Time to do a happy dance!
Yesterday, I finished the first draft of my Blue WIP, and I
must say there were quite a few surprises at the very end, leaving another
opening for another story.
So is this the end? Have I finished my manuscript?
No! Of course
not! There are several things that are
very unique about this WIP. Like I said
before, I wrote this one without any sort of outline, which is quite a first
for me. I’ve never been able to finish a
WIP without knowing where I’m going. And
that will create much more work for me in the next revision. There were plot points I’m almost positive
that I deserted halfway through. I also have
a character who just stood on the sidelines as the other characters ignored
him. I think he needs to do a little bit more in the next draft.
For now, I’m
going to leave it alone for now. I’ve
sent it off to my Alpha, the one person I trust with everything I’ve ever
written. In fact, she’s read everything,
whether she wanted to or not. And she’s
not afraid to tell me what she really thinks.
Then the revising begins. Going through and rewriting just about
everything.
My first drafts are like very detailed outlines, I don’t focus on the wording or if I’m using passive tense. I only focus on the story that needs to be told. Now I'm going to have to focus on the syntax, the verbage, all of the stuff that I ignored while frantically scribbling away. This is where the real work begins.
My first drafts are like very detailed outlines, I don’t focus on the wording or if I’m using passive tense. I only focus on the story that needs to be told. Now I'm going to have to focus on the syntax, the verbage, all of the stuff that I ignored while frantically scribbling away. This is where the real work begins.
Fortunately for me, I love revising and editing. It’s probably my most favorite part of
writing. I can use colors to focus on
different points. Green for dialogue,
red for descriptions, purple for themes.
I love printing out a draft and crossing out the words, making it messy
and crazy, knowing that eventually, the mess will become something even more
beautiful. It's kind of like deep cleaning. The messier it gets when you first start, the better it looks in the end.
So while I let that WIP sit, I’ll begin working on revising
my Red WIP. I’ve received several critiques and reviews that I think will help
me create a much stronger draft. While I
do that, I have someone beta reading my White WIP, for when I finish with the Red WIP's revisions.
What are you working on now?
How do you edit? And which do you
prefer, editing or writing?
I finished my first 'horrible' WIP about 2 months ago, and I started rewriting it about a month ago. I also have a character who was on the sidelines until the last few chapters--and her name is in the title, but through this rewriting phase, she's getting a lot of "page-time." :3
ReplyDeleteMy draft was shorter than I wanted, so I'm editing and adding. (I typed each chapter in its own document and put them together later.) I printed out my entire manuscript, and I reference it during the rewrite. But normally my editing process is having a hard copy and using pencils and colored pens to make corrections.
I like editing because you've written a draft and done much of the thinking for the story, so you can think of additions to it. I've added new subplots that tie in to the main story, and I am enjoying that. :3
I think that most first drafts are considered horrible. It's the scribblings of a madman/woman while under the influence of inspiration.
ReplyDeleteMost of my first drafts are pretty short, and I think that's so I have room to grow. I've never had drafts go shorter in the first revision. There's always more to add, more emotion, connections between different plot points.
Thanks for sharing!
I know that feeling. I have three Wips that are on the middle stage and two in stage 1. And two with which I have lost hope. Yet you are much more organized than I am. Good luck with Red Wip.
ReplyDeleteDon't lose hope! I think sometimes with a WIP, we need to stand back, look at the problems, then tackle them one by one. I have several where I'm still trying to figure out what went wrong.
DeleteAnd I think organization is the key to really finishing. Otherwise, I don't think I would be able to get anything done.
Good job finishing your draft! I write until I lose the words and then edit til I find them.
ReplyDeleteThanks! What a great motto! I'll have to remember that.
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