I've put the last few hundred words down and I'm officially calling the first draft done! It needs a ton of work in the second draft, but the first is done. I hit 81,428 words yesterday and slowly backed away from the laptop. I'm happy with where I'm at, I just had to fight the urge to go back and start correcting things and doing rewrites immediately.
I plan on letting it cool on the windowsill for a few weeks before jumping back with a knife and fork. I always like to leave a piece alone for a while and get some distance before jumping back into it. That way I can look at the big picture before tackling things that are still fresh in my mind. Helps with the overall picture, rather than fixing a little bit here and there that might otherwise be taken out or have to be changed again due to a something that comes up earlier in the story.
Do you allow for a cooling off period or do you jump back in right away?
7 comments:
Congrats on getting your draft finished! I haven't finished one yet, so I don't know if I'd be able to resist leaving it alone for a while, I'd be so excited haha.
Anyway I'm a new follower, and I just wanted to say Hi :)
Congratulations! I finished mine last weekend, but that was edits and revisions and ALL. I usually edit while I work, switching back and forth between the two. I try to write Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday (or about), then edit for a few days. I find it keeps me on track with what I am writing and I seem to find foreshadowing I unknowingly wrote in. It also gives me a long window for editing. By the time I am done with the last chapter, last word, I've edited and revised the book at least 5 times. I usually feel good about it at that point. Or SICK of it, LOL.
I have to get away for a while before I dive into the second, but sometimes I just can't keep away.
Congrats! IMHO, I'd let it sit for a little bit first, just so you get some more perspective when it's time for you to revise.
As I gain more "experience", I give everything I do a little more time. The honeymoon period is dangerous.
I agree with pretty much everyone here. Giving a bit of space helps to forget that you are the one that wrote it. That's the only time I can look at it without throwing up.
btw you know where you can throw it for a review once you make the inevitable huge sale, right?
Thanks everyone!
The first book I wrote, I jumped right back in and started making corrections and changes. I really didn't have a plan and I really didn't consider what ramifications my changes would have in other parts of the book and I ended up with a mess of a second draft. It made the next draft harder than it had to be.
I'm sitting back and carefully considering things this time. I'm organizing some thoughts and notes, but I'm not actually going back into the draft itself.
Hopefully a more considered approach will help me out this time, but believe me - it is rough to not jump right back in!
Toni - Welcome! It is pretty exciting, though the work ahead is pretty daunting!
Amy - Congrats on finishing it all up! I like the system you have of working certain aspects on certain days. I'm not sure I could work that way, since I jump around so much by writing various chapters out of order and because I'm never sure if I'll get writing time on various days. Maybe I could switch off and write one week, edit the next? Hmmm.
Jeremy - I try to stay away, but its tough. I've sent some poetry and flash out a few hours after I started it. No patience at all.
Steve - absolutely. I've already reconsidered a couple of things that I wanted to add. By the time I get to actually revising, maybe I'll change my mind again!
Aaron - Couldn't agree more. I tend to love stories as soon as I'm done, but on second look... err... uhm...
Anton - I haven't found a way to look at my drafts without throwing up yet, but I'm getting there.
BTW Future me has already sent you a copy for review!
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