This is a writing post! 😊
Sorry—not doing Nano but I applaud and commend and totally admire you number-fetish freaks out there taking on this crazy and intense challenge! Bravo! I am sticking to my usual 7:30-9:00 writing slot. I wish I had more time, but alas, my never-ending-energy-dog demands constant attention and with him, my boyfriend who wants to know what I’m doing in here. (He knows. He’s just lonely, which makes me sad and so I stick to my strict stop-writing-at-9:00 rule so that everyone in the family has adequate attention. *Cough *Appa* Cough *Batman*)
But back to writing! Yes. I’ve been doing a lot of it lately and I figured I should share some updates with those of you interested in how the process works. How my process works, at least.
Okay, so I’m on official edit/revision 5. That means that this is the FIFTH draft I’m comfortable with saying I’ve re-worked. There were two or three previous drafts—the ‘inceptions’ I call them. That’s when the story was first forming and there were different conflicts and names… almost like it was a whole different book. BUT it isn’t! That’s what I want to scream at baby Pansters to understand. Even if something drastic changes, it super doesn’t matter. Things will always change and typically for the better. So, I’m really on my like, seventh or eighth draft and I’m finally getting there. To a place where I wouldn’t mind someone else reading it. This is the part when plot and conflict and every other piece is present and accounted for, so I’m paying attention to sentence structure. How am I going to make it sound?
I’m at the sound part, guys. The SOUND PART. Big deal. That means all the big stuff is taken care of and all I’m focused on is the sentence structure. So… after this draft, the WIP will be in the ready-for-someone-to-read stage. AKA: the shit-yourself stage.
*my least favorite*
Life of a writer, am I right?
P.S. Posting once a week isn’t terrible, although Wednesday seems to come around really quickly. I don’t get how people do this multiple times a week. And have a job. And have a significant other/dog/both AND have an actual WIP to get done AND have a social life. I’m tired just thinking about you.
The ones I don;t get are the six books a year people… how can that even happen?
I’m not doing NaNo this year, either, and I get the writing steps – I call them layers. Each layer makes the story more defined until it’s finally published (and I am still wanting to run through ti one or three more times because I never think anything is finished).
I like the layers analogy. 🙂 Yeah, those 6 books a year people aren’t people. They are robots. Joleene HELP! I’m TERRIFIED to show this next WIP. It’s so different from AW!!
Woot woot! You’re moving forward! Woohoo!
Someone once asked if what they read of mine was first draft, and I just kind of blinked and said, “I don’t know.” I change things constantly, hopping around to work on where my mind is. I have no idea how many drafts I’ve done, and technically, I’m not even finished writing the story as a whole yet, so I’m not even first draft!
I love learning about people’s processes. I think it’s so interesting. Like, I move through the story once, then again, and again until it doesn’t sound like writing. But it sounds like you’ve got a whole different set-up–and it works for you! That’s awesome!
Hey try adding kids and a 1.5 hour commute each way into that!
I haven’t had a regular schedule or writing process in a long time. I’m still working out my overall process. Usually it’s the first quick draft to put down the basic structure of the story, then another draft to clean that up. I might let my wife read it at that point, since she’s so much smarter than me, but then I dive into the deep restructuring and fleshing out of the story. I usually add 50% more words at this point, move scenes around and change the ending. Then I do another clean up draft because it’s going to be a total mess again.
Then comes the endless tinkering.
My process is almost the exact same except I don’t let my boyfriend read it until the very end, and the ending typically stays the same. Sort of. Can’t imagine adding the kids and commute…
Progress is awesome. ^_^ Glad to hear things are going well, though going through that many drafts – ye gods, you make me glad I’m a plotter. 😛 As for the time thing, I don’t know how *anyone* does it – I have to set time specifically to write as well, and I don’t have anyone to worry about but myself. Oi.