polymath wrote:And as an editor, I want to be able to not only respond to an aesthetic hunch something's not working, I want to be able to analyze it and diagnose and suggest treatments for its shortcomings without rudely imposing my will.
I never said to abandon your true identity, otherwise that person wouldn't be you anymore. :) I just offered an alternate scenario, a different path for that case if you can't find a mistake or if you feel something is missing. Sometimes a different path can help if the standard way is not working out by some reason. And it can give you a different result. After that you still have a chance to analyze it and diagnose it... after you've walked the different, not that known path.
Personally I have no problem with your way as just as you, I always plan ahead. Sometimes too much. But theories sometimes... in most cases changing or worse, failing as you're writing. The good parts or the mistakes of the theory also used to appear when you're trying to execute them in the reality. Ideas, plans and theories sometimes are changing because a new idea is flashing into your mind as you're writing and / or you're taking a different path (And up from that moment the original plan, the theories are collapsing.)... and sometimes... the original idea and theory simply fails in execution because of some reasons. In this case; instinct remains (Same what Beethovenfan said.).
If you know the world, if you're in the mood, you can trust in your instincts anytime. Even if you don't have any plans. As you said...
I've sensed something was missing from my theory of narrative structure.
If you sense something is missing after you're meditating on it so much, maybe it's there, you're just not noticing it. It used to happen with everyone as we're meditating on something too much. We're trying to solve something on the hardest way, while the solution is the easiest of all and it's right in front of our eyes. Sometimes the easiest solution is the best solution, while we're meditating in the hardest, craziest scenarios. In this case, plan B comes; use your instinct and during the execution you'll see where the problem lies, where the theory fails... or is there a problem at all.
Right now as I see, you're working on this way (Based on your post.).
- Planning
- Analyzing the plan and the theories from every possible angle
- Writing
- Analyzing the writing
But sometimes you can switch these points and / or you can drop or merge some of these points...
- A little planning AND / OR starting to write following your instincts
- Analyzing the plan based writing OR analyzing the finished work what you've created without any plans
You will see the difference between the two writing style. Both of them will mirror you, but something will be different in it. Presumably the second version will be less complex, but the writing style will be much more flexible (Usually the pacing is better in this approach as you put the details into the background and you're focusing mostly on the events.). In the first case, as both of us used to work, everything goes by the book. It will be a complex work, it will has wonderful phrases and sentences, but at certain points, it will be much more rigid then the other version (Partially because you defiantly want to follow the plan. I also used to fall into this trap.).
You're an editor and a writer. And in my opinion a very-very good one because you know this craft inside out (Based on your posts.). But sometimes everyone must try a different path, which is not "by the book". Your knowledge won't vanish, but you can learn from the other path. Sometimes much more, than from any books (And sometimes not.). "By the book" theories and formulas also used to fail sometimes when you walk the other path. But the other path also can present new theories and new formulas.
So, there it is, words offered for others' considerations from my insights. Take 'em or leave 'em.
I believe you misunderstood me. But regardless from this, I'm truly sorry if I offended you somewhere. It wasn't intentional at all. It was just a friendly advice to you, because you used to meditate so much on many good things and you used to share them with us. But sometimes when you've doubts (And you had doubts based on your post; you missed something, you meditated on this scenario, presumably so much), when you can't find a problem, sometimes use your instincts and simply write instead of analyzing something over and over again. You'll see the difference. :) Sometimes, and you always loved to learn new things, the other path can give you a
different result, even in this "Realization crisis" scenario. Maybe that approach will give you a different idea, a new solution, a new point to the existing ones. Will it be better or worse? No one knows. Maybe it will be something what for you never thought before. Maybe the result will be less glamourous than this one. But you never know if you never try, right?