Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Valerie Furnas on February 26, 2011 at 10:54am

After a brief depression period and wondering around aimless I got back to work.  I handed the rough draft to my first editor (Mom.)  She read for big ideas and gaping problems making list of ideas on how to fix it and tagging pages that were a wreck.  While she worked I started the next novel.  This time I was more organized.  I prepared a thorough outline to help with book two.  Ready to get back into my routine and back to the sweet life.

Permalink Reply by Juliana Rowland on March 22, 2011 at 10:41am

You are brave. I've been refusing to show my rough draft to anyone until I've had a chance to re-read it myself and do the first edit. Since I decided to follow the advice of Stephen KIng and Anne Lamott and take a month off from it before doing that initial edit, I spent a couple of weeks trying to figure out what to do in the meantime. I started another novel that tanked, then got inspired for  yet another, which is going along swimmingly. Now my month is up and I can't decide whether I want to finish a first draft for Novel #3, or pause on #3 so that I can return to editing #1. I don't think I can completely concentrate on the both at the same time...

Permalink Reply by Valerie Furnas on March 22, 2011 at 12:32pm

I tried to do two at once and completely forgot about number 2. Since it was my first that first draft of book one needed 7 different rewrites.  It was ugly!!!!  I am finishing up that  last rewrite and I have to say there points where I feel like high-fiving my self it is so good.  7 rewrites I would hope so!

Permalink Reply by Michelle Gwynn Jones on March 29, 2011 at 7:54pm

If it were me - depending on how far I was in #3 - I would finish the first draft of #3.  That way while I am doing the first edit of #1, #3 would be resting for it's month.  Keep things flowing that way

Permalink Reply by Laura Page on February 27, 2011 at 1:06am

It's incredible how much of ourselves we put into those works of art, our writing projects... I think I can understand that depression. after the work is done. Though I have not yet finished my novel, I have deliberating so long and hard over certain characters in the work, that I can imagine that wrapping up their story is painful. Also, I've read many, many novels with my writer's hat on. When I probe the narrative for the author's soul; it's always right there. No matter how removed the narrative might be from the author's own life and circumstances, there's always some part of the author left there, in between the lines of narrative. Yes, writing is such a personal investment...

Permalink Reply by Shannon Alexander on March 29, 2011 at 6:20pm

I still remember that feeling when I typed the last period at the end of my first novel-length story.  It was nearly midnight, my husband was traveling, my kids were asleep, and my friends' husbands would have hated me if I tried to call them to celebrate.  I did this funny little dance thing in my chair, quietly whooping to myself (so as to not wake the babes), and then put my head down on the desk and cried.  I'd never felt more alone, abandoned even by the characters I'd just spent nine months with.  Quite a let down.

 

Finishing my second (the first has been tucked away for now) felt much better.  There was no one around again (problem with writing late at night), but this time I knew it'd be okay because I'd soon be joined by new friends on new adventures as long as I kept writing.

Permalink Reply by Carrie A Golden on April 24, 2011 at 7:02am

I have set aside my first novel almost three years now and I'm quite ready to start the revision process.  Mine is going to be pretty much a complete overhaul of the entire story.  The central plot will remain the same; however, instead of being an adult novel I will be converting it into a young adult novel.  Whew!