What is your process? How many drafts do you write before you leave something?

penelopecarax

I've n [FONT=&quot]oticed recently that I've got into a sort of rhythm with my creative writing. I've got a book which I carry with me everywhere, and I mean even bars and nightclubs. When ever a word or question or a thought or, rarely, a fully formed piece pops into my head I write it down. Then, seconds or months down the line I might be thinking of something completely different and suddenly I will have a follow up to the first idea. Then I write the idea down in my book. The first time just the first paragraph or two, and then a plan, and then the whole thing. At this point it is generally horrifically awful, and I never want to look at it again, but afterwards I transfer it to the computer, and then back to the book. I generally repeat this cycle two or three times before finally being happy enough with it for me to just revise it on the computer. It means I kind of interact more with the work if you get what I mean. Also content comes easier for me on paper, and style on the computer. No idea why.

Anyway, after thinking all of this through I was wondering... what are your processes for getting to the end product? How many drafts do you get through?

Penelope xx


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EileenG

I try to make myself write a certain number of words a day (usually 1000), and just keep knocking them out unless I run into serious trouble, when I'll read back and see where I've gone wrong.

When it's all finished, I go back and look for plot flaws and logic problems (like some characters having spent fewer days than others). Then I go back later and edit chapter by chapter. I'm currently on the seventh rewrite of my first chapter and this one is a major change that will affect a lot of the rest of the book.

penelopecarax

ooo. sounds interesting... can we have a peek? Penelope xx

MikeC101

EileenG wrote: »

I try to make myself write a certain number of words a day (usually 1000), and just keep knocking them out unless I run into serious trouble, when I'll read back and see where I've gone wrong.

When it's all finished, I go back and look for plot flaws and logic problems (like some characters having spent fewer days than others). Then I go back later and edit chapter by chapter. I'm currently on the seventh rewrite of my first chapter and this one is a major change that will affect a lot of the rest of the book.

Very similar to my own process. Though I lack the discipline to make myself write a set amount per day (perhaps a writing course might help with that?) so the amount of words I get out per day is all over the place.

Except the current WIP is historical fiction, so I'm working on the exact timeline, the major events (battles, deaths and so on), first. Along with trying to read every primary source and history book about it (the third crusade) I can get my hands on, as I have to have them pretty much exactly correct, and work the story around them.

Currently am experiencing much frustration with my lack of discipline, writers block, and an overwhelming desire to set the laptop on fire.

EileenG

For what it's worth, my teacher on the last writing course I did suggested that while you should have a general idea of the time line, don't do lots of research until you have your first draft down. Anything you don't know that will require research, stick in ????? or ****** as a signal to yourself that you need to back later and research it.

The danger of doing the research during the first draft is that you get so bogged down with your searches that you lose track of your plot, or that you fall in love so much with the stuff you find that you write too much of it into your novel.

Keep the story as the driving force, fill in the details later.

pickarooney

EileenG wrote: »

I try to make myself write a certain number of words a day (usually 1000), and just keep knocking them out unless I run into serious trouble, when I'll read back and see where I've gone wrong.

When it's all finished, I go back and look for plot flaws and logic problems (like some characters having spent fewer days than others). Then I go back later and edit chapter by chapter. I'm currently on the seventh rewrite of my first chapter and this one is a major change that will affect a lot of the rest of the book.

That would be roughly the same as me. I usually write on paper first and transfer to computer at the end of each day/week. I rewrote my current WIP 4 times before giving it out for peer review. Nobody could be bothered reading it, so I took it as a cue for rewrites 5 and 6.

piby

Basically I'll write to get the jist of the piece and then I end up going over it again and again to iron it out so to speak. Usually my finished piece is almost unrecognisable from my first draft!

Killer_banana

At the moment I don't really have a set process. It's causing problems though so I'm trying to find one. I like to edit stuff as I go along but I did a creative writing class before and apparently it's better to leave it till it's all finished and you've stopped writing for a long enough amount of time that you're almost unbiased while reading it. I can't help myself though. I've started underlining stuff I'm unsure of and plan to look at it later when I've reached impartiality. Need to finish writing though first.
Also a lot of writers say don't show it to people until it's been edited but I can't. I have to show people some of it to keep me going. If I don't know other people like it then I don't bother writing and give up. I never was good at motivating myself.

EileenG

It's whatever works for you. Tidying up type editing as you go is fine. Leaving it for a while allows you to back and look at it with fresh eyes, so don't waste the freshness on catching typos and bad grammar.

I read out each chapter of my first draft to my children as soon as it's written. Reading out loud can make you aware of bits that don't work, and seeing them lose interest is a good sign you need to fix something.