of my critique buddies advises, write a quick-and-dirty first draft to be sure the story itself is working before you worry about prettying it up. Just bake your cake.
• Be sure it’s truly cooked. Don’t give in to the urge to over-edit scenes until the entire first draft of the entire manuscript is complete. Oh, this can be so hard, I know, but would you ever start frosting the cooked edges of a cake before the whole is baked? It just doesn’t make sense to start perfecting a part before the whole is before you.
• Cool your cake. Give your cake time to “cool” after the first draft of your WIP is completed, and don’t sit and watch it cool either. Time away from your story is critical, because fresh eyes may see where improvements should be made to the structure before you continue. Sometimes the unthinkable happens and a cake collapses after it’s removed from the oven; never frost a collapsed cake.
• Brush off loose crumbs. Take one more nit-picking look at your work, with a sharp eye on pacing, setting and scene arrangement, before thinking about the little extras.
• Frost evenly and with care. Make sure the bulk of what your reader will “taste” when they consume your story is your story. Don’t put undue emphasis on the clever additions.
• Be creative. Almost anyone can frost a cake. What can you do to make your extras distinctive and interesting?
Even with your best efforts, you may occasionally have to sacrifice favorite scenes, lines, etc… for the good of your story. In his book James A. Michener’s Writer’s Handbook, Michener said,
I love the rich embellishment of a statement, the marshaling of arcane data, the retelling of illustrative incident, and the hammering down of the point I seek to make.
He describes a notation from his editor about a piece of writing, something I think Michener would admit was frosting: a clever insertion into one of his manuscripts about Gene Lockhart and his daughter June. The fact that his editor asked Michener to cut it was described as
…the most difficult annotation of all.
No one, not even the most successful authors, wants to scrape frosting, but Michener gets it, acknowledging both the reasoning behind the passage and his editor’s valid point.
In this instance I wanted to refer to that delightful actor Gene Lockhart because I had recently acted on an informal stage in Belgium with his daughter, June. The passage could be cut. Sorry, June.
When it happens, take a moment to soliloquize if you need to, then pick up your editorial knife. Sugar happens. Sugar carnage must also happen.
Do you ever have trouble with frosting? Follow the crumb-trail to comments. And don’t forget to holler if you’d like to win a copy of The Moon Sisters.
Therese Walsh (she/her) co-founded Writer Unboxed in 2006 and is the site’s editorial director. She was the editor of WU’s only book, Author in Progress, and runs the Writer Unboxed UnConference.
Her second novel, The Moon Sisters, received starred reviews and was named one of the best books of the year by Library Journal and Book Riot.
Learn more about Therese on her website, and sign up for her newsletter to be among the first to hear about any new projects.
Hi Therese,
Thanks for this post. I wasn’t a WU reader yet back in 2006, so I’m glad to have the chance to read it.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the need to be less attached to favorite story details so that I can edit for the big picture. The two main things that have helped with this are distance, which you mentioned, and word count goals, which have kept me moving in my drafting so that I don’t get obsessed with polishing too soon.
That said, I find that I usually write even a rough draft with a lot of what would fit into the “frosting” category–clever bits of dialogue, turns of phrase I really love, etc. When a scene doesn’t have these kinds of details on the first run, it’s usually means my heart isn’t in it. I’m writing the scene because I know X needs to happen to Y at point Z in the story. In revision, these are the scenes that often need to be cut completely–or be substantially re-imagined–because they’re just there for a utilitarian purpose; they don’t fit with the soul of the story.
Have you (or other writers reading this) had a similar experience?
Maybe I still need to learn to draft faster, getting down my main ideas first (though main idea and details often seem inextricably intertwined).
Or, maybe for some writers the necessary frosting scraping during editing simply has to be more painful because they can’t help including more detail up front.
I’m not sure which yet and am curious to hear what other writers here think!
Hey, Erin, thanks for your comment.
Yes, I’ve experienced that same thing — lack of love for a draft scene being an indicator for some necessary dramatic change (or deletion of the scene outright). Sometimes what we have in mind before we sit to write just doesn’t gel on the page, and it might be because it’s simply not right for the story; sometimes that’s not know-able until it’s written. Sometimes, too, I hold back from a scene — not just withholding the frosting but the Quality Cake, as it were — because I’m afraid I can’t do it justice to the scene for whatever reason.
Drafting faster is something I’m going to focus on in 2015.
Best of luck with your work.
Hi Therese: Your post certainly speaks to the value of an editor who can nail the troubled spots faster and easier than I can. I often can’t see where I may have gone too far or not far enough. I absolutely agree in the cool off time. I put my ms to bed for several weeks and it always helps me to get a clearer perspective, but still I am always amazed what a good editor will find to improve the story. I’d love a copy of Moon Sisters! Your book has been out constantly at my local library and there’s a waiting list now.
Hi, Paula! I agree 100% about the value of a good editor and also the ability to be your *own* best editor after a break away from the ms. And I’m happy to add you to the pool for a copy of The Moon Sisters–and hear that the novel has been popular at your library!
Hi Therese,
First, I would love a copy of your book–it sounds intriguing!
Second, I love this cake analogy. I baked cakes with my mom often when I was little, so I really understand your points. I have always been unable to turn off my inner editor while writing my first draft, so I was frosting while I was baking. I just finished NaNoWriMo for the first time ever, and by some miracle, I just baked the cake! Now I’m letting it cool before I frost it. Thanks for the advice!
Congratulations on your baked cake, Evangeline! And, confession: I frost while baking sometimes, too. Sometimes you just can’t help yourself. Just be prepared to scrape off some flowers, if you must.
Writing a fast first draft has helped me a lot. I once wrote a book that was pretty much all frosting and no story.
I’d love to win a copy of The Moon Sisters, as well.
Sofie, that’s pretty funny. Did that frosting pile make it into a drawer? Or did you add story? Happy to enter you into the Moon Sisters giveaway.
Therese, I love the frosting analogy. Adding the frosting after the cake is baked and has a chance to cool is the best approach. I recall cutting the first four chapteres of my first novel because the MC’s voice as a 10 year old didn’t work, so I started the story when he was 14 instead. I scrapped off a lot of frosting and had to redecorate the cake, but in the end it produced a better story. That said, I’m a better cook than a baker in the kitchen. Thanks for recycling this post. I didn’t see it the first time.
I had a similar experience with Olivia Moon (The Moon Sisters), Chris. Olivia read as younger, so I had to remove a lot of frosting — her young voice, her young ways — from the earliest draft, and try, try again.
You’d think I would have learned. But nope.
Therese – great post!
My very first creative writing professor, way back before computers, etc., was a stickler, always saying “you must kill your darlings!” — exactly what you mean here in terms of the frosting that doesn’t move the story forward. Thanks for the detail and the reminder!
I would be very happy with a copy of The Moon Sisters, thank you!
Regards,
Linda
Linda, you’re absolutely right; this is just a different way to address the darlings. Happy to enter you into the contest. Thanks for your comment!
Hey T, Great metaphor! I think one of the reasons I’m such a slow writer is all the time spend on frosting and scraping, frosting and scraping. As often as I’ve heard warnings against it, part of my writing routine includes starting the day by editing the previous day’s work. There are certainly advantages and disadvantages. For me, immersion is critical to production, and editing the previous scene is an excellent way for me to achieve it. You’ve eloquently summed up the primary disadvantage with this essay. I wonder what I’ll do if I ever come up against a real deadline (thought of that yesterday, reading Juliet’s post).
I’m also wondering how you feel when you look back at eight year old posts like this, T. Each of them I’ve read, from before when I started reading, is so wise. For myself, I sometimes go back to very old posts about writing and think: “Wow – I knew that then? I barely know that now. Am I regressing?” Although I doubt that happens to you, I’m curious how reviewing your old posts affects you.
As much as I’d love to have yet another copy of TMS, it’d be an embarrassment of riches (I have three, one signed, two out on loan). So please pick someone who’s yet to enjoy the experience.
Vaughn, I too start the day by editing the previous day’s work while it’s fresh in my mind. Not a bad habit. It saves a lot of work later on. Thakn for your comment.
Hey V, one thing you might try instead of frosting the previous day’s work is reading it aloud. That’s immersion, too, and it’ll focus you on different issues, I’ll bet–repeated words, that sort of thing. Worth a try?
When I read my old posts I recognize that I wrote them for myself, because these are the things I’ve struggled with. I *still* fall victim to frosting more than I should. I *still* need to focus on Cake first and let the rest alone. As I mentioned in an earlier comment, I’m going to work on a fast draft in 2015. We’ll see how that goes, if my impulse to frost creeps in or not.
Thanks for being such a supporter of The Moon Sisters, V. It sounds like you have your own library going over there. Cool!
Great advice, T, thanks! And thanks for being persistent with hard-headed me. (Yes, Therese has generously offered this commenter similar wise advice in the past regarding reading aloud. And he hereby, publicly, at long last, vows to heed it.)
Now it’s in writing, V; you must do it! :-)
I’m a witness.
Ooh, another witness. And another fan of reading out loud :-)
Therese and Vaughn,
I’m late to this party (possibly because I have been editing my work before writing.)
Of course, you’re both right, which is to say different approaches work for different authors. I admire those who can forge ahead without looking back. For me, though, similarly to Chris, I do best when I have caught the melody of the previous days work, which is based on the day’s before that. (And I always read the previous work aloud.)
What doesn’t work for me about forging ahead only is that in my creative zone I ask the editor to sit down and mostly shut up and this has consequences. Over the years, I’ve learned that while allowing everything to come into play, I am capable of ‘writing’ some inane garbage. . . and I know it, but the editor sits mum. Without cleaning up some of this awful work, I begin to cast myself as a poorer writer than I am and that can affect my confidence going forward.
As we all know, creating a manuscript is a monumental amount of labor. We need all the love we can give ourselves. So I delight each morning in figuring out what I really wanted to land the day before–knowing (!) that my corrections, too, may be dumped in the near future. But at least they read well enough for me to take joy in this murky little thing that I/we do. When going swimmingly, my finished draft is more like a second or third one.
Like any other obsessions, obsessive attention to the frosting can easily become a mask for fear of the blank space that lies ahead. In which case, it’s best to eat the frosting out of the bowl with you finger and rip into the unknown.
Great points about nurturing the manuscript love, Tom. Here’s to things going swimmingly (and having the first draft be more like a second or third)!
Thanks for the great post. It’s so easy to get caught up in prettying up bits and pieces of a story before the whole plot is on the page.
I’d love to win a copy of The Moon Sisters. :)
Thanks for your comment, Chelly. I’m happy to include you in the giveaway pool.
Oh Therese, where was this post 1.5 years ago? Lol.
In seriousness, I’m so glad you decided to recycle this, because it’s one of those weird lessons (“don’t polish too much yet!”???) that I’ve been learning the hard way recently, and I’m trying to really absorb it into my mindset/process.
I still need the reminder, too, Kristan. And it’s timely for me as well, as I’ll be starting a new story come 1/1/15. Write on, right?
Oh, how I wish I could do this. I’m sure I would save myself a lot of time. Next manuscript, this is my goal!
I’ve never have any desire to do NaNoWriMo, but maybe it’s exactly what I need.
Carmel, I hear you. Writing a fast draft is something I’m going to focus on in the coming months as well. Maybe it’s the answer — or part of the answer. Write on!
Great analogy and timely advice as I’m tempted, halfway through a first draft of a new story, to go back and frost some things that are still not baked all the way through. I think the urge to do this stems partially from the disconnect between the “feeling” of the story in your mind before you start writing and what is actually getting to the page during the writing of that first draft.
Congratulations on the lovely award and I’d love to be in the running for your giveaway. :)
Thank you, Erin, and I’m happy to include you in the giveaway.
I hear you in terms of feeling compelled to go back to a draft that isn’t living up to expectations. Try highlighting those passages in Word, as a way of saying, “Yes, brain; I realize this is a middling effort and I need to do better. I’ll get back to it, later, later.” This approach has worked for me.
Thank you for republishing this article… Awesome advice especially for those who find themselves in post-NaNoWrimo ecstasy or doldrums :) I’d like to be entered into your giveaway drawing please
Hi Rose, I’m happy to enter you into the giveaway. Thanks for your comment; “post-NaNoWrimo ecstasy or doldrums” made me smile.
Great analogy! That cake looks so beautiful once it comes out of the oven, but it needs to cool. And that takes a bit of time. So hard for writers to do, especially with the first novel. Thanks for a great post, Therese :)
Joanne, I think it’s hard for the second novel, too. And probably the third (gulp). Thanks for your comment!
Therese-
“Sugar carnage.” Ha! Love that! It’s funny, though. To me many manuscripts could use a little more frosting, just a bit more reward for eating your peas.
That said, there are other works where the meal is hardly anything other than frosting. That’s not good either.
Hey, maybe your next post could be about recycling? There’s useful recycling (cardboard), necessary recycling (electronics), fertile recycling (composting), creative recycling (re-purposing), and insulting recycling (re-gifting).
Your post today is good recycling, definitely, so thanks. 2006? Wow. How time flies.
Time does, indeed, fly! As for recycling, sounds like you have an idea for *your* next post.
Great analogy. I am partway through my first novel and feel the urge to put some icing on it. This is another form of procrastination for me.
I would love to win your book.
Suzanne, you are SO right! It IS a creative form of procrastination. Just write the draft, right? Bake the damned cake. ;-)
And I’m happy to enter you into the giveaway. Thanks for your comment.
I think I have problems with frosting in many areas, mostly over-editing. Just picked up a piece of my WIP that I edited, found the original and found I liked it better.
I would love to win a copy of Moon Sisters.
Ahh, Irene, how interesting that you liked your initial draft better than your frosted after-work. See Suzanne’s astute observation above about frosting being a fanciful form of procrastination!
I’m happy to enter you into the giveaway. Thanks for stopping by.
Like so many of the other posters, I must agree with you on the dangers of getting so attached to the details of your story that you are unable to make objective edits. And you are right on the money about getting the main story (the cake) finished before worrying about deep edits. That part about cooling has also come home to roost with me more than once -the results of editing a hot story versus one that has been allowed to cool for a few weeks (or months or years!) is a much better final product. As I was not yet a subscriber when this blog entry was first written, I’m glad you reposted it so I got a chance to read it. Thanks for a great (re)post!
Thank you, Jan! I’m glad all parts of this post worked for you — and that my frosted-cake metaphor hadn’t gone stale after eight years on the shelf.
Therese–
I am very glad you decided to re-publish “The Trouble with Frosting.” Everything in it is important for writers to hear, over and over again. It’s got to be applicable to almost all writers, more to some than others. The whole idea of falling too much in love with one’s own words could be thought of as an occupational hazard for people whose principal focus is on language. As you say, “frosting isn’t anything central to your story.”
But: “poignant lines, funny quips” and “clever innuendo” can be more than just frosting. Used in a conscious way, they can serve to develop character, for instance. In my new novel Deep North, a handful of poignant lines and funny quips are actually important in making clear how characters think.
But this isn’t what you mean. You are cautioning against an ego-driven commitment to small details, at the expense of the whole.
Your solution is the best: “cool your cake,” you advise. Walk away, do something else, and DON’T think about the project. It’s the only way I know of to gain objectivity and distance enough to see what I was blind to before.
But there is also another crucial ally in this war: solid editors. God love them, they are the best defense I know of in the struggle with self-love.
And yes, I would love a large, signed slice of great reading, AKA The Moon Sisters.
Barry, I share your love, love, love of a good editor. My editor for The Moon Sisters (and yes, happy to add you to the giveaway group) was worth her weight in gold. (I’m talking to you, Christine Kopprasch, if you’re out there listening.)
What you said here, is absolutely true, too:
That. Is Quality Frosting. Wouldn’t it be ideal if every bit of cake wore that? Mmm.
Thanks for your great comment. It really adds to the convo here.
Therese–
You have taught me to mind my manners, and to give credit where credit is due. The two editors to whom I owe a great deal are, first, Writer Unboxed’s own Dave King. What a pro he is, the perfect combination of wise, widely experienced editorial expertise, and civilized courtesy. Working with him on Deep North has been a learning experience from start to finish. I would also like to thank Bailey Karfelt, a young editor with Blue Harvest Creative. Her eagle eye for what doesn’t belong has greatly improved The Anything Goes Girl (the first novel in my suspense series, of which Deep North is the second). I published The Anything Goes Girl prematurely, without the benefit of solid editorial oversight. I suspect this happens all too often in self-publishing. But Bailey’s editorial help means that I can re-release the novel, confident that it’s a much better book.
Thanks for sharing those specifics, Barry. And so glad to hear the love for our own Dave King!
Wow, how time flies. As I recall, you and I first made contact as “cyber-friends” when you were struggling toward publication. Now you’re the author of two critically-acclaimed novels, and WU has really taken off. Congratulations.
As for the frosting analogy, I love it, along with the rest of the post. Thanks for sharing it once more. And best wishes for future success.
Richard, yes! I think you were one of WU’s first true-blue followers. I appreciated you then, and I appreciate you now. You, too, were unpublished in 2006, and how many novels have you published to date? Write on, friend.
Loved this. Love sugar carnage. Baking and writing share a lot of commonalities.
Congrats on the honor! I’m going to look for The Moon Sisters!
Also, I lurve WU! Thanks for your contributions!
Thank you, Sarah! The nice thing about literary sugar carnage? Doesn’t go to the hips. Write on!
Congratulations, Therese! “The Moon Sisters” is on my Christmas list. I’ve read nothing but wonderful things about it. It’s wonderful for one’s work to be honored–I’m so happy for you!
Thank you, Karen! I’ll add you to the giveaway pool, but it’s nice to hear you’ve heard good things about The Moon Sisters and that it’s already on your Christmas list. That’s a different kind of frosting to this writer.
The Moon Sisters has crossed my radar several times…and here it is again. So if I don’t win, I’ll be downloading it to my Nook. Love this post. I am now going to go lick the frosting on my ms. :)
Thanks so much, Bethany. Consider yourself in the giveaway pool. Enjoy snacking on that frosting!
Frosting is delicious, but I get it. We must first tell the nitty-gritty story before we can add the embellishment. I’d love to win a copy of The Moon Sisters. Congratulations on the award.
Brianna, yes, you do get it. Story first. Pretty sentences second.
Thanks for the congrats, and I’m happy to add you to the giveaway pool. Best of luck!
This post may be 8 years old, but it’s no less relevant today. With my previous attempt at a novel, I was guilty of frosting midden. Sadly, we often don’t see past the icing once we’ve obsessed so long over perfecting it.
This time around, I’m truly grateful to have a writing coach and editor looking at what I write each week to help keep me focused on story. Story first, frosting later. It makes no sense to polish and perfect something that needs to be rewritten and discarded. Your cake metaphor is a great way of reminding us to focus on what lies underneath–the solid story and its emotional connection to the reader–before we turn to the fine details. There nothing more rewarding than decorating a perfectly shaped cake–except, of course, polishing a perfectly formed story.
Count me in for the draw for the Moon Sisters!
John Robin, absolutely; you get it.
So true.
Maybe this is more rewarding: eating that cake, and finding an eater/reader who appreciates the time we took to bake and frost it well. As an eater, don’t you hate taking a mouthful of what you thought was cake to get a load of lard instead? And, similarly, don’t you hate taking a bite of a gorgeous looking cake to find that the cake is awful — dry, maybe, or flavorless? So all parts are important, but I do think the most rewarding part is tasting the finished product after it’s done-done, recognizing you baked well, and hearing the grateful sounds of nearby eaters, too.
Happy to enter you into the giveaway, sir. Bake on!
Agreed, agreed! As a writer I am doubly pleased when I encounter quality baking and quality frosting–that’s an educational goldmine for me. I enjoy learning from the masters. So looking forward to TMS!
I’m glad you repurposed this post – I wasn’t reading WU in 2006 and you’ve discussed a problem I’ve definitely seen with my own writing. I’ve thought, too early, that I needed to polish and “frost” my novel. I’m trying to relax more into my writing, to get rid of the need to over-edit as I write. Congratulations on your successes along the writerly path. Please enter me in the drawing for your novel.
“Relaxing” is a great way to think about it, Dana. Keep it simple. One step at a time. Breathe. Be a zen baker.
Happy to enter you into the drawing. Thanks for stopping by today!
Your frosting analogy is certainly apropos, and I’m definitely guilty of trying to frost my writing before the cake is even completely mixed. It’s just too fun to play with words.
Congratulations on your book’s success! Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy.
Sharry, you made me laugh with “trying to frost my writing before the cake is even completely mixed.” I understand. Frosting is fun. Sometimes, when I sense a great need to dive into frosting-like-writing, I’ll turn to poetry. A few good haiku, sometimes about my characters or story, make for safe frosting. Just saying.
Consider yourself entered in the giveaway, and thanks for your comment!
Oh, this is a great analogy, and helpful, too. I will keep the frosting and cake image in my head when I self-edit.
I love words, I started writing from a poetry and song lyric perspective, but sometime words I love get in the way of my stories. I’ve worked hard to become a cleaner writer. The flash fiction competition on WU a while back , helped me to understand how one powerfully right word in the right place is far more effective than 10 right words. Now, you’ve done it again, T, with the frosting and cake image. Thank you.
PS. One of the reasons I love Philip K. Dick, is that his stories can take me to a new world, and introduce me to unforgettable characters, in a few masterstrokes of sentence. That is mad skill melded with major talent.
You just gave me an idea, Bernadette. A real image. Maybe I’ll print a photo of this frosted cake and keep it beside my desk — a reminder as I begin my new draft to keep my focus on the cake. Trust me, I need it, too.
And I love hearing that the flash fiction competition helped you! We may have something cooking for 2015…
Sorry, I was so excited by the new aha! with the cake and frosting I posted before I finished.
I would love to win a signed copy of The Moon Sisters, but as I have read it, have a couple of copies, and love the story, please pick somebody who hasn’t had a chance to read it yet.
Congrats on the best book lists! Icing on the amazing journey and the beautiful story you created.
Thank you, Bernadette! I’m glad the cake has made some eaters happy. And, wow, a couple of copies? Thank you for that, too! That’s pretty sweet.
Therese, I’m writing a book on writing (I know, I know, the horror!) now, and it’s frosted with so many parentheticals and asides that it’s not a cake, it’s a bakery. (You see, I always want to put Lassie in with June Lockheart too.) Anyway, it’s just a draft, so I can cut a lot of the foam, using your cautions as the knife.
I already have been mooned by those Sisters, so you don’t need to enter me in that, though I need your promise that you’ll sign my current copy in frosting when we meet.
Tom, haha! Yes, I would be honored to sign your copy in frosting when we meet. I also love the way you’ve phrased that, because I absolutely want to meet you IRL, ASAP, OMG.
As for that book on writing: I’m going to need a signed copy of that once you’ve finished. I’m certain the cake and frosting will be spectacular. Write on, friend!
I love that you’re writing a book about writing, Tom — there aren’t enough of them written by people who use language playfully.
Hey Natalie, that’s a ding-dang nice thing to say—thank you!
As a newish WUer, I needed to read this. What a great analogy. I’m supposed to be dashing off ideas and already am putting some frosting on some of them … fun words, phrases that tickle my palate.
I’d love for my name to be put into the hat for the Moon Sisters. Thank you.
“…phrases that tickle my palate…”
I like that, Vijaya! Sometimes a fanciful bit of frosting sneaks into a draft and it’s too pretty not to save. So I toss it into a file. I usually can’t work it in later, but sometimes I can — and it feels at least somewhat consoling not to have to delete it outright.
Thanks for your interest in The Moon Sisters and the giveaway. Consider yourself entered!
Therese,
Congratulations! I can bet on The Moon Sisters getting more acknowledgements. LOVE, love the book.
Elizabeth
Thank you, Elizabeth!
You know what’s worse than frosting too early? Using frosting to hide the fact that the cake is dry and bitter, and the middle fell, and some of the bits right in the centre aren’t fully cooked.
I must admit I’ve done that with a real cake. My son was having his third birthday party, and the cake I baked just… didn’t work. Maybe it was because I wasn’t a good enough baker at that point, maybe it was because I was rushed. In either case, the extra dollops of frosting made it look presentable for the photos, but no amount of frosting could make it edible. In the end, the only person who would eat it was the dog.
Since my dog can’t read (yet), this is a great reminder to make sure I don’t make the same mistake with my writing. Great post!
I’d love a signed copy of TMS, but Australia’s a long way away, so I totally get it if international postage isn’t part of the giveaway. Write on. :)
At least your dog didn’t refuse, Jo. That would’ve been the worst possible criticism. (My dog will not eat some things that drop to the floor if they aren’t properly seasoned. Unsalted popcorn, for instance. Forget about it.)
I’m happy to add your name to the list, Jo — obztacle or no obztacle.
Therese, I’ll just pipe in here because I adore you so much.
Wonderful post, as usual. Recycled and all.
Hugs
Denise Willson
Author of A Keeper’s Truth and GOT
Thank you, Denise! I’m glad folks didn’t mind the recycling!
I’m late piping in. But I had to say it. The icing is the best part! I know you’re right. I do. But it’s so hard for me to bake the cake without knowing what flavor the icing will be. (Did I take it too far?) I need to save this and remind myself of this wisdom as I’m creating writing speed bumps made entirely of icing. Thank you, Therese!
Densie, trust me, I love a good frosting. But *should* frosting be the best part? Shouldn’t the cake be able to stand on its own, and be equally delicious? Then when you add that perfect icing to it, you have an undeniable winner.
I may have to bake tonight, for real.
I agree whole-heartedly with your frosting analogy. I wrote the whole thing, then realized it was FAAAR too long. I cut and cut, then realized it had too little frosting. I hope what’s there now is just right.
I’d love to read your award winning book. Congratulations!
Hi Lynn, thanks for stopping by. Oof, I empathize. I overwrote what became my debut novel by about 30k words in the first draft. Cutting that back was one of the best editing experiences of my career. I remember struggling to find the right balance between story and style, too. I hope you’ve hit on the right balance with your draft. Congrats on finishing, and for your comment. I’m happy to add you to the giveaway pool.
Goodness, when I came here this morning, there were five comments. I didn’t have time to comment, was out the door, and then, when coming back this afternoon, there were 66 comments. I commented a quip on your response to V, made it 73. I need rollerskates to keep up with you (I think that’s from a feminine pad commercial of the 70’s)!
Great analogy; great post. I need to put this into practice much more (the “just bake the freaking cake, first!” part). I’m always frosting and unfrosting along the way, licking my fingers and gaining a spare tire. It’s excruciatingly diabetic.
Thanks, T.
Mike, you crack me up. And please — no spare tire talk right after Thanksgiving. :-0 Maybe we should keep each other in line in 2015: “How’s the cake coming along today, Mike? Confectioner’s sugar still in the cupboard?”
“Sugar in the morning, sugar in the evening, sugar at suppertime…”
Just NO sugar whilst writing. Mary Poppins would have a fit. :)
We’ll keep each other in check.
Deal.
I need this lesson tattooed on my inner eyelids. I get dazzled by frosting. Sometimes I think I’m all frosting!
I’m still not great at detecting if a piece is working until I’ve finished editing. Hopefully I can grow discernment with time and practice.
No need to enter me in the draw, T. TMS already has a place on my keeper shelf.
I could use an eyelid-tattooing, too, Jan. In fact, I think my lids would end up crammed with info, if I went there. And thank you; I’m proud that The Moon Sisters made it onto your keeper shelf. Write on!
Thank you, Therese, for the opportunity to win one of your books. Reading is one of my favorite hobbies, and this is a great time of the year to sit back and relax with a book.
Be blessed this Christmas season,
Linda Marie Crawford
Thank you for stopping by, Linda Marie, and for your interest in The Moon Sisters!
Therese,
Lovely post and timely for me. I am in the middle of the final touches (hopefully) to my book and your post reminds me to work more on the word choices. While I worked on my 1st draft I didn’t have any frosting. But I kept getting stuck to research stuff (the 1st part of my story is set in 1860, so every little thing was a question to be researched. The MP writes a letter with a fountain pen, wait a minute, when were fountain pens invented???), until I realized that it was messing my flow. So to me research is another ingredient of frosting that maybe needs to be put off until the cake is done.
I would be honored to receive a signed copy of The Moon Sisters from Santa this year :-). My son asked me what I asked Santa. Now we know ;-)
Oh, Priya, that’s a hot topic with me: research. Is it really frosting? Maybe this is next month’s post! In any case, I’m glad you’re out of the first-draft phase of things and onto the polishing stage.
And I’m happy to add you to the list of folks interested in a copy of The Moon Sisters. Stay tuned, good luck, and write on!
Therese I need to read this advice about once a week. for me the writing (frosting) is easy.. It’s story that’s so hard … And so worthwhile.
And killing one’s darlings is indeed painful. Thanks for the reminder. I’d love to learn to draft faster and a whole lot rougher in 2015 too.
I’d love to go in your drawing for moon sisters I really loved Last Will of Moira Leahy. Sweet dreams Master Baker…
Let’s try to keep each other in check in 2015, all right?
And as for that giveaway, I’m happy to add your name. Thanks for stopping by, Neroli!
I really appreciate this article. I constantly have to remind myself not to edit while writing. It’s always nice to know I’m not the only one.
I’m interested in your book give away.
Thanks for your comment, Christy; you’re in the giveaway. And you’re definitely not alone! Write on.
Thank you for your informative article. Now I worry that most of what I’m doing is frosting! Editing is so difficult as you can start to change your original intention… Thank you for entering me in your giveaway for The Moon Sisters.
Teachermom, you’re so right that editing can change — for better or worse — the original intent of your story. Using the cake metaphor, isn’t this like changing your mind and adding a different flavor of batter into a cake pan while the original is still unset? Could be interesting. Could be…disastrous.
You’re in the giveaway. Good luck, and thanks for stopping by today.
This is genius! I always have a hard time remembering to “let my cake cool.” It’s so important to be able to have a fresh look at the manuscript and when you are so still so close to it, it’s impossible to be objective. This is a great post.
Thank you, Tina!
Therese, Congratulations on the award! And I love the “frosting” analogy. I’ve been known to consume the top of the cupcake and discard the rest. I am also guilty of this in my writing. The good thing about frosting is, once you’ve scraped off the excess, it keeps for a bit–to garnish the next cake, perhaps. I have a lot of “leftovers.”
Thanks again for the guidance, and please consider me for a copy of your book.
Been there with the frosted cupcake, ha! And you’re right, of course, about salvaging frosting. I set up a file on my computer and put all the best scraped-off bits there. Sometimes I can use them. Even if I can’t, when I’m in the mood for frosting I know where to go. ;-)
I’m happy to enter you into the giveaway. Thanks for stopping by, Patricia.
Ah, yes! I *know* this, but this is the sort of reminder that shows me where I still need to do things differently, am still a little too focused on word choice for this draft’s stage. Thank you!
And yes, please put me in the giveaway pool for The Moon Sisters. Thanks!
It’s challenging not to play with the words. Trust me, I know!
And I’m happy to enter you into the pond (I think we’ve moved from pool to pond!) for the giveaway. Thanks for your comment, Marcy.
I want to add to the gratitude for recycling party. This hits on a point I’ve been avoiding since the UnCon- focusing on the story and what it means to me as the writer before
Like Bee, poetry was my first dabble in words. I like delicious words and frosting when I should be focusing on elements that will give the story rise and substance first. I love baking bread, using my husband’s great-grandmother’s recipe and old-fashioned method. Looks like I can take her tips- “give it a good pounding while using a hand”- in my writing.
I’d like a signed copy of your book, though I have one, but for one reason: the local library project I’ve been working with has found a home. I would love to win a copy, but only if you’re okay with us raffling it away to a local reader for a good cause. If I win.
My signed copy is uber special. It’s not going anywhere. :)
Tonia, yes, it sounds like your grandmother’s baking tips could be used too! (And if you write *that* post, please point me to it; I’d love to read it!)
As for the giveaway, I would be very happy to send you a copy of The Moon Sisters for a library raffle. That’s a great cause.
Great analogy–lots to think about here. I’d love to win a copy!
I would love the copy of Moon Sisters!! Awesome giveaway. Thanks for the opportunity
Thanks for commenting, Jen and Laura! I’m happy to enter your names into the drawing.
Congrats to John Robin and Priya Gill for each winning a copy of The Moon Sisters! I’ve sent you both an email. Please respond ASAP with shipping instructions. I hope you enjoy the book!
When faced with some delectable frosting that must be scraped, I remind myself, “There are more words where those came from.”
Perfect response, Anne!