Dive vs. Dip: Which Are You?
Dive vs. Dip: Which Are You?
How do you approach big projects and important decisions?
I’ve written multiple drafts, the query letter, and the synopsis. I’ve edited my latest draft with beta readers. I researched agents (a little). In other words, I’ve now successfully put off one of the most intimidating parts of writing a book for as long as possible: the first full read-through, beginning to end.
(I wanted to say THE most intimidating part, but I so recently determined that was the synopsis.)
I started this post on the day I told myself, “Now I’m going to finish! It’s time, TODAY, to buckle down and review my latest draft and prepare it for the real world.” I had really good intentions. I talked myself into it after that post about balance being the white whale, how finding time is elusive so you have to make time even when we aren’t in a pandemic. I reread my many Kindle notes from Oliver Burkeman’s Four Thousand Weeks, seriously a great book that everyone should read.
“The good procrastinator accepts the fact that she can’t get everything done, then decides as wisely as possible what tasks to focus on and what to neglect. By contrast, the bad procrastinator finds himself paralyzed precisely because he can’t bear the thought of confronting his limitations.”
And…then I wrote this post, instead.
I even talked myself over a few initial hurdles (it’s true: writers talk to themselves all day): I only have an hour instead of two because I ran/slept in/took 30 minutes deciding what to wear? Fine; one hour is plenty. Oh, I’ll be going on vacation in a few weeks and hosting friends and going out for work events? Who cares; you’ve got solid weekdays where you can wake up early like the adult you are and get things done.
But when I pulled out my notebook, I couldn’t simply start. I felt the urge to map out my plan of attack before diving in, and I sensed this wasn’t procrastination, but instead how I work.
Dive vs. Dip
The other day I took Adobe’s creative personality type quiz, and when the question came up about whether you are “Dive vs. Dip,” I selected Dip. I tend to approach problems and projects with a list, a painting with a sketch, a collage by laying it all out before gluing. So, that explains that. I can’t expect myself to dive in to my first full read-through before planning the strategic steps.
I am as susceptible to procrastination as the next person; I spent five minutes looking up pictures of white whales immediately after writing the above, before even finishing that sentence, and nearly went down the, er, whale hole when I discovered beluga whales are the “Corgis of the ocean” (aw!). I resisted; because that would be procrastination. Making a plan of attack is not. A plan of attack will guide me, help me stay on track and away from articles with adorable titles like Corgis Of The Ocean: Beluga Whales Are Our New Obsession, and I think help me get a better overview of what I need to be on the lookout for. It’s just how I work.
My Plan of Attack (or, toe-dipping, not diving, into the ocean full of playful belugas)
Review synopsis. It has all the most important elements of my book. I’ll be able to gauge if my story is going completely off the rails.
Review the outline. I’ve created a grid of scenes, chapter by chapter, and wrote the most pressing problems, notes, and reminders that came up during my editing. I know there are issues I need to address; they’re the things I’m avoiding, the parts that are a little fuzzy around the edges. Time to stop avoiding them!
Go through the flags in my old notes. I flag important notes that come to mind in the writing process: ideas, reminders, conclusions. I have a lot. They aren’t in order. And now’s the time to go through them comprehensively.
From the above, make a new, separate checklist of top highlights to keep in mind while reading.
Set aside a weekend to read through, beginning to end.
Stuff I Like
Muji 5-pack notebooks. I love these. They lay flat, they’re thin and can be carried anywhere without becoming heavy, and they’re the perfect size (8 x 10), lightly ruled. I use them for both my work and for writing, and label the front of each to keep them organized. And they’re cheap!
Adobe’s Creative Types quiz. There are a lot of online quizzes out there, but this one is fun and feels more…direct. Like there are no unnecessary questions. Also, my creative type is Dreamer. What about you?