"The trouble is, I just know that if I write something new, I'll end up with yet another 1st draft that never gets edited. My life is full of 1st drafts, but I still keep chasing the excitement of that new story." - Angeline Trevena
This totally struck a chord with me! If you look at my WORDS + music page, which is a page listing the projects I'm working on, you'll see that I have a fair few completed drafts. I also have a fair few non-completed drafts that I'm still working on (WIPs). Aaaaand, only one of my novels is anywhere near being properly polished (it's on draft #5 or something, currently). The rest of them are in dire need of some TLC. And while I actually quite enjoy revising, editing, etc., that part of the whole process is definitely way more work than the initial spewing forth of rough material.
Angeline prefers writing new material. I don't necessarily prefer it, in fact I really get invigorated and inspired by revision. But the fact remains that I have given far more attention in my life so far to writing new stuff, instead of polishing what I already have.
What's your ratio of rough drafts to polished "ready" works?
4:0 not including short stories or poems or any uncompleted drafts.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to know I'm not the only writer suffering this! Poetry and short stories I don't have a problem with. Just looking at a huge MS for editing is so daunting. Perhaps I should tackle it chapter at a time, treating each chapter as a separate entity.
ReplyDeleteI have two finished drafts, one of which is almost to the point of publication. However, I need to go and do some serious rewriting in parts I think. I went overboard on characters.
ReplyDeleteI dread first drafts! I have a rewrite that I've basically dumped, a partial first draft and am finishing a new first draft. I can't wait to get to revision!
ReplyDeleteProbably 3:0 or 4:0. New novels are such sluts compared to revisions, which make you work for it.
ReplyDeleteI love revisions. For me, it's the best way to really layer the story, characters, even the place. I currently have only one manuscript that needs a lot of attention, with a few others polished pretty well and ready to go.
ReplyDeleteI've got three first drafts plus a WIP....
ReplyDeleteHi Trisha,
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting post. I guess I never really thought about it, because I used to write, set aside, move on, write, set aside, move on... repeat.
When I decided to pursue my writing dreams, I took the story I loved the most (that is, the first one I want to see published and on bookshelves), and finished it. I'm now working through my third deep edit. I can't say exactly what the future will hold, but I'm tempted to say I'll always finish what I love the most, and those little side stories that come out of nowhere will probably not see a revision. They'll just be.
PS: Visited Fedderson's post on faeries. Loved it! Thanks for pointing me to her blog. I'm following it now too.
Hope you are having a fabulous week!
Tracy
Um, well, I kinda have quite a few first drafts of things. Some are in various stages, or still in first draft mode, of revision/editing. I find it's much easier and fun to create new things too. Now, this does go more for my novels. Short stories are much easier to polish up to some extent.
ReplyDeleteI have two right now, but I refuses to write anything else before I finish them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this post! I do have probably five plus first drafts hiding in the files! But who's counting?!
ReplyDeleteRough drafts vs. polished work? 3:0. I'm currently rewriting one of them, though.
ReplyDeleteI've been writing short stories, so I get those revisions done quickly. I am trying to figure out how to revise a novel, and can't seem to get to work on it. I'm going to have to kick myself in the back parts soon, though, if I'm going to get it done by April...
ReplyDeleteI think I have about five to six rough drafts just lying on my computer. I finish them and then think, yuck. This didn't go at all the way I planned. I'm working on settling down. . . *crosses fingers* ;)
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of unfinished stories. Sometimes the little blighted just don't want to get written.
ReplyDeleteI call it my process, ans that makes me feel better.
This is definitely an issue for me, too. I don't hate revising, but I much prefer the actual writing. I don't even want to think about my ratio!
ReplyDeleteI constantly write new drafts instead of spending time on revising other manuscripts. :(
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to remedy that though. 2012 is to be the year of nothing but revision.
4 rough drafts
1 draft revised 6 times.
And I fight a constant battle with plot bunnies.
yup - I hear you. Mine were all rough first drafts... till I started posting short stories - that has helped as i keep having to FINISH something... urgh :) Maybe it'll rub off on the novel at some point (I hope!)
ReplyDeleteLx
I'm like you all the way. Let's see... I've got about 25 works - whether novel or short story or what have you - and one polished novel. Even the stuff I called finished a couple of years ago I know now needs some major editing...
ReplyDeleteI've recently given quite a lot of attention to editing, and every time I'm done I think, "Yup, this is it. It looks good now," then I send it to someone else and they find other things to change! OR, I look through it again and I myself find things to change. (I fear I'm turning into a perpetual editor...)
ReplyDeleteBut still. I have a lot more first draft stuff than polished stuff!
I have a few that are languishing in the shadows, more notes on the things I haven't even started, and one WIP that I'm writing on and another complete first draft that I'm currently reading through and taking notes. As much work as it is to do both at once, I'm finding I really like being both in the process of writing and editing. It keeps the creativity rolling while giving me the satisfaction of knowing that I'm doing the work to get a book published some day.
ReplyDeleteI'm seeing that the majority of us have more unpolished work than "ready to go" work. Maybe we're all afflicted with the same "OMG NEW SHINY IDEA!" problem. :) Not that it feels like much of a problem to me...it's awesome!
ReplyDeleteNew Shiny Idea Syndrome alright. :D
DeleteI think I am enigma amidst writers. I don't have a lot of first drafts. I have ideas about new books I want to work on but I get set on one and I work at it until I am happy with it. That means I have been working on this one project for quite a while now but I can't drum up the energy (???) to move on while this one is unfinished.
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