This is my Week 5 check-in of my ROW80 challenge to finish the rough draft of Sekrit Middle Grade Fantasy project by June 14th!
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Man, resisting going back is so tough. Good for you for forging forward! Great job with the ROW80. Love keeping track, together. I'm thinking about making this type of thing a normal event, like breaking it up into four times a year.
I have to resist the internal editor too. I prefer to write the whole thing and let it sit in a drawer for a while to marinate. I find that my ideas change as I'm writing, so going back to the beginning every time I have a new idea isn't very efficient.
Eeck! You've got some major willpower! Go you!
ohman ohman ohman. i can't help but go back and tweak… that's probably why i never finish anything!
AND OHMYGOODNESS!!!! i was up SO LATE last night a'reading and a'reading and a'reading!!!! i'm almost finished! susan!!!!! i had NO IDEA!!!!! it's SO AWESOME!!! π
@Sheri I love our checking in too! We def should keep it up!!
@Anna You are very smart to do it that way. I'm getting there…
@Lisa π Thanks!
@aspiring You stayed up late reading LLP?? That's like the best compliment!! Thank you so much for sharing. π
My fingers never fly anymore (I'm more a penguin with short bursts and lots of waddling). I heavily revise as I go b/c it helps me form a better understanding of all the elements early on… helps me maintain consistency of plot, character, etc.
Internal editor mode sucks! By the time I get to the midpoint, I'm backtracking and editing. I need to wear a rubber band on my wrist and snap it every time I go back.
Nope, I can't NOT go back. I need to edit as I go, or the stuff I haven't changed nags at me until I change it. I guess I'm worried I'll miss something on the next run-through. Or maybe I just hate the thought of my manuscript's past and future not matching up.
But sometimes in order to go forward, I need to revisit what's already happened, especially if I'm rotating povs, sometimes it helps me get back in the character's head if I read previous chapters written from their pov.
I work so hard to get it right the first time (even though I never do) that I don't have to do a whole lot of line editing, or name-picking, or research during revision. It's pretty much just fixing big picture stuff until my CPs get to it.
My internal editor has been reduced to begging since I started the ROW80. I'm turning a deaf ear to her in spite of how pathetic she is at this point. Back to work. See you around the ROW80 track later.
Resisting that urge right now! Although K.M. Weiland did have an interesting thought about the 50-page edit http://wordplay-kmweiland.blogspot.com/2011/04/what-is-50-page-edit-and-why-will-it.html
It's an interesting thought to do.
@Bane We each have our own process – and yours obviously works well for you, Mr. Agented Guy! π
@Robyn I think I need to get me a rubber band. π
@Tere I do go back and throw in a few things (like oops, need to place a backpack in chapter one!), and I do re-read to get back into POV, but I don't consider that revising. The thing I have to resist is the line-by-line intense revision for craft that eludes me in the first draft.
@Matthew It kills me, though, when I have to cut all those beautiful sentences (the ones I revised the heck out of)! You're made of stronger stuff than me. π
@CLee LOL! Good for you!
@Jenna That's an interesting post (re: 50page edit)! I'm at about 64 pages right now, and (obviously) the temptation is strong to do just that. And I can almost see doing a 50 page revision just for voice, to solidify that for the rest of the book (and I may do that! :)). But I think plowing ahead to the end of the book works best for me (especially now that I have a pretty sturdy outline to guide me). Then on the second draft I can do all those things that the 50 page edit is talking about, only in one fell swoop for the whole MS. Part of the issue here too, is that I'm writing MG – it's about 1/2 to 2/3 the length of a YA novel. Thanks for the link! π
Do you ever hire out your internal editor hitman? If so, please send him over. I need that witch locked up NOW! π
I have never known the torture/joy of revising a fully fledged novel. I'm not looking forward to the major edits but the thought of line edits gets me through the sh!tty first draft, the idea that eventually I'll get to the fun tinkering-with-words part. The urge to go back and make sure my sentences are active with dynamic verbs etc. is strong but I know if I reread what I've written I might never write another word! I settle for making editing notes as they occur to me.
– Sophia.
Unfortunatley I've let my inner editor out after months locked in the basement, and she's exacting her revenge!!!
I really like first drafting much more than revising. But, when I get one chapter JUST RIGHT, it feels so good. Gives me just enough motivation to struggle through the next chapter π
@Laurel *sending hitman over now* Warning: he might be cute.
@Sophia I'm glad you are resisting, because I think the best thing for someone who is writing their first novel is to get to the end. And editing notes are a great idea (I'm actually using comments in the actual manuscript this time, and it's working pretty well). Good luck!
@Margo Oh no! Should I send the hitman? π I don't get that JUST RIGHT feeling until about Draft 4, but you are right, it is niiiice.
Maybe our internal editors could get together and watch a movie while we work on our first two drafts. π
Congratulations on 21,000+ words on your wip. π It's really hard to not go back and edit. I have a habit of rereading and revising the last chapter I wrote before I start a new one…it kind of gets me in the mood. π
Well, I don't revise until I finish the first draft, either, but other than that I'm sort of the opposite. In my first draft I really try to capture the details, the sensory feel of the experiences, while they're really fresh, while I'm "living" the story in the first draft. Revision is about paring that down so that only the right details are present. Skin it down until there's no blood left…
It's sounds like we're quite similar. I'm also underwriting my first draft (it's nice to hear I'm not the only one who does this – since so many people overwrite!) I'm also having a tough time NOT going back and revising. It's really tough! Now I'm trying to get through my first draft as quickly as possible so I can go back and fix it.
Good luck and congrats on your progress so far!
Oh man! I hope you're having fun with it, because those first drafts give me such a rush. I get tingly just reading about yours. hehe.
All the best.
You have far more self-control than I do. I revise the stuff I wrote the day before to help me get into the story again, but I don't (usually!) let myself get caught up in it.
I try and push through too. Unless it might mean the story is going in the wrong directions. Then I'll go back and revise. You can do it!
@Stina LOL! You're much nicer to your IE than I am. π
@Sharon I will often re-read (quickly), but try to not revise (unless I can't help it).
@Bryan That's so interesting that you overwrite on the first draft. It's fascinating to me all the different styles that writers have. For me, once I have the story "out" in the first draft, then I can slow down, immerse myself, feel/smell/sense everything. That's when I "dress" the MS, after laying down the bones (plot/voice).
@Ghenet We're far from the only underwriters, but I think you're right – most people overwrite. Keep resisting the urge! You'll be glad you did later.
@Tanya π Thanks! And I DO love those first drafts.
@Sherrie I try to stick to my process, just because I know it works for me. If your process requires revisions, then go with it! In the end, your work is lovely, so you must be doing something right! π
@Laura I think you mentioned once that you were an underwriter too? I think we underwriters tend to push through more quickly.
Come to think of it, I did hear some screaming. Good to know it was your internal editor. Great post. I'm so bad at locking up my internal editor. I try, but she's dang good at escaping.
I don't even try. I revise my work as I'm writing. I'm not saying it's 'agent ready' when I type THE END, but at least this way, I don't miss a great idea when it hits. Plus, I have less work to do later.
Of course, I also attend a weekly critique group where I bring WiP material.
@Leisha She's tricksy, just like you. π
@Natasha Weekly crit groups are great for getting the WiP in shape! Good on you!
Most of my first drafts were written for the novel-in-a-month challenge which I've attempted each of the last five years in July (It's based on NaNoWriMo which is November, only my group does it in July). NaNoWriMo is a great inner-editor hitman. Then I spent the rest of the year revising and rewriting.
@liramor A novel a year seems like a good rate! And I agree NaNo kills the IE like no other. π