The Hidden Layers of Every Novel (and Why They Should Stay Hidden) by Meg Elison
Like Charlie Jane Anders, every writer has a vast, secret reserve of everything that went into a novel. Sometimes, it’s as simple and concrete as a notebook or a series of concordance files or a lot of notes in Scrivener. Most of the time, it’s a vast network of experiences, influences, and inspirations, some of which aren’t plainly and consciously known to us. Sometimes, this work can be shared for the benefit of completionists and obsessive fans. But I believe that Charlie Jane’s approach of keeping the water level high and keeping the notebook to herself is the correct impulse.
When readers get too deep below the surface, the waters get murky. Sometimes it can be instructive and fascinating, like The Silmarillion. Other times, though, we end up with the post-Potter revelations of J.K. Rowling. The part of the iceberg that’s below the water can tear the belly out of your ship and sink your ability to enjoy what’s published. Give it a little space and let it awe you on its own terms.
This is part of a series called "Writers on Writing," which is always fun. This author argues that we shouldn't necessarily release all our notes and drafts and such, beyond the published work.
Which is an interesting thought, because, by virtue of studying Literature in college, we read a lot of that background material, especially for dead authors.
It's intersting to think that behind-the-scenes and deleted scenes and director's cuts are a big part of movies/filmmaking fandom. Is writing that different?
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