There is a chance—a good chance—that I missed the last post for IWSG (Insecure Writers Support Group). I don’t want to ring my own shame bell, but I’d be lying if I said I’d had perfect attendance all year, and I definitely haven’t, so, let’s forget my shortcomings and just jump into the optional question:
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?
Excellent question! Mostly due to the appropriate timing since I’m a chapter and a half away (one week?) from being done with this FIRST draft of a COMPLETE re-write. So, the question is pretty much when do I swing back to the top with edits and re-writes and ways to improve the thing?
Right frigging away.
I don’t give myself a week away to get “fresh eyes” like lots of authors do. It’s never been my thing, and I think it’s because I’ll get beyond antsy if I don’t work on something. I mean—sure—I could find another small project to keep the creative juices flowing, but my heart knows I’m just writing fodder, and that none of it matters. What REALLY matters is going back through that completed draft and making it better.
So, why wait?
I certainly don’t. And I don’t plan on it with this story either. And, like all the other ones, the first draft is already weighing in at *quite* the length. Still have the remaining part of this chapter to write, plus another one, and I’m sitting at over a hundred thousand words. But it’s all good. I’ll edit the thing down to its rightful length, and if he’s still a chunky monster at the end, so be it. I’ve written my fair share of chunky monster books. Must be my thing.
Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) is a monthly blog hop for writers at all levels to share their fears and insecurities in a safe and encouraging place. Please drop by and say hi to Alex Cavanaugh who started this nifty concept in bringing us all together.
Think that’s all I’ve got for this week. We’ll touch base again next Wednesday, sound good?
Have a badass week!
~ Lady Caitlin
Here’s to those chunky monsters. I love those guys!
I always plan to give myself time, but I am always so far behind I can’t. I’m usually making last minute changes the day I have to upload the final copies, heh-heh.
Really? That’s actually shocking to me!
I get wanting to dive right back into the story once you’ve finished. Sometimes you’re just too excited about it to let it sit.
I wish I could give myself more time to work on things but I too get antsy and often jump right back in. From experience, I think my writing is better if I give it time to sit, my anxiety just won’t allow it.
My books are so flipping long that it’s usually months before I dive back in at the beginning because it takes me so dang long to reach the end. 😀