This month’s optional question: For how long do you shelve your first draft, before reading it and re-drafting? Is this dependent on your writing experience and the number of stories/books under your belt?
For me, wait time on a first draft depends on the project. If I’m writing an essay or a blog post, I hammer out a first draft and then wait a day or two, even sometimes as long as a week to look at it again. On return, necessary improvements become obvious. If deadlines allow, I wait again and do a final edit before sending it out.
With novels, it’s a whole different story (Lol—pun not intended but left in anyway). I tend to write chronologically from beginning to end. Whether it’s my first draft or my 12th, I usually go at it for several months. When I’m done, I give myself a week or so before starting back at Chapter one. I don’t feel like I need that much more time, because after writing or editing 80,000 plus words, when I return to the early story, I see it with fresh eyes. The exception is when it’s time to read a draft chapter or two to my writing group. I share pages with them chronologically too, and with wait time between readings they usually get a part of the story other than what I’m currently editing. Once I see the consensus in their comments, I go back to the portion I read to them and implement the suggestions.
This past month when I read pages to my group, in spite of my best efforts, they called me out on repeating a piece of information again, again, and yup, there it was again. I also used the word “coffee,” something like thirteen times. How did I miss that? They nailed me on both of the issues and I fixed it all, which helped me make that part of my book better.
Do I wish it took me less time to come up with a decent draft? Sure. But in my case, taking a breather before looking again and getting a group critique results in better work, so I’ll stick with the practice.
What is your writing process like?
14 comments:
We both talked about waiting though with different intentions. I wish I had a good writing group. I have but not since I came back from Labrador. I do meet most Wednesdays with my pal Gwen (though not during this lockdown except by skype). Today I'm going to garden...
I see the beginning with fresh eyes right away as it takes so long to write, I forget how it began.
And hate those words we repeat way too much!
Sounds like your process is spot on and I tend to write chronologically also. I admire folks who can write and piece together stuff like a jigsaw. I tend to change character names by accident, and other silly stuff if I do bits and pieces. Repeats - yep, I'll get stuck on a word and there it is all the time. One has to laugh. Fortunately group critiques do catch those and groan.
Glad you are doing well and plugging along. Hope it's thawing out and you are enjoying spring.
I write chronologically, too. But of late have been uninspired to do anything in the way of writing or editing...
I hate those repeat words too. My big one that I can often delete is "that." That's great that you can get a draft done so quickly.
It sounds like you've got a combination that works for you, which is great. Very thankful for CPs - my books wouldn't be anywhere without them.
I’m sure the word ‘coffee’ comes up a lot in my MS too. Must be the real world leaking in. CPs are so great, aren’t they? I like how you’re saying that by writing chronologically, you end up seeing the start again with fresh eyes within a short time after finishing the end. I might have to do that to reduce my waiting time. :)
Hi Liza - sounds like you've got the right process for you. I'm always horrified how many mistakes I make, even writing a blog post or email ... but fortunately it doesn't matter. Well done and all the best - Hilary
Right now, I'm not working that far ahead of my CP, but I've had that experience before. I do take breaks between drafts--usually at least a month--although sometimes that break is a beta reading it. I try not to mess with it at all during my month off.
For blog posts or shorter works, I don't really do much wait time, but it really depends.
Funny, in my first novel I realized I kept having people gather and make coffee. Every time they gathered...coffee! I don't even drink coffee. Glad your group caught that one. Critique groups can definitely be helpful.
Even though I forget the beginning easily, waiting longer still helps. We gotta do what works for us.
We're much alike in how long we wait. Wishing you a happy June.
You are so lucky, Liza, to have a group to read your WIP to. Truly a wonderful idea to do, if you can. Word repetition. I suffer from this ailment. Big time!
And I agree that, in a longer work, by the time you finish, you can begin again and it will seem new and ready for revising. All best to you!
Hi Liza, for the smaller projects, I've a shorter time of wait, for the longer projects, the wait may stretch for a few weeks to a couple of months.
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