And the sad, sad answer, as you may have already deduced from the little wordometer in my sidebar, while I did make progress, I definitely did not finish - or even get half way :(.
I'm not too upset though, I got much further than I have all year. I have 25k, and just over 100 pages. Most of my word count was obtained during those first two weeks of my break--before things got too hectic.
As you can guess, I'm not querying this year--which as many of you have told me, is okay. It's better to not rush through it and submit something of less quality than I'm capable of. This first novel is the only one you actually have all the time in the world for.
You want to hear the bad part?
I want to start over. AGAIN.
I must have some sort of strange complex. Even though I've been good with this one! I haven't been re-reading or revising throughout. But I'm watching the story in my head, and I don't like the way it's playing out, and I keep having visions of a different beginning, different dialogue, different plot overall...
I'm okay with starting it again... I'm just wondering how many times I'll keep doing this. I always say "there's a reason for everything", and I know there's a reason I need to keep working until I get this story to come out exactly the way I want it to.
Maybe I'm just trying to convince myself? Maybe I'm just crazy... ;)
How many of you suffer from this dilemma? How many times did you restart your WiP before you were able to finish it? If you have finished - when did you know it was right?
12 comments:
If you've restarted more than twice, you may be using the "oh but this will make it better" method of delaying finish and getting to publishing.
First drafts are supposed to suck. Make notes about what you want to change, and then finish this one.
The changes are for the revision process :)
i've made that mistake. don't keep going back. just FINISH. THE. STORY. then go back and edit. then give it to your crit group. then revise. it's a process - one that shouldn't be attempted until you've FINISHED the story! :)
Maybe you can work on TWO books at the same time? It's been known to happen.
Congratulations on making PROGRESS. That's really the important part. :)
I suffer from that too. I decided to finish it then go back and rewrite the beginning. It helped me establish my goals. Good luck with whatever you decided to do.
I agree with Suzi! First drafts suck - at least mine do. But if you're making progress and making it better then that can only be a good thing!
I agree with all, work your way through it, finish the story, and then go back revise, revise, revise.
I've started over with my first novel many many times. It's so bad that I have stopped telling people that I'm still working on it. I distract them with other stories I've done. But that first one still needs a lot of help.
Good luck, Jeannie!
I felt the same way when I was about halfway through with my first draft. I thought it was so bad that I needed to start over right then, but my CPs disagreed. They told me to just finish the draft and make it better on the next round. I'm glad I took their advice. Good luck with your WIP:)
Hi, Cutie... It's perfectly okay to not feel happy with your WIP. Really. I've had to do that even when my book is all finished. I'm going to do just that with my historical romance.
It starts through the male's POV, but it feels like a war book--which it is most definitely NOT!
So I'm going to change the beginning to where he is watching the heroine (but he doesn't know it yet) and is plotting to abduct her, opposed to where it starts that he's in his billet plotting a stratagem with his scout. Lol.
~Elizabeth :)
My current project is on its second beginning. I didn't change the overall plot, just enough details that several sections required rewriting.
You're not crazy at all, just a writer who wants to do her best work.
I think Suzi offers excellent advice! Just finish it, and then revise the heck out of it. Once you look back, it might not be as far off as you're thinking.
I'm nearing the end of my wip, and I'm having my own doubts about it. But I know I'll make it stronger in revision.
Good luck finishing...you can do it!
I'm glad your back.
Many how-to writing books tell you not to look back. I go and tidy up chapter from the day before, and then go to the next. But I don't keep overhauling or I'll become paralyzed. I need to keep moving ahead and seeing it through. The exception is I will go back if I have an epiphany about something earlier in order to get the present scene to work.
That said, every writer has to find his/her own way.
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