Today I’m participating in Indie Life, a feature run by Indelibles. Basically, everyone posts about something related to indie publishing, and visits everyone else. To see who else is involved, check out the linky list.
It feels like I haven’t written in ages. And it’s mostly true. Though I have re-written bits and pieces, for the most part, I’ve spent the last six or so months editing my barren planet romance series.
The editing process, both what I’ve done myself, and what I’ve worked through with editors, has taught me a lot about writing and what goes into making a good story. I’ve read a lot of writing books, and learnt more.
So this month, with Reckless Rebellion off to the editor, I figured I’d give Camp NaNoWriMo a go, and work on a fantasy romance story that’s been sitting half finished on my hard drive. I kind of thought that all this learning I’d done would lead to writing a better story right from the start. You know, instead of coming back and having to change all that telling into showing, I could just do it right the first time.
I tried, really, I did. But it just didn’t work. I spent so much time worrying about what word I was using, that the story just wasn’t moving. So instead, I’m back to just writing it down however it comes to me. I can change words in editing. The story is the important part, and getting it down in a way I’m happy with is making me feel far better than having the perfect phrasing does.
And it’s working. I’ve nearly hit my initial goal of 20,000 words (I’m at 17,000 at the moment), and feeling so motivated I upped my goal to 30k. Hopefully I’ll make it. Of course, getting up early, and banning myself from Facebook until after I’ve made my goal are probably helping too.
Do you do any of the NaNo events? Do they work for you, or not? Do you find you can write a good draft first go, or do you let it all pour out, and fix it later?
Keep going! You’ll hit your goal!
Thanks! I hope so.
I’m reading my rough draft today and boy dies it need a lot of work. But I have it to work on, which makes all the difference. Keep writing!
Exactly. A rough draft may need editing, but that’s easier than writing from scratch.
Rinelle, it’s good when you find a method that works for you. I’m opposite, so what I do would frustrate most people. I write and edit each chapter and then move on when I’m okay with the current chapter. It’s more of a habit than anything else, but it works for me. Haven’t done NaNo in a while, but I now have 3 published books out of it.
Yes, doing what works for you, and knowing what works for you, is the important bit. I’d love to be able to edit as I go, and I do generally do a quick read over last sessions work, but I only make minor changes. I save the major ones for after the book is finished.
Wow, three published books out of NaNo, that’s impressive!
Yay, for nearly reaching your goal, and upping it – you’ll make it!
I haven’t done a NaNoWriMo event before – I told my husband I am seriously considering it this year though. 🙂
Go! Do NaNo! 🙂 I always find it fun an inspiring, even if I don’t ‘win’. It’s great knowing there’s a huge pool of other writers there, and being able to ask questions that you know will get a response. Definitely an experience to remember.
When you do NaNo, just write. Its doesn’t matter how pretty it is. What matters is getting your story out from start to finish. I’ve written 2 novels this way. Editing one right now.
Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly
Yes, that’s the best way for me too. Just write, use ‘he smiled’, ‘she said’, ‘next they went to the shop’, or whatever you have to do to just get that story onto paper. Then come back and fix it!
Thanks for stopping by, and good luck with your editing.
I love NaNo. I’ve finished something every year for the last nine years because of NaNo. Not that any of it is published, but working on that part.
It might help that I’m a complete pantser…
Lauren
Pantser definitely helps when it comes to NaNo! I’m one too, though I don’t have that good a record with NaNo. Some years, life and kids just get in the way. Thanks for visiting.
Hi Rinelle! Nope, I write my first draft and fast and furious, then come back and edit for the perfect word or phrase or metaphor later. Glad you’ve met your goal! 🙂
Thanks! And glad to hear I’m not the only one.
You sound like you are very disciplined. I am sure you will achieve your goal!
Good luck!
Hmm, I’m not sure about disciplined. 🙂 Determined though. I’m not too big a facebook addict, so I think that helps. I do lose time to it if I open it, but I can live without it too.
I think of my first draft as more as an elaborate outline. I give myself permission to change anything, move things around, and perfect each sentence after. Like you, I need to just go with the flow and follow my creativity where ever it takes me (even if it switches tenses, is a terrible speller, and is a fan of fragments and passive sentences:). If I try anything else it comes out too stilted. Even though this allows me to write faster it means many revisions (before and after the editor’s been through it). Oh well, it works for me! Good luck on achieving your goal!
Fixing POV later is the one I hate! I have a novel that needs this fixed, but I keep putting it off! I agree though, whatever it takes to get through that first draft!
Congrats on hitting your word count.
And that’s the best thing to do. Get the story down and go back later to find the perfect word.
Thanks RaShelle. It seems to be working so far. Just don’t ask me again when it comes to editing time!
Glad to hear you unstuck yourself. Internal editors can really get in the way when first laying the story down. I consider writing to be layers — the first is just the bones. I polish and add flesh from there. So I take many swipes at a chapter in first draft before moving on. It frees me in anyway. If it’s not perfect, I can fix it, delete it, rewrite it, whatever. Giving myself permission to make a big mess at first was a huge help.
Yes, knowing that no matter what I do in this first draft, the story is going to be edited (more than once), does help me keep my inner editor a little quieter. Although admittedly, she isn’t that loud anymore. Perhaps she’s resigned?
Turning off the editor for first drafts is CRUCIAL. I used to get up at 5 and write, because the editor wasn’t awake. I’ve trained my brain by now, and I can slip into the word flow rapidly, and pretty much anywhere. Turning off the editor makes writing that first draft so much more fulfilling and FUN. 🙂
More fun, yes, that’s definitely part of it! I love writing, and there is something magical about that first draft. Worrying about grammar and sentence structure during that first pass would really spoil the flow.