When good omens 2 was announced, Neil Gaiman talked about the night he and Terry plotted out the sequel. They were sharing a hotel room while promoting good Omens and Neil went out and came back late, trying to creep in without turning on the light so as not to take Terry. Terry turns on the light and says 'what time do you call this? Your mother and I were worried sick'
I ended up sticking to handwriting for a number of reasons. The biggest two being 1) that it's easier to write to myself about the story with notes in the margins or writing a couple of synonyms next to each other so I don't get caught on one sentence for an hour trying to decided between them. It gets pretty fun to make a messy page that feels alive instead of the neatness of a computer page. And 2) I hate rereading my writing and editing. I have a bad habit of doing my editing on the first draft which slows me down and makes it way too easy for me to forget some details in early chapters as I reach the end of my story. The process of typing it up forces me to go through it again and remember all the things I like about it
"Edit as you go" is NOT a problem. "NEVER edit as you go" is a false position. It all depends on what works best for you. You are the center of your writing universe. No one else can produce your material. Not Dickens, King, Poe, Hemingway, Rowling. Do YOUR thing with full confidence!
I love handwriting when I'm doing brainstorming sessions or outlines. Unfortunately, it's not feasible for me when writing an actual draft because I have mild tendonitis, and after a prolonged period of time the pain just becomes unbearable. I'm really grateful for keyboards for this reason, and because it allows my writing speed to keep up with the pace of my brain. However, I think handwriting is a great way to slow things down and be a bit more methodical. For those who are capable of doing it for an entire draft it might be a worthwhile exercise.
@@cjpreach "edit as you go" isn't a problem in general principle, yes, but for a lot of us neurodivergent people it can absolutely be a paralyzing compulsion that makes the process extremely difficult & makes flow hard to achieve. I love the vibe & intentions of your comment (& of course you emphasized everyone doing their own process their own way so you get it lol) but just had to pipe up that for a lot of us out here, avoiding editing-as-we-go is us coping with our own needs, not just trying to follow popular advice, so it makes sense to discuss ways to avoid ending up doing it.
Thanks for this comment, OP. I really relate to your process & am working on a novel for the first (& I hope the last lol) time, & was feeling kinda drawn to trying handwriting my draft/initial work but wasn't really planning to do it. But I can tell for sure now that it'll suit me best. I'm grateful you shared your experiences!
My goodness, Perth is flat-but beautiful. Then you sprinkled it with a little stardust and magic. I just had my first novel published and felt something of a fraud, but needing to believe that I could call myself a writer. You helped me go from being an imposter to being proud to be a writer. I write from 2am to 4am. You live writing all day every day. That is the lesson I needed. Thank you Jed.
Donna Tartt writes by hand, in notebooks: any idea that ‘comes up’ incidentally, she develops as far as possible & then SHE STAPLES IT IN! It’s there - & not only as an add-on: The story can continue from there: or not.... 🙏🏻💔🙏🏽
@@toniok.4726 : Thank you Tonio: it’s just something I use, kind of a signing off: If you want to know the significance, well: 🙏🏽🙏🏻 the raised hands (which some people interpret as prayer), means ‘namaste’ - it’s actually a Buddhist greeting which signifies ‘the Buddha (good/soul/) in me greets the Buddha/good/soul in you... The broken heart 💔? maybe we won’t go there...OK! For me it represents an attempt at Empathy, for the sorrow in the world, & my intention to try not to add to it! This all sounds a bit high-minded, but I hope you get the drift... I don’t practice the Darma (Buddhist doctrine) as I used to, but my intentions are well-meaning: If the comment is very positive, I sometimes replace the Heart with a Rose 🌹 Take care & be well! 🙏🏻🌹🙏🏽
I'm a big fan of pen and paper for the zero draft. My bit of advice: get it digital every scene or two. For some folks, a couple hundred thousand words to transcribe can feel impossible.
I like the idea of writing down ideas & scenes in a notebook, then stitching them together. More fun than slogging through from start to finish in order!
One thing I would recommend to immerse yourself even more in the writing session; use a fountain pen. Believe me, you will become obsessed about handwriting when you get your first fountain pen, and you will start to collect fountain pens "new hobby" 😃
i'm a screenwriter and i met neil gaiman during his book signing in manila. i cut my classes just to see him and i told him that. he asked me if my deed to see him was worth it. i said, YES. cut to 2020, i did neil gaiman's masterclass workbook as a working material for the last film i was writing. i like the exercise where he tasks the writers to write one of the character's struggle but in their perspective. i was writing a psycho thriller story and i had to talk to a therapist to get myself grounded. it was a creepy yet rewarding experience. my character had motivation and depth, the producers liked it. we're in post-production currently. if any of my films ever hits global fame, i will not hesitate to mention that neil gaiman was and will forever be my major influence in my writing career. i will tell him missing those classes way back in college was worth it just to see him.
I REALLY appreciated you admitting to only putting down 50 words that one day. I've been writing every day for a while now and some days I've only hit 250 words in a session. On those days I've always felt so miserable, kind of like I not only let myself down, but that I also let down all the characters I was going to write for. Your confession made me feel a little less crazy, so thank you for that.
I bought his master class for my 19th birthday... in March 2019. Now it's been a little over 4 years and I can't get rid of the habit of handwriting my first drafts. I'm so repulsed by that blank Word Document page and computer screens by now... But once I have a paper in front of me the sentences FLOW. It's so freeing. Takes a bit more time (I kinda see the typing down as a first minor editing stage though) but it's so worth it. Keeps me from procrastinating, worrying about wordcount etc.
I had the same experience with music while drafting. Very dangerous if the emotion of the sound track convinces you of feelings that aren't present in the words alone.
I was about to go get ready for bed but wanted to end the night watching this video and halfway through I switched over to my worldbuilding doc to keep working on it while finishing up listening to your video. I had no intention of writing tonight, but there you have it. So thank you for making these, they seriously do help and inspire.
Wow. Thank you so much for this ... I was feeling depressed and detached from my writing and told my older sister, who is working on her own first novel. She had watched this video, was inspired by it and sent me the link just today. I am 71, started my novel 28 years ago and then would put it away for years at a time, pull it out, work on it, put it away. Same cycle. Over the years it has become a very different book than the one I started, but I've been working on it enthusiastically for a couple of months, happy with the changes as they evolved; but for some reason, I just lost my confidence. As soon as I leave this comment, I am going to shut down my laptop and put pen to paper and write some of a scene I have in my head. I am going to do the 7 day thing. I feel excited and happy. Again, thank you.
Hi Jed, loved this video man. I'm a massive Gaiman fan and have found his advice to be massively helpful. The writing by hand for first drafts probably the most. I would love to know what three audio clips of Neil's you used for daily inspo/motivation!
There are two reasons handwriting a draft (or even notes) doesn't work well for me. The first is obvious: I literally can't read my own handwriting if I'm writing as fast as I need to to draft. Which brings us to the second problem: I think way faster than I can handwrite, and even typing I get ahead of myself, although it's better than handwriting by far for keeping up with my thoughts. And I'm only a two fingered typist- but a pretty fast one.
Try changing your thinking. I'd suggest a draft (a long one, I'm assuming) be something that shouldn't be assumed to have speed implicit in the word. Slow down.
THIS! Exactly this! 💯 My handwriting is shit-- especially the faster I try to write! I can't keep up with how fast my brain goes.... and I am also a fast two finger typist 🤣
the reason for some people for handwriting is that you think about the words and the process differently, your brain and hand running at different paces is literally part of the reason why some people prefer it, because they have to curate what they're writing and pause more and think on where it's going. Do what works for you
@@mewho8057 Oh, for sure that's a motivation for many to handwrite. I doubt I could slow my thought processes enough to draft that way. I don't often sit down and stare at the page wondering what to write. Writing usually happens when inspiration kicks in, or in 'NanoWriMo" mode (ie I gotta get words down or else!) I've been mulling it over in my head or reading what I wrote last. Once I get going, it becomes a sprint. Just my nature. I do sometimes envy those who can calmly sit and write and carefully consider every word. Maybe it's all those frenetic one hour essay exams from 10 years of college, lol!
New viewer here. I really enjoyed this video and was even happier to see that this was a writing video by someone with actual books out. I look forward to seeing more of you in the future!
Cool video dude! I find my mind feels different when I’m having blue-light hitting my eyes or not. That’s one of multiple things I like about using paper. Wearing blue-light blockers is one thing to do as well.
Pen and paper systems are actually very good for keeping information in the brain as well. I always do some rough draft work for any writing. Be it my to-do list, blog, scripts, stories anything. Otherwise my brain doesn't work.
When I was younger, I did a lot more writing, but I'm not much of a writer these days. Writing was more of a part-time interest and not a major facet of my daily needs for expression, and I've since moved on to other interests and responsibilities. From my little, historic bit of experience with writing, I've always felt that pen and paper allowed me to flow easier, and I'm glad you're experiencing the same thing. I believe there's research out there indicating that the physical act of writing triggers the "artistic" parts of your brain, because of the art of writing itself (drawing characters that don't intrinsically have meaning but that we've given a meaning and value), that it just naturally allows you to be more creative as you're writing. When I wrote, I would have music playing low volume in the background, though. Usually classical (Bach, Vivaldi, Beethovan, etc), which doesn't have words or distracting movements as today's music often has. Interesting video. I enjoyed it. Thanks!
The pen and paper method is great. I began to use the pen and paper method a long time ago thanks to the death of my computer tower. I have found this method useful because it is distraction free. Good luck with your writing. :)
Great video Jed, easily one of the best you have ever done! Thanks for sharing your insight and helping to spark more writing creativity. I'm really looking forward to Kingdom of Dragons!
i have been using a handwriting the first draft of the story while working on my first book. and it is incredibly helpful. it really turns on that specific part of the brain that just helps the flow coming and ideas to appear naturally
I have a novel I've been sitting on for six years, putting work into it on and off as inspiration waxes and wanes, never wanting the end result bad enough to stay disciplined. I've been hunting for as long as I could remember for some scrap of advice that would rectify this. I can tell you that after trying what you've got here, this is the only thing that works for me. The distractions were the problem. Sitting with nothing in front of me save for pen and paper and time is the only thing that allows that beautiful flow to come on so strong that I crave it again and again, every day. I am farther along than I have ever been, and for the first time, I can't wait to see this story's end, no matter what it might be. So, thanks for the help.
11:47 This for me was the heart and soul of this video. This beautiful little anecdote of your journey, of crossing paths with that distant mentor, of reaching towards him, seeming to miss, but him catching you, nodding to you, seeing that you see him, see one of his special defining moments as a human being--his bond with one of fantasy's greats--and he raising high his torch, his beacon, and telling you, everyone there, it's good to go on, it's dangerous, but it's good, that the journey, though vague, has a way of sorting itself, of things coming together in an unforeseen way, of taking on its own life and joining hands with you, its author, and finding that terminus together. Thank you for sharing this powerful moment of your journey as a writer. It's beautiful and moving. Beyond this, I am curious which method you felt was the best for you, the Stephen King method, or the Neil Gaiman method?
I'm glad you found it moving! Was very special for me for sure. I'd lean towards the Stephen King one, purely because that was what I was going through as I finished the novel, so it felt like the 'result' of the challenge was more successful. But both were useful in their own ways
@@Jed_Herne Thanks for sharing. I've been enjoying your videos immensely. As a little side note, I lived in Australia north of you in Geraldton back in 2004-05 and wrote my second book there. I stayed in a sweet place in Drummond's Cove, watched the Indian Ocean and scribbled away. Perth and Fremantle were lovely to visit and I miss Australia quite a bit. I'm back in California for now, and probably forever.
@@jasonuerkvitz3756 That's awesome! I love Geraldton. Have stayed there a bit, and one of my best friends grew up there. Great place and some awesome beaches
Kind of an older video but it was very interesting to watch, and I have a few things to say about it. Using pen and paper, I think, it's something that would not work for me because one of my issues is that I feel very insecure with my craft, so adding a layer of complexity to it and removing the freedom of erasing and rewriting at will would probably discourage me from continuing on (which would be a shame since I usually don't need to get into it. Writing is a pleasure to me, not a chore. I do it every day, at least for two hours, and when I have enough time, this can expand to...well, essentially the whole day. My writing sessions can last more than 10 hours, at times, and while I usually feel exhausted at the end, I'm always happy doing it. Definitely not a chore, and I will do it again, as many times as necessary). Also, I very rarely write my chapters in order. Before I start writing, I check my outline, think about what's gonna happen in the chapter I'm approaching, and then, let my mind run wild. The problem is, that I have a very convoluted mind, that doesn't always start with the beginning of the chapter, so, usually, I imagine pieces of the scene that put together make a whole chapter, but they don't come out in chronological order (not always). Writing with pen and paper, while totally feasible with this method, would kind of result in a mess that's pretty difficult to put in order. And I know it because when a great idea crosses my mind at work. I actually take notes on a (or several) sheet(s) of paper, but it usually ends up being quite a chore to put back together afterward, so the idea of writing the whole book like this kinda makes my head spin. For the rest, it's actually similar to my personal method. I do have a dedicated place to write, though, just like you, I listen to music when I write. To me, music is very important to stimulate my creativity, but I make sure not to listen to new tracks that I recently discovered for my writing sessions (I keep those for my reading sessions, instead) because I don't want to be checking the playlist wondering what a title is and save it into my playlist if like it particularly. I want to stay focused on my craft and do nothing else when I do (just like in Neil's method. That part too is in my personal process).
I've been writing for a long time, trying my hand at most things including novels. I mostly write for magazines and websites about film these days, on a laptop as you'd expect. When I started many years ago, I had a ritual which was to buy an Oxford Black 'n Red A4 notepad. A beautiful object. I would write novels long hand for the first draft. I haven't done that in at least fifteen years. Until now. Last month I had a great idea for a novel. I started outlining it on my phone, with the intent to progress onto my laptop. Then I saw the very same video you mention in yours, about how Neil writes long hand. So last week I decided to go back to my roots and ordered a Black 'n Red. It arrived today. Good luck with your novel, Jed.
Great video! Neil Gaiman has been a big inspiration for my writing as well. I have three main authors that are my all-time favorites (currently) that really have inspired me. The author who will always have the number one spot for me is Clive Barker; he, to me, writes the perfect blend fantasy and horror. Neil Gaiman does this really well also. Why Barker and Gaiman are up at my top influences is especially because of the beautiful way they can blend eroticism into the work (Love this especially in American Gods, Barker does it with everything). My third favorite author is Joe Hill; I just love his writing and stories. Keep writing! I like what I see from you more than the other indie authors I've seen here on RU-vid. I might have to get Across the Broken Stars and read it!
I'm not a writer, I'm a musician but I love Neil Gailman so much (Currently watching Sandman, super enjoying it), I find the way he shaped his career very similar to mine (He writes because it feels like an adventure, I make music because I like not knowing what I will come up with, I mainly make music because I want to be surprised by what I do at the end) I watch his interviews quite often because I find the way he talks absolutely magical and very inspiring! that's how I randomly came across to this video and I think this was also super cool and I must say, I appreciate the way you kept writing, even though you were very tired from the hiking and even with your eye surgery and such! 👏👏By the way, I usually never do this, like comment under other people's videos and say something about my music and channel, but because I know some writers find inspiration on my channel and say that my music is perfect for writing, maybe you can also try writing to my music and see what happens! 🤷♀☺ Thank you for your really inspiring video!
I enjoyed this Jed, well edited and put together. Interesting subject as well as I'm always looking at ways I should write and often find excuses not to!
Thanks Kev, glad you liked it! Really trying to push myself and grow with the quality of videos on this channel, so good to see this resonating with people
I'm at the 40% mark for my fourth novel and it is killing me. I took a wrong turn plot wise and just had to scrap 3k words, the story is stronger but man it hurt. Maybe I should try these methods to get me through the murky middle
I try to write every day. I use pen and paper for notes and outlines but I think faster than I can write so I miss out letters and the words run together and become difficult to read. I have a little writing room that I love, being kind it's cozy and eclectic. I play amsr while writing, mostly brain massage stuff. Very occasionally music.
Personally, when I’m writing I’ll constantly be switching between writing by hand and on computer. If I’m stuck on a chapter and can’t get anything to budge I often find it helps to start writing by hand. And when I transfer it to screen I’m able to do a cursory edit and pick out major issues before continuing on, cause I type faster than I can write so there’s less frustration in my brain when my hand isn’t keeping up
I'm curious as to what the sound bites were that kept you motivated. With Neil he can be reading a menu and I find him inspiring. Something about his voice, the choice of pauses, and the tone he uses that wraps you up in a blanket with a cup of cocoa in hand. His speaking is a comfort drug.
I still use a fountain pen. It allows me to think in multiple dimensions. I write about inventions and so legal writing is my thing. Having discipline is key. No distractions allows me to write more creative legal opinions.
Great video bud. I am currently writing my first short story (aiming for 80,000 words) and I came across your advice (being lazy watching RU-vid instead of writing lol). While I don't have it in my capacity to write as you do right now, in January I am doing a 4 week solo road trip where I plan to do this challenge. Here's hoping I get that first draft finalised by the time I get back.
@@Robert-pm1bb And there it is I am writing a short story - aiming for a novel, but I know it will only be a short story since I'm writing it - I think I should know. 😆
Nice video. I've always wrote three of the four ways. The handwritten first draft is a bit too much. I tried when I first started writing, but didn't like retyping. Hope you found that committing yourself to a time frame isn't a sick sadistic punishment to force yourself to write. It's more of a time to reflect and think if you can't write. Or maybe it was for you. Everyone is different I suppose. lol
Really great advice. But I'll keep sticking with digital because it's a shelter from my toddlers. A notebook can be destroyed as easily as a candle is snuffed, but my cloud-backed files will resist, even if the phone is cracked or drowned in the toilet (which happened various times). Plus, I can easily record vocal notes when I'm driving or changing a diaper (another real story) and then transcribe them. I'm an advocate of handwriting, but it's just impractical with little children. And spare me the "but you can always lock your things in a room or drawer"... Not if you live in a 50 m2 house 😆 What I mean is that sometimes you have to resort to unconventional measures to have results. If you can have a *safe* space for your handwritten draft, go ahead, but if you don't, then use what you got. On writing every day: sometimes it's annoying, "having to" sit and write when you're really not in the mood (and not because you're lazy, but because your kids and/or job sucked the life out of you). You feel like wanting to just scream, and I recommend you do it, but in a figurative way: every time I find myself not wanting to write, I just rant on the page. I describe my feelings about not wanting to be creative, how the day stressed me out, etc... Then I usually calm down. I either delete the rant or save it, if it has salvageable parts. And then proceed to put a 30 mins (sometimes 15) timer to see if I can do some work. Sometimes it doesn't work but at least I "did my reps". If It didn't work, I give myself some kind of consolation treat, like a cup of tea or my comfort playlist. It's important to not punish yourself if you couldn't squeeze out more than 50 useless words. Writing is a work of the soul, you can gently push but if you force it you'll burn out.
I would have a really hard time writing my novel longhand because my handwriting is unreadable even for me. However, I do sit down every morning and write at least three pages of stream of conscious writing long hand. The idea comes from Julia Cameron's Artist's Way, by the way. It embraces both parts of what you are talking about here. Like you I have found it very productive. If nothing else, it gets my brain ready to write, sort of like warming up before exercising. Walking also almost always gives me inspiration and if it doesn', it at least clears my mind and gets me bak on track
The keyboard: iqunix f96 The other writing device is called a Freewrite Traveller: getfreewrite.com/?rstr=6485 I did a more in-depth review on it here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xDOVuJ_X-hU.html&ab_channel=JedHerne
Famous story about James Thurber, the NYer humorist, cynic, and misogynist. He was sitting on the couch staring during a dinner party and his wife noticed, walked over to him, and snapped, "Thurber. Stop writing." That's the writerly stare in a nutshell.
As a writer and lover of books, I would not have thought the library would be considered a distraction free zone. It’s a bit like putting a games developer in an arcade…
This is just for me... I taught I'm really going crazy because I have lots of paper I have written things everywhere. But once I start writing on computer, it doesn't stimulate me at all😢😅
Unless I am under anesthesia or similarly impaired, I have written a journal entry every day since age 12. I am now 53. It's always pen and paper! That shows intent and makes writing a work of magick. I also advise you to not write for an audience. Write only for yourself. For me, until those words come out, I am miserable. It should feel like the little death when you are done. Smile, but be exhausted!
I liked your video a lot, but I wish you would have credited the Tim Ferriss Interview you took a lot of the scenes from and linked to it. It‘s such a great interview.
*I* wish you could have credited Nathaniel Drew for the format of the title, the thumbnail, and much of the structure of the video itself! 😅 You did it on the Stephen King video too, though I haven't watched that one yet, so maybe you give Nathaniel a hat tip there. Or maybe it's just a hell of a coincidence (or you're both imitating some third person I haven't discovered yet, lol).