Monday, July 8, 2013

Progress report

I started this week's writing with just under 10K written.  Which I feel good about.  9K a week is what I'm aiming at.  But I can't help feeling like at least two whole chapters are complete dross.

I started the book in one place, then realized I probably needed to go back a day or so in the story's timeline to make a few things more clear.  So I wrote a new first chapter, that led to a new second chapter that then made a third, transitional chapter necessary.  And while all the information in those chapters in important, I can't help thinking my original starting point got us into the meat of the story quicker.

But this is a first draft.  And maybe when I've finished the whole thing, I'll have more perspective on it. And maybe I will erase those first 3 chapters or smush them up into one or just take key elements and add them to whatever ends up as my new starting place.  Or I may leave them as they are.  Once the rest is written, maybe they won't look as bad as they do to me right now.

Who knows?  I'm resisting the urge to go back and analyze these chapters, to rip them up and play with them now.  I know I'm better off to keep going, to write the rest of the story before I go back.  But sometimes that's hard to do when you feel like what you've already done is wrong or pointless or just plain bad.

Do you edit as you go, or write through the self-doubt and keep going until the end?

4 comments:

  1. I wish I could write straight through and I try. But then I see something that needs changing, and I change it and so on. This may be why I'm such a slow writer and it takes me forever to finish a story. Then, of course, there are the edits and edits and...
    Good luck to you.

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  2. I've always tried to just straight write the first draft. I've found what works well for me is keeping a notepad nearby and writing down every comment etc...instead of fixing things. However if I notice grammar things, I'll immediately change those so I don't forget.

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  3. I used to edit as I go, but now I wait until the whole first draft is done. Perspective really is important, especially because the end often means I have a better idea where the story needs to begin.

    But, if you really want to go back and rewrite it, go do it. No two writers are alike. You have to go with what works for you :)

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  4. First, congrats on making such good progress:) I also struggle with not going back to edit, but if it is a big change, like moving chps around, I find I have to do a quick edit otherwise it keeps playing on my mind. Small edits I don't worry about. Best of luck.

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