Wow
Wednesday, April 21, 2010 So, I am seriously having a hard time believing this, but I am done the first draft of The Memory of Us. Honestly, I'm a little in shock! Writing this book has felt a little bit different than any of my others. Time Of My Life flew by in a whirlwind of two months. The One That I Want was a lot of hard labor. And this one? Well, this one was kind of when I realized that writing a book is just like any other task: if you build it slowly and methodically, it gets done. Like organizing a closet, cleaning out a pantry. (Now doesn't THAT make this gig sound glamorous!) :)
Now, that isn't to say that the real work doesn't begin now. Actually, no, that's not true. For me, the real work is getting from start to finish, but my work is hardly done. Often times - and I'm pretty sure that you guys will be able to relate - I'll think certain aspects of a book are really AWESOME while writing them, and then I'll go back and reread them, and just be aghast. AGHAST! Not only that I thought they were awesome, but that I wrote them in the first place! And conversely, I'm now spending a lot of time reflecting on the problems that I know are already there. Because there are plenty of problems. I think this is one of the biggest differences between who I am as a writer now, and who I was as a writer when I first started out. Not only my ability to pinpoint problems, but the recognition that a draft is...a draft. Not a finished product, not even close to a finished product. Five years ago, I bet that I'd have given this a quick one-over and thought it was pretty damn good. Now, I am literally keeping myself awake at night trying to figure out not only how to make it better, but how to eliminate every last weakness in the plot, the characters, the writing, the dialogue. And I think this evolution of understanding just how much work it takes in getting a manuscript just right can't be underestimated. Whether you're looking for an agent or already contracted with a publisher, I really, really recommend pouring over your manuscript on time more than you think you need to. It's worth it to be 1000% sure that you've gotten it right.
But anyway, that's for later. For now, I'm taking a day to enjoy it before I pull on the goggles and dive back in.
Craft, Life as a writer
Reader Comments (10)
That's a great feeling, isn't it? Congrats!
And thanks for the wonderful advice, as always. :)
Congrats! I'm still in the muck of the first draft, but I look forward to feeling what you're feeling right now. :)
So true! As I am writing my current WIP, it's much worse for me than previous novels, because I'm so much more aware of the problems. I used to have that "high" you get from a first draft, but lately, I'm just slogging through, knowing there will be so much to fix. . .It doesn't help that my current novel is on submission and getting rejections, making me even more keenly aware of all of my issues. . .But when you get it right, it's a sweet, sweet feeling. . .:)
Congrats! Good advise and that is why it has been months and I still haven't sent mine out yet to an agent. I'm still finding that certain scenes can be better and dialogue could sound more real. Thanks for all your great blog entries and good luck with everything!
Congrats on finishing the draft.
I hear a lot that it is best to let your manuscript rest for awhile before diving into the edits. This allows the writer to gain distance and perspective. It sounds like you only wait a couple of days...so how does that work for you? Are you able to kill, slash and change as needed or do you still feel too tied to the original draft?
Rebecca -
That's such a good point! Ideally, I really WOULD like to set it aside for a few weeks, but I have a deadline for my publisher. The good news is that what I'm doing now is really a polish of this draft - and I'll get that much-needed break once I hand it in and wait to get editorial notes. I really agree that stepping away is important, and I look forward to doing just that once I've filed this version.
Allison
Wow, Allison. You are an inspiration! You are soon going to be termed "a prolific author." I'm curious, how long does your publisher give you to write a draft of a book that's on deadline?
I think giving yourself time, especially if you are trying to land your first agent/editor, after you finish, is great. I know what Allison is saying-- she has a deadline -- but when you don't have a publisher-created deadline, you CAN take the time to stop, think, etc. It is amazing what you pick up after you give yourself a little breathing time.
That's awesome that you finished the first draft. I think it's totally normal to go back and read previously awesome parts and wonder why you thought they were so great. I've totally done that.
Congratulations!!
Great advice. That's definitely something I need to work on.