Whaddayathink… Yes or No???
Let’s face it – everyone has their own methods of writing. And I’m not saying one way is better than the other….okay maybe I am. But we all think our way is the best. When it comes to our own working style, we’re all probably right. But if what I have to say from experience helps another person make better choices, then I’m happy.
to 3,000 words if there’s little or no distractions – like when I’m at retreat.
However, at home I’m lucky to get in 1,500 to 2,000 words.
When I say that amount, I’m talking about a
relatively clean draft. I try very hard to write first drafts that are very
close to being reader ready. What I mean by this is – I don’t go along with the
idea that you can just write crap so you have words down on the paper or in the
computer. For me, trying to fix badly written work is hugely difficult,
especially once I’m into the story and it picks me up and carries me along.
Truthfully, I miss a lot since I’m one of those
speed readers who skim. I don’t see all the passive sentences or the same words
used over in a short space or the starting of sentences that are weak and need
to be changed – and on and on… Oh, and thank goodness for spell check. Even still, a lot gets through that my eyes miss.
begin with – a well-written first draft, then the second pass over will be far
easier. Plus, those few mistakes you have
missed will be glaring rather than dealing with a manuscript where every second
sentence needs work. In fact, when I get the edits back from my editor, I’m always hugely amazed at how many of these types or errors she still finds even after I’ve tried so hard not to let any get past me. Imagine if I let the work roll without any controls.
for the edits and I’m planning a release date to fit into a FreePartay promo. So,
to tell the truth, I really have no choice. I can’t expect an editor to fix a
broken manuscript and I don’t have the time to do more than one good edit
myself.
There’s a lesson to be learned in this decision. The
fact that I don’t let myself get away with weak work has been a huge benefit to
me in the long run. Truthfully, I find my writing getting stronger all the time.
The words come to me and my brain sifts through them as I write them down. Many
times the necessary repairs jump out at me then and there. Not always, but it’s
happening so often it lets me trust my work that much more. It makes writing
enjoyable and less of a massive job of painful plodding through each revision!!
Try it and see if you don’t find your mind adapting
to your demands. It’s a challenge – right?
tell me I’m full of … ahhh – you know what – but make it convincing.
