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First Draft
Thanks to all of you who commented on my query about Chapter Length. It's great to have this direct communication. It's such a lonely business bashing away on the wp in the self imposed padded cell. Now, I appreciate the encouragement for the fact that I got to 70k words. I finally got to the 80k which is the minimum number I must have, a kindly agent has advised me. I am at the stage which I can proudly announce as 'First Draft'. I have a group of test readers and I have sent them each a copy with a list of questions which I'd like them to answer with their 'reader's hats' on.
I have followed the advice to put the manuscript away for a few weeks so that I come back to it with a fresh eye for 'Second Draft' . Wow! That is going to be a good moment! I feel bored, deprived, irritable and 'cold turkey'. I don't want to work on anything else because my head is full of this thing but like the recovering alcoholic I must stay away from the source of tempation until the cold turkey period is over. My problem is that I find the world of my characters far more interesting than my own life - perhaps I should get out more...
I must tell you though, I have already 'murdered some darlings'. Some of them were so badly formed or irrelevant that they couldn't even go out in the First Draft. I even cut a whole chapter, which was a 'rant', brilliant writing and good stuff it was too, but nothing to do with the story.
Would any of you like to offer advice about what frame of mind I need to be to kick 'First Draft' into 'Second Draft'? What should I concentrate on and what should I beware of?
I have followed the advice to put the manuscript away for a few weeks so that I come back to it with a fresh eye for 'Second Draft' . Wow! That is going to be a good moment! I feel bored, deprived, irritable and 'cold turkey'. I don't want to work on anything else because my head is full of this thing but like the recovering alcoholic I must stay away from the source of tempation until the cold turkey period is over. My problem is that I find the world of my characters far more interesting than my own life - perhaps I should get out more...
I must tell you though, I have already 'murdered some darlings'. Some of them were so badly formed or irrelevant that they couldn't even go out in the First Draft. I even cut a whole chapter, which was a 'rant', brilliant writing and good stuff it was too, but nothing to do with the story.
Would any of you like to offer advice about what frame of mind I need to be to kick 'First Draft' into 'Second Draft'? What should I concentrate on and what should I beware of?
Comments
I leave work for a week and go back to it, knowing there will be errors I need to correct. It's happening at the moment, I took a week or so out to scan several books, edit the scan, print them off and get them in the post. (I hasten to add they are my books!) and have gone back this morning to the WIP, my 8th author in my ongoing series. I have already deleted about twenty words and added three. What happens is, when it comes back you look at it with that editorial eye rather than the writing eye anyway.
Meantime, if you can't start another book (the most obvious course of action!) write some articles instead.
I can tell you, though, that I finished the book on Judas Iskariot at 4. PM on the 30th December and began the book on Jacquetta Woodville at 4.30 PM on the 30th December. There is no time to waste in my life!
Edit: I should add here that I channel books from spirit, I am an 'opt out' writer these days. Apart from the novel which resurrected itself a week or so ago, only 1000 words done, all work comes from spirit and not from me. That's how I can switch from one to the other, the moment Judas finished dictating, Her Ladyship was there, demanding I get to work on her book. Judas' book is done, amendments and all, Jacquetta's, I know, has a way to go, as it is too short. She knows it too. I have the most wonderful editor who works on them for me, sends back the notes, asks for elaboration here there and everywhere else, and the book ends up better because of it. We just did that with Guy Fawkes, and the book is now done. If your browser/security lets you see them, take a look at the proposed covers on the Working With Guy Fawkes thread.
Yes of course you can.
PBW, my line on 2nd draft would be: isolate your story. It's what you've written, and it's quite possible there's a lot still in there, after murdering your darlings, which doesn't belong in it. Pace of story.
However you view this interim "rest" before returning to that first draft, it is important to fill your head with distractions. Simply delving into newspaper articles, or researching further story possibilities, the exercise is to sluice and sanitise memory of all that effort.
Then, when your eyes review the great work, the brain will better react to true perspective of written descriptions. It's a matter of not returning to any item of one's creation until the influences that constructed the story have been forgotten or at least numbed.
[quote=paperbackwriter]what frame of mind I need to be to kick 'First Draft' into 'Second Draft'?[/quote]
It might be best to read in the manner you normally read other, purchased, literature. Purely published work for entertainment. Be honest with how you feel after that. Only then may editing begin.
It's a long trawl with many a subsequent draft before a final polish sends any work out to Agent or Publisher. Good luck, most importantly, enjoy.
One particular piece of advice that sounded sensible was what the writer called his 'triage' system.
In other words - read through your first draft and only pinpoint the big glitches that need to be fixed. Deal with them first before you start a line by line edit because you can get bogged down in the minutae of correcting typos and punctuation and risk going stale before you get to the end of the book.
p.s. well done for getting the first draft written, by the way!
http://www.writersnews.co.uk/writers_talkback/comments.php?DiscussionID=70559#Item_1
Editing and revising
Congratulations on finishing your first draft! However, I think you've been a bit premature handing it out to readers. First drafts are usually best kept private as there will be lots to change; I would only consider the reader stage when you've got it to the best it can be yourself. As to putting it aside for a while, although I know that is the ideal way to do it, I think if you are up for it and keen just go for it. After all, after writing 80K words the first 50K will probably be a distant memory. In terms of what to look for, I think you are identifying these already: repetition, anything irrelevant to the plot, ensuring your main character is progressing through a journey/leaning process, a satisfying climax involving the main characters.
Having said all that, every writer finds a different approach that suits them. Some only ever do one draft and it's brilliant. Others need to go over their work countless times. Only you can decide which sort of writer you are. Good luck!
I certainly agree on tackling the big things first- plot holes, duplications, consistency in character description.
Then you go onto line by line inspection.
But as said everyone finds what works for them.
http://www.writersnews.co.uk/writers_talkback/comments.php?DiscussionID=134802
I managed to find it, by omitting the Item_1
I've always typed up a scene, and then spent hours editing it. Maybe that is why I'm not getting very far with my writing.
Seriously thinking about what others have said here, write it all in longhand first, then type it up and edit.
I'm looking forward to the day when I have my Very Own Editor complete with criticism, encouragement and oh joy - feedback! I haven't a clue how to find an editor. I think it's one of these beastly chicken and egg things isn't it? Once you are published you'll have an editor, no problem. Until then you remain in the limbo of the anonymous unpublished and keep soldiering on. However, I've started looking at some of your posts about professional editing services and that might be a good way to go. I think'll I'll post a new discussion though, on the lines of
"What is the best point in your novel's development to pay for some serious editing?" So thank you for the advice and observation Lou.
MY DOG HAS JUST BEEN SICK UNDER MY CHAIR -BLEEURRGH - SORRY, WILL CARRY ON NOW...
- as I got distracted and wrote a couple of short stories in between
SORRY I CAN'T CONCENTRATE NOW AS SHE IS EATING IT AGAIN
but I hope at least to break the back of the story.
OKAY IT'S GONE. FOR NOW.
Have you heard of National Write a Novel Month? I think it's in October. There's a website called something like NaNoWriMo - several TBers have done it. If you like deadlines...
I'm not too sure how much editing gets done nowdays by the publisher.
special thanks to Richard Eadie and all at the publishing house.
This is the man who calls me and says, when they are at the battle in Holland, which side are they on? I guess it's the Spanish but it isn't clear, can you put a line in there please? and - you've said he wonders what his mother would think of his end but she is already dead, so ...
nothing gets missed. Henry's book went through radical changes to make it right, Guy's grew by 3000 words after he asked for this to be elaborated and that ... the right editor, coming to it new, can make all the difference. He admitted Judas' book was 'not his interest' but he came up with really good points we had to address. He really is a hands on editor.