Hello again.
I haven't posted for a little while. I read something yesterday about writers should finish their first draft of their novel and not edit during the process.
I find I am tinkering with chapters, and obsessing over whether the chapters are flowing, and working on their own. What I need to do, according to this article and others, is to finish the whole draft and then go back and revise and then re-write.
I think this is great advice. It came from the editor of Hemmingway and F Scott Fitzgerald who apparently said, "let's get something on paper and then we can work on it." (Not the exact quote but the article came from the Writer Magazine.)
Anyway, let's keep moving on with our work and then we can edit it afterwards. That's what I am going to seek to do.
Happy writing to all of us.
4 comments:
Hi Suzanne - I always like your posts - they're kind of friendly, inquisitive, and open. Are you writing a novel? It's interesting advice although I can't imagine Fitzgerald's complex work emerging in quite such a way. Hemingway? That makes more sense. Some writers say they have a whole map of their novel ready before they begin; others say they never know where the work will take them. I guess just writing one draft straight through could combine both of these approaches to a degree. Anyway - let us know how you're proceeding, regards Barbara
Thanks, Barbara. The novel is progressing. I am also reading The Weekend Novelist - which talks about keeping on going. I am trying to just keep writing and see where it all goes.
In fact, short story ideas have been coming to me a lot, lately. So I am writing some short stories as well and just keeping my pen moving.
Do you have any projects underway?
suzanne
Right there with you, Suzanne. I'm working on a first novel as well, plodding along slowly as I have a day job.
Best of luck with your novel!
Jim
Thanks a lot, James. Good luck with your novel too!
It's hard work but we have to keep going, hey?
suzanne
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