Writing Excuses Writing Excuses 8.22: Pre-writing with E.J. Patten
Jun 2, 2013
Author E.J. Patten joins us to talk about pre-writing and the importance of concept development. They discuss the inspiration behind their monster hunter story and different pre-writing techniques. The speakers also delve into outlining, character development, and the distinction between discovery writers and outliner writers.
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Boil Concept Down To A One-Liner
- Define your concept as a compact high-concept statement like "X does Y at Z."
- Use that elevator-pitch level hook to focus development and communicate the idea quickly.
Creating Mythos From Familiar Inspirations
- E.J. started with Lovecraft and Tolkien as springboards, then invented his own mythology to avoid direct borrowing.
- That snowballed into the Hunters of Legend and creatures unique to his world.
From Lighthearted Draft To Dark Epic
- E.J.'s first draft was a lighthearted adventure that earned an agent, then he rewrote it into a darker epic after development.
- He retained only the opening paragraph between drafts to preserve tone and voice growth.