Even though there is no definitive "way" to write, everyone is different, it's hard not to feel like I'm not doin' it wrong for this latest manuscript. I've written for a long time, and I have a trunkload of unfinished manuscripts from when I was young and inexperienced (laugh now, that was like three-four years ago because I am SO OLD, you know). I knew I have a chronic problem with finishing things. I lose interest and I give up. It's a horrible waste of notebook. I render almost every notebook I buy completely useless because I'll fill it halfway and then forget about it.So for my first novel, so afraid was I of not finishing, that I was mainly concerned with hitting a word count every day just so I could get everything on paper before my quitter-face came on. It worked. I banged out a novel. Not a really great one, but I finished, which was a big milestone. I even rewrote the whole thing from scratch - another 70k words - finished the second draft too. My second novel was during NaNo, so obviously I had to hit a word count every day. It's not good. Writing fast gets it completed, but "completed" is pretty much the only thing you can say about it.
For The Forever City, I've been writing excruciatingly slowly. Because I don't have a word count goal every day, and I edit as I go, which means deleting 500-1,000 words at a time when I feel like a scene is badly written or doesn't need to be there. This is not supposed to be the way you do first drafts, but this is the way it's happening for this one. I can't decide if this is going to be better or worse. We will see.
On another note, I'm turning twenty on Friday, which makes me not a teenager. In three days, I officially will have beaten teen pregnancy. WIN. Major accomplishment.
*ALSO, I realized that since I have a MacBook, my keyboard doesn't actually have a "backspace" key. Haha, picturefail.
I was really enjoying the post...until I got to the end. Then I had to smother the laughter. Were you worried about teen pregnancy (particularly since there are so many ways to make sure that doesn't happen LOL)? Happy birthday anyway. And great post!
ReplyDeleteHa! Congrats on reaching twenty (soon) AND beating teen pregnancy! Woo-hoo! I agree with you on the first draft. The faster I write, the more I have to edit. It's tough. And every 70-page notebook I buy only gets about 35-pages used. Sad.
ReplyDeleteOMG, I just realized you're my sister's age, and now I feel really old. Haha. Happy early birthday though!!!
ReplyDeleteThat's how I usually write - slowly and editing as I go. That's what comes most naturally for me, but on the other hand, I have chronic, near-unbreakable unfinished novel/story syndrome. So, I don't really know what to say. I try to do the NaNo thing, but it's a big struggle. Anyway, every story has its own pace, right?
I don't think you're doing it wrong. You didn't get pregnant, right? Just kidding. I like the title of your book. The Forever City. I'd like to read it one day.
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