Refuse to Be Done

January 10, 2022
“I know this can sound a little magical: start writing, and the draft will come,” advises novelist Bell (Appleseed) in this heartening guide to writing a novel. Bell’s plan comes in three stages, each pertaining to a different draft. The first involves an “exploratory draft,” or discovering one’s book by writing it; at this phase, he eschews formal organization and lets it flow. Before starting the second draft, he suggests taking a break and celebrating one’s progress before writing a “summary of the book written in an approximation of the novel’s voice” and rereading the first draft to create an outline of it, which will guide rewriting; a rewrite, rather than revision, is the goal at this point. The third stage is “refuse to be done,” in which writers should revisit scenes and more carefully consider structure, chapter length, and prose style—then cut and cut some more. Bell’s cheerleading is bolstered by plenty of interviews and examples—novelist Alexis Smith, for instance, emphasizes the importance of learning what novel one is not writing—and writers intimidated by the process will find solace in the case he makes that while good writing is not easy, putting one’s whole self into a novel is an “incredible joy.” Budding novelists, take note.

February 15, 2022
Through years of meticulous reading and writing, author/educator Bell has identified a series of edits that make a novel manuscript its most compelling, ready for publication. This tight guide to rewriting focuses on persevering from draft to draft, squeezing out unnecessary filler, unhelpful backstory, and clunky prose until what remains is the shiniest, most concise telling of the story. Bell explains how to persist through a rough first draft, and how to trust that the sloppy first pass will become the polished novel the author is dreaming of. Bell advises writers to rewrite the entire draft for a second go, based on a revised outline of the evolving plot. Third passes identify strengths and weaknesses, and involve major cuts. His final message, which becomes the title of the book, is refusing to be done. There is always a scene, paragraph, or sentence that can be whittled to enhance the reader's experience of the story. If this guide is a reflection of Bell's theories at play, his readers are surely on a path to greatness.

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