Mixed feelings assault me whenever people ask me about my book. Usually they inquire, "When will you finish your book?" What baffles the casual conversationalist is my response of, "I finished it in December." They fail to understand, as did I when I first began this endeavour of publishing a book (mostly so I could stay home in my pajamas without a bra all day and call it work), is that there is more to writing than, well, writing. Putting the story into a word processor is only one stage of a seemingly endless process.
Speaking from the stage of revision number seven, I can't honestly say when my book will be done. I realize my strength comes with revisions. My first draft is more of a detailed outline thrown together haphazardly, knowing that I will revise it and I can work out the problems later. Essentially, my point in writing this post is to say that I have discovered my style as a writer. My first draft is to get my story out of my brain and into the computer. If I pause to pick the perfect phrase or rework a sequence for too long, I forget the small details I wanted to add to the plot as a whole. Over and over, I have to remind myself to "just get it out there" and then I can fix it all later. This is the best solution to my writer's block. I get too involved in the language rather than getting the story out before I lose my train of thought.
This system of write first, edit and revise later, has also saved me from becoming disheartened about my writing. During my editing process, I've written new scenes to tighten up existing ideas and fill plot holes. These new scenes are first drafts. If I try to write them well like the rest of the revised section, I grow discouraged and think I'm kidding myself with aspirations of becoming an author. Again, I remind myself to get it out there and then work with it. There needs to be something written in order to revise. So stick with it, get your story out there, and then you can worry about the details that comprise a polished manuscript. Hopefully it won't take you seven revisions like it has taken me...so far...
I just have to say, I know exactly what Leesa is talking about. I finished my first book in October, and yet every time I go in and even look at it, I end up making more edits.
ReplyDeleteI'm also on my 7th revision, and I've discovered that authors will never be 100% happy with their work. There is always something that could make it better. As for me, all I can do is keep writing whatever my characters tell me to. They're my motivation; and although sometimes they can be a bit pushy (they fight for my attention 24-7), I'm so excited to be able to tell their story.
I write my books the same way Leesa described. My first draft consists of just getting the very basic idea down (only allowing for detail when my characters insist on it). And that only ends up being somewhere around 10,000 words. I then go back and read through it, adding in the details as I go, and I keep doing that process - combing through it - until my book is done. And by done, I mean done at the time.
So, writing really is more than writing. I eat, sleep, and drink my characters and their stories. I only wish there were more hours in the day for me to type it up.