marina: (Default)
posted by [personal profile] marina at 04:06pm on 19/06/2010
My advice would be finish the draft and rewrite/edit/improve later. Process is always a very, very personal thing, of course, so I can only speak of my own experience, but for me things have to work their way through my system and I've made the mistake of feeling like I'm done before, when I really wasn't, and it didn't end well.

The first draft always feels to me, if I'm lucky when I'm nearly done, if less so then by the time I'm halfway through it, like it's already ridiculous. Like I already know the flaws of the story, I have so much more backstory and worldbuilding now, I have a billion tweaks I need to do with the characters. But that's the first draft, that's just how it works, for me. I've learned to trust that feeling in the back of my head that needs things to run their course, that needs complete processes.

It's also that there's a certain power in being able to say something is done. For me, at least, it's always important to be able to put that final dot and say, "this may be utter crap, but it's a novel and I finished it." It gives me a sense of closure and allows me to put it aside and start entirely afresh, without being pulled back by that tiny incomplete feeling about the previous draft. It also gives me confidence. I already finished this once, I can overhaul it again and make it better. If I don't have a "finished" first draft it's like the first and the second become somewhat entwined in my head and it's not good for how I distribute my energy. It's easier if I have a clear sense of a cut.

Especially if you're traveling soon and so you have a limited window in which to finish this last bit then leave and come back to all this stuff fresh (and eeeee being excited about the story again, how awesome is that!), I'd say finish the draft.

Reply

This account has disabled anonymous posting.
If you don't have an account you can create one now.
HTML doesn't work in the subject.
More info about formatting

Links

July

SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
          1
 
2
 
3
 
4
 
5
 
6
 
7
 
8
 
9
 
10
 
11
 
12
 
13
 
14
 
15 16
 
17
 
18
 
19
 
20
 
21
 
22
 
23
 
24
 
25
 
26
 
27
 
28
 
29
 
30
 
31