I crossed the Second Draft finish line over the weekend. Although I don't feel a lot like celebrating as I know how much work there's still left in the next drafts to follow. The back end of the novel felt a little rougher, needing more connective tissue. I feel like a second second draft might be in order, but I want to give it a bit of time to settle.
The first 100 pages of my manuscript are being professionally edited and I'm a bit anxious and excited at the prospects of recovering her comments.
What's on my plate for the next month?
- Prepare my application form for the Canada Arts Council grants
- Prepare my agent queries/submission packages
- Recover the first 100 pages of edits
- Work on my Third Draft to sort out all sorts of issues that I noticed through the initial drafts, clearing up the magic system, synch up the ages of characters, add a bit more details and descriptions in those talking head chapters.
Piece of cake, right?
If you have any advice or experience with wrapping up second drafts and third (and fourth and fifth) drafts, please comment and share.
Showing posts with label drafts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drafts. Show all posts
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Friday, January 17, 2014
A Writer's Fragile Confidence
Most writers are in a state of gloom most of the time; they need perpetual reassurance.
- JOHN HALL WHEELOCK
If you're anything like me, you spend a lot of time doubting yourself. You'll have good day and bad days. Some days the Muse will sing and you'll feel great and every word your write seems like gold. Other days (and sometimes usually the next day), you reread your stuff or try writing something new and you feel like it's garbage, amateurish stuff.
And it's okay to feel that way. The above quote reminds us that we do need reassurance. But, does that always need to come from someone else? When do we be confident enough in our writing? Sadly, I don't think I'll ever be that way.
It's taken years for me to take criticism and listen. Confidence is something completely different. There's always that lingering doubt in my mind about my writing. There's that impish little devil on my shoulder stabbing with his pitch fork telling me I'm not meant to be a writer. I don't have to listen to him, but I do hear that voice, that doubt.
Non-writers have no idea the angst writers go through when they put their work out there. I've sent off the first forty pages of my novel to a circle of friends and I'm terrified of what they'll think. What if they think the last 3 months of work is crap? What if they tell me that I should quit the writing thing?
The one thing I can say for certain is that writing is in my blood. It's something I can't escape, something I can't not do. I enjoy doing it as well as struggle with doing it, but I can't see myself not doing it. Maybe I'll get some negative feedback, but I'll roll with it. Their opinion is not going to change what I want to do. It might be an indicator of my progress as a writer and might highlight what I need to fix. I won't give up. I might not have a hell of a lot of confidence, but I'm damn persistent!
The only thing I can do is keep writing...
- JOHN HALL WHEELOCK
If you're anything like me, you spend a lot of time doubting yourself. You'll have good day and bad days. Some days the Muse will sing and you'll feel great and every word your write seems like gold. Other days (and sometimes usually the next day), you reread your stuff or try writing something new and you feel like it's garbage, amateurish stuff.
And it's okay to feel that way. The above quote reminds us that we do need reassurance. But, does that always need to come from someone else? When do we be confident enough in our writing? Sadly, I don't think I'll ever be that way.
It's taken years for me to take criticism and listen. Confidence is something completely different. There's always that lingering doubt in my mind about my writing. There's that impish little devil on my shoulder stabbing with his pitch fork telling me I'm not meant to be a writer. I don't have to listen to him, but I do hear that voice, that doubt.
Non-writers have no idea the angst writers go through when they put their work out there. I've sent off the first forty pages of my novel to a circle of friends and I'm terrified of what they'll think. What if they think the last 3 months of work is crap? What if they tell me that I should quit the writing thing?
The one thing I can say for certain is that writing is in my blood. It's something I can't escape, something I can't not do. I enjoy doing it as well as struggle with doing it, but I can't see myself not doing it. Maybe I'll get some negative feedback, but I'll roll with it. Their opinion is not going to change what I want to do. It might be an indicator of my progress as a writer and might highlight what I need to fix. I won't give up. I might not have a hell of a lot of confidence, but I'm damn persistent!
The only thing I can do is keep writing...
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