Agile Novel Writing
The more I write, and the longer I spend computer programming, the more I find that the two areas of expertise have many similarities. Let me explain.
Novel Writing
- Discovery phase where you get a sense of the story, and the characters involved
- Create an initial draft based on plans and an idea. I have begun to consider first drafts “prototypes.”
- Revise draft, adding description, plot, character
- Test with trusted “alpha” readers who give feedback (writing groups, friends, etc)
- Edit novel based on feedback. If novel isn’t working, put aside, otherwise move to next phase
- Test with “beta” readers after several revisions
- Edit and revise based on feedback.
- Continue editing and revising based upon user feedback and editors until result is ready
- Work on getting it published.
Software Development
- Discovery phase to get a sense of what’s involved, and who key players are
- Create an initial solution based on designs and need (aka a “prototype”)
- Iterate design, adding functionality, features, fleshing out solution
- Test with internal team, selected users. Considered “alpha” part of project
- Iterate design based upon feedback
- Once design is validated, continue. If not, then go back to drawing board.
- If continuing, move to “beta” phase where the design is iterated based on continuous user feedback.
- Continue iterating until version is able to be “live”
- Release.
If you look through, you might begin to see some similarities. Both involve creating something. Both require editing, and changing an idea based upon feedback. Especially important is the idea that neither will be even close to perfect the first time around. Books will always have typos, grammatical errors, and plot holes in a first draft. Software will have missing features, bugs, and typos in the first version.
So, now that we see that there are similarities, what can we do with this? Agile development demands that you fail early in the process. The earlier you catch and fix issues with a design, the easier it will be in the long run. You learn to understand that there will be problems that will need to be addressed throughout the process, and you will need a feedback loop to get there. The process is made easier with the following concepts:
You won’t get it right the first time
Failure shouldn’t be considered a bad thing if you bake it into your writing process. So many writers I know try to force the first draft of their writing to be perfect, and despair when things don’t go according to plan. One of the most difficult things to do for newer writers is to let go of that anxious feeling and just write. Get that idea on the page for the first draft. Don’t worry about character inconsistencies, typos, and plot holes the first time through. They can all be fixed in revision.
Your first draft WILL have problems with it. Giant ones. If you go into it thinking that’s not a failure on your part, but just something that you can fix later, then the writing process is a lot less mentally taxing. It took me over ten years to take on this attitude, so it will be more difficult to get there for some people. I’ve started putting notes in my writing celebrating my failures. Notes like: “Plot hole here! Fix later,” or “Think of a better name for this,” or “More dialogue here!” That way, I can focus on what’s most important the first time through: the story and the characters. I can fill those blanks in next time through. They are failures, but they are known ones.
The feedback loop is one of the most important parts of the process
If you’re not getting other people to read and comment on your writing, you need to do so as soon as possible. As authors, it is all too easy to fill in gaps without realizing it. Characters can be incredibly vivid in our imaginations, but not quite there yet on the page. Getting other people to comment on your work can help find these issues.
Join writing groups (online or in person). Many people out there need feedback on their work as much as you need it on yours. Most writers I’ve found have a very similar attitude about their work, and if you find the right people it can be revealing. The best writers lift others in their group up. They will cheer for your successes, and feel your failures more acutely because they’ve also been there.
Writing can and should be a social activity. The important thing to remember about this, however, is that everyone has an opinion and not everyone is correct. Get some comments, and listen to what they say. Never argue with a person commenting even though you may really want to as they are entitled to their opinion. Take it, thank them for it, and move on. If their feedback is not good, there is no obligation to use them ever again.
Don’t edit immediately after one person says something unless you are certain they are correct. Generally, wait until 2-3 or more people give a similar comment. If that many people are pointing out something as an issue, then it might be something you want to look into. In the end, it is important to remember that you’re in charge of your own work. You decide what feedback you act upon, and what you don’t. You’re the boss, not the people commenting.
Retrospectives are a helpful way to reflect back on how things went.
The writing industry as it stands can often make this quite difficult. The only way for a retrospective to work is to look back on what worked and what didn’t with what you’ve produced, and use that knowledge to improve things going forward. The problem here is that the writing industry is filled with form rejections, non-responsive editors and publishers, and wildly different opinions. It can be difficult to determine with confident if your writing worked or didn’t. There are a few ways to combat this:
- When you submit something for publication or review, try to send it to many places before giving up. I once submitted a story to two dozen places. I had a form rejection every time except for one magazine. They gave me a personalized rejection. It was still a rejection, but the added brief message provided a clue as to why it “didn’t work”. It sits on my desk now to remind me. I wouldn’t have had that detail if I had given up on the story after one rejection.
- Develop your editing muscles. The more you review other people’s work, and read critically, the better you’ll get a sense of what works and what doesn’t. More importantly, you’ll begin to have a better sense of why things work and don’t. When you return to your own writing, you can use those skills to better see these issues. It took me a much longer time to be able to do this on my own writing, but once I could it helped immensely.
Sprint planning can help you focus your writing goals
This is especially true with editing. When looking over your work, it is often a good idea to have a goal in mind while you’re doing it. Is the character consistent throughout the novel? Do you need to add more detail to the setting? What tension is driving the story throughout? Pick an area you want to work on during an edit and focus on that.
For a long time, my editing was mainly looking for sentence structure and spelling errors. It was easy to be blind to larger issues with a story as I could all too easily focus what was on the page in front of me. Now my editing sessions often involve bringing plot elements out into a timeline (to see if things line up), or making mind maps of characters (to see if there are gaps in their personality).
First drafts are all about getting the story down, but after that, you need to revise, fill in gaps, and fix problems. It can seem overwhelming at times. It’s easy to feel like you’ll never get there, and that your writing is terrible. As a writer we are most aware of the gaps and issues with a piece. The cliché “you’re your own worst critic” rings true for most writers I’ve met.
I think this is partly due to the fact that we see the statue contained in the stone. As we chip away from it, we never quite get to the point where the statue in front of us is what we picture in our heads. The story is often far more vast in our imaginations than what we can get on the page. Because of this, writers are often acutely aware of these differences and can feel overwhelmed and inadequate. Learning to tackle one at a time can help combat this feeling. Instead of worrying about the entire statue, spend a day working on only the nose. Instead of worrying about the giant plot holes in your first draft, focus in on only one when you sit down. It can make the whole process much more manageable.